TERRIBLE ORDEAL

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21992, 16 January 1937, Page 14

TERRIBLE ORDEAL

Survivor's Account Of

Disaster

FOUR MEN SWEPT FROM

UPTURNED DINGHY

[THE PRESS Special Service.]

AUCKLAND, January 15

The story of a night ordeal was told this morning by. John Mason, as he lay on a bed in the home of Mr H. G. Bell, of Torbay!. He had staggered there in an utterly exhausted condition at 2.30 a.m., and it was only this morning that he learned the fate of his companions. "It was a terrible night," he said. "We were making from Tauranga to Auckland, and the first of the storm struck us just as were were passing the Hole in the" Wall, off the Coromandel Peninsula, about 6.30 yesterday. . ~ "We were round the cape when tne worst of it set in, and we tried to make Waiheke Island to get on the lee of the land; but we. could not make sheltered water. Then we squared away to try to run to Rakino, where we 'dropped anchor between Rakino and the Noises. "We had taken a good deal of water aboard, and now we developed a list to starboard. The easterly gale was lashing about us, and huge combers were breaking all round. The list became heavier, and on the orders of Captain Petersen we cut away some of the logs from the starboard side to case the vessel. We were able to pump out most of the water, and the boat gradually reached an even keel. "Just as we thought things were easing the anchor started to drag and the vessel developed a list to port. In vain we tried. to cut- away the logs from this side and to, pull her up. Earlier, as we were making the Motuihi passage, the mainsail and outer jib had blown out. We had the foresail half lowered, and now we tried to set the inner jib. We could only get this half up. However, we got her head to the wind, more or less in a northerly direction, and began to take in the anchor again. She heeled over, to port, and water ran into the fore hatch and aft and the forecastle. In spite of our efforts the vessel heeled gradually further over, and we could see that there was no hope. Ordered to Take to Boat "Captain Petersen then ordered us to take to the boat. We jumped into it just in time, for we were only clear when she heeled right over. We tried first to pull to Rakino; but it was no use, and there was nothing left for us to do but to try to drift towards the mainland. We could not pull, because the water was coming over the stern, and we had to turn the boat round and drift in stern first, using the oars to keep her there.

"I think we were about a mile and a half off the shore when finally the boat filled and turned over," he said. The memory of their harrowing ex-. perience gave colour to young Mason's voice as he began to tell the story of the last tragic episode when they crowded into the small boat. Six of them were baling fiercely to keep it afloat in the raging seas. All about them was darkness and flying scud. Twice they were nearly swamped, but managed to bale the boat out.

"The captain and Bill seemed to disappear immediately, and I did not see them again; but Harold, Charlie, the boy. and I held on to the upturned boat. Then another big comber came and the others were all washed off. I had my hand well twisted in a rope round her sides, and was able to hang on. How long I drifted I do not know; but eventually I came ashore and climbed on to a rock ledge. That was about midnight or 1 a.m. I don't know exactly what happened after that, for I must have dropped asleep through exhaustion.

Stumbled Over Dead Body

"I came-to after a while and found my way round the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. On the way round I called the names of the others; but there was no response. Then I stumbled over the body of Charlie. I could see that he was dead, and that I could do nothing, so I left him and went on round to the beach and found my way to this house." Here Mr Bell, the owner of the house, added that when Mason knocked on his door it was about 2.30 a.m. Recalling the incidents of the night, Mason said that he thought the scow must have turned over about 7.30 p.m. They had last seen it floating bottom up as they tried to pull towards Rakino. It is suggested that when the boat turned over the captain and the other older men let go in order that the boys should have a better chance. The boy Bill was apparently drowned immediately. "I know Bill could not swim," said Mason. "He told me so on the boat."

Mason, speaking of the Rangi, said that they had a box of detonators on board, but all the other signal equipment had been washed overboard. They had sighted two outbound steamers, probably the Melbourne Maru and the Port Alma, and another scow, probably the Altair, which signalled Mount Victoria about the condition of the Rangi.