THREE WEEKS ON A WRECK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 313, 28 September 1908, Page 9

THREE WEEKS ON A WRECK.

BRITISH CREW'S THRILLING EXPERI- • \ .;• . . ENCE. ' Twelve of the crew of the wrecked London Gtoamer New Orleans have been landed at Liverpool by the Holt liner Stentor from Singapore (says the "Glasgow Herald"- of August 10). The New Orleans, a vessel of J515 tons grass, built in 1901 at Sunderland, while boutid from Nc)V, Zealand to Hamburg, via Ocean Island, with phosphate rock,' struck a reef in the Straits of Macassar, and foundered. Part cf the vessel, however, remained above water, and tlio crow lived 0:1 it for twenty-three days before being rescued by a passing steamer and taken to Singapore, whence they were brought on to Liverpool. One, of the men, interviewed by a press representative, told a thrilling story of tlio wieck of the vcrsel. The New Orleans, ho said, cariied a crew of twenty-four all told, and t.reive had been sent home from Singapore by the Stentor. Tlio others were sent by another Gteamcr, while Captain Humby, the master, the cnier engineer, and tho steward remained.by the wreck in the hope of doing salvage work. The steamer • had for some time been trading at New Zealand ports, and after loading a cargo of phos< phate rock at Ocean Island, she sailed ai tlio beginning of Hay for Hamburg. When passing through the Straits of Macassar, oil' tlu coatt ol Borneo, she struck a sunken reef, and' sustained extensive .damage. Tho water g.iincd lapidly in tho holds, and tlio pumps were kept going in the hope that slio would get clear of the reef and be beached in shallow water. Tin engines were at thesame time kept at full speed astern, and eventually the steamer was got off the reef, but before she could mako any headway towards the beach she ran 011 to a ! second reef, and at once began to settle down. Captain Humby ordered the lifeboat to bo launched, aiid tiii3 h.ning been done, the. crow abandoned the" steamer, taking with them as much of their belongings as the boat could accommodate. When tlio steamer foundered tho bridgo, forecastle, and all ,the upper parts remained above water, and although she had parted amidships, the forward and after ends were well out of the water at high tide. She lay close to' the shore, and the crew, after cruising about for several hours ; in the boat, dccided to return to tho wreck • rather than risk being killed by the natives on that part of the coast," which is inhabi> ted by a fierce and lawless tribe—the descendants of tho old Malay pirates. Therefore tho crew preferred to endure the discomforts of the wreck, where provisions were plentiful, rather than seek succour on the inhospitablo coast. ; For ' three weeks they lived upon the wreck, keeping constant watch for any passing vessel or in caso of a surprise visit from tlio natives, the latter not being considered impossible, seeing that the wreck lay close inshore, and was only submerged a few feet at low water. Weapons of all kindi wero kept in readiness for defensivo purposes, but they wero not needed, although small bands of natives were seen on several occasions watching tho wrcck. -After tha lapse of three weeks the distress signals hoisted by the crew were seen by tho steamer Decrcns, of Holland, which bora clown on tho wreck and took 011 board tlio crow, with the exception of those. who decided to'remain, and landed.them at SingaMaaij oift pauiot .iaifl owi{.u 'oaod.