ON THE WINDSOR WRECK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 118, 11 February 1908, Page 7

ON THE WINDSOR WRECK.

WASHED FROM STEAMER. TO REEF. , ' iiY.TELKGRArn—rnEEs AsspcuxioNTxCOPTniani. Perth,. February 10. Tho steamer wreck'ed 'on a reef near Pelsart-Island; ifl' tho e Aßr<)llios' Group, has . completely ..disapiliearW. r of, the boats r wasliW "away ' after;'jthe first.contingent of the crew were landed.'. AND DEATH AT THE^AST 1 v ; -moment; .y£' v : Nicholson;'!' an 'who' ','was' 'the last to leave; the: ship f . '.' As we had. >o further boai^-.it'.was impossibie.::to>gain;the -'reef.'' : 'iOaß^m :^W«jt?i|s;' ; BaVo} ;endeavour to lloat ashoro. lines' to jtho gratings t iin. ordor.-W-e3tablishr- ( cation with. tlioso i dnVvthq 'r6ef',' ; ' .rockets attached Jo- signal ■ halyards/ but all of these fell short/ '• -s .«>*•*• '« Thenchief.■ engineer made'- attempts.- to swim ashoro. with a 1in0,,.. and ..after: a desperate struggle succeeded, in, gaining' a; ing on tho reef, but was,exhausted with .his efforts and Was carried itiway-. by ;tho wash. Ho was'then catricd put sea' and .drowned in'view of all hands..' . "

" Shortly afterwards . tho funnel foil by the board, and it; was seen that- the vessel's back was broken?; •By this time tremendous seas-were thundering nvc'rtlie'docks, and all hands wero clinging, to tho. lines on the bridge. . • i'-v ' LOSS OF-CAPTAIN-AND-MATE,---- ; "'At ab6ut"'"4"o'cloclc~ih3Ho'alEerrioon::ffio mainmast the board,and was washed ashore.. Alh this "time the; sefcon'd and : third officers remained on'; the reef, but -wero powerless to render/assistance to those on tho 'antV at'sunset tho second and third officers loffe for the island. l . '* Captain'Walters l and thoimnte remained in the saloon,. „buiL tli£_rest of tho crow and apprentices stayed forward.; VDpori. coming, on dock, tho following, morning wo found that all' tho after-part of tlio vessel-up- to-the foremast hadibeen broken up and washed on to• thp-'reeftJio_capiain_and mate beingjost 'with it. Next: morning'a party'searched, the shore for th^;l)odies,. but without, resuli RESCUE. LINES BREAK. > . " \Vo then took refugo in ono of tho deckhouses, and again endeavoured to 1 float, hhoa ashore. A. roscuo party also attempted to reach us-.with,-rockets.. , A couplo ,of tho rockots fell overi the ship, but the lines broke.:: -V :: ...'' -J- . ." The Chinese with us appeared to become .paralysed with fear and exposure. All. tho \timo wo kept boys tolling the boll to attract attention. -. 'When. wo. saw, tho rescue party leavo .at sunset-wo gave up all hope, aiid rcmaineiV.'all night liudttled; in tho forecastle. ' . '

"Next mornnig; tlie Chinese took- their pigtails down; .(md .prayod; to their Joss for tho wind and sea to subside. They then ■turned into ithem bunks and commenocd wailing. About- an hour after, tho Chmcso cook attempted" to commit suieido with a chopper. J

• THE LAST, RESORT SUCCEEDS. , ■... "Up to this time we had been without wator, and : two" of the 'Chinoso commouced ,"drinking salt 'water.••'•The ; soat^was' 1 'now sweeping: - cOnipletelyy over, the 1 which' was rapidly breaking up, the forecastle being gutted. ; "In • tho afternoon a * Chinese*-trimmer' lashed and jumped into tho surf, sayjiig."he ; might as- well die that way as "remain on-^he'ship. 'The surf carried him in, and Rafter being, carried out again for some, distance;';the. seas carried him to the roof, was;,tpscued., ? "All the others'on tho steamer followed his example, and.wero-waslied ashore •in ;an ■ exhausted condition. Tho • Toscuing_ party were up to , their armpits in tho surging water. We;remained, on tho reef all night, and wero/taken'to the! island in tho morning." ■.. f