TERRIBLE TRIP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1190, 27 July 1911, Page 6

TERRIBLE TRIP.

WHAT BEFELL THE LIZZIE TAYLOR, MATE LOSES HIS LIFE. On tho arrival of the ketch Lizzie Taylor from Timaru yesterday morning it was quite evident that tho little vessel had had a tempestuous passage, for the after part of her was littered with wreckage. Her master (Captain A. Peterson) had a sad story to tell. From his narrative it appeared that on Sunday evening about 6.15 o'clock the mate, Gustav Bru'sila, was washed overboard and never seen again. "We loft Timaru," continued the captain,

"a little after nine o'clock on Saturday morning in fine weather. There was not. enough wind for mo to sail out, and so I requisitioned an oil launch, and was towed out into tho bay. All day Saturday tho wind was light from tho westward until tho evening, when it chopped round to tho south-west. Wo were going along nicely, but it was Taining heavily. I cbuld not seo anything, and was relying on dead reckoning. About 2 a.m. on Sunday—we must havo then been off Akaroa—the weather changed to south-south-west, and blew hard. Tho ketch was still- going along under short canvas, and about 3 p.m. I took a turn at the wheel. About 6 p.m. the mate relieved me, and I went below. Standing by my tabic I commenced to fill my pipe, when all of a sudden I heard a crash, and next moment water camo pouring in on ton. of me through the skylight and flooded the cabin. I thought that we w;cre foundering or something, and immediately commenced to grope my way, waist-deep in water, to the companion-way. leading to the deck. All the lights went out, but 1 managed )o gain the deck, and felt for the wheel. I could find nothing, for both it a-nd the man steering were gone. I then crawled on my hands and knees on deck alons the starboard passage-way. and threw a lifebuoy, with line and light attached, over the side, at the same time calling out. I presently came up against some woodwork which was being knocked about by tho action of the vessel. The means of steering having gone, the vessel was at the mercy of tho wind and sea. To bring her up to the wind, I fastened a rope on tho tiller and got the helm hard down, and set.a double-rented mainsheot. Tt was no good trying to put a boat out because she would not have lived in it, and besides I could onlv have sent two men in her, and that would have been useless. No one on board has had any sleep since Sunday, and I have been on my feet since Sunday afternoon until now (4 p.m. yesterday). We havo had a trying time of it, and. in my opiniou, we arc very lucky in getting here at all."

Judging by, the wreckage the Lizzie Taylor must, indeed have had a rough time of it. The SPa appears to havo come over tho starboard quarter, and some of that part of the vessel is carried away. The wheel gratings are also torn asunder, and the doors leading to the cabin havo been wrenched clean off. The full force of tho water also carried away a wooden partition, and. inside the cabin, all was chaos. Everything was sraking wet, anc), generally speaking, the cabin was a wreck. The skylight was wrenched clean out of place, and the compass casing washed away. Even the ship's hull was damaged, it having been lorn away from the side of the deckhouse. The litlle sailer was hore-to all Tuesday night, and. during the storm, the square-sail was also carried away.

Xttviftatinff Hie vessel was a very difficult matter, and, in place nf the wheel, block? ami lacklos were fixed to the filler, and the "Lizzie" was steered into safety in Hi is manner. 'When the forepart of the vessel n'iif flooded, the ship's companv all lived aft. Cooking was nut of the question, and cold rations had to ho reported to all the time. The vessel's cargo, however, was practically undamaged, only two sacks of llonr being wet. Gustnv Brusila, the mate, was a married man, about ?S years of age, and a native of Finland. He joined the Li77.io Taylor on June 30, and previous to that was in the schooner Warn rah in IRr)5. the steamer Invercargill in IH!n, and latterly on the steamer Defender. Captain Smilli, SunTiiirondont for Mercantile Marino at Wellington, will hold an inquiry 10-ilny.