SAFE IN PORT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1635, 30 December 1912, Page 5

SAFE IN PORT.

STHAMBR NARRUNQ RETURNS. THROUGH T.HB STORM. FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH. A THRILLING STORY. By "telegraph—Press Association— Copyright London, December 27. The P. and 0. steamer (previously reported as being in serious danger) Narrung has sent a wireless message that she does not now require assistance, and is steaming back at the rate of ten knots per hour. She has passed the Isle of Wight, and is coming to the Thames. The Narrung has 248 passengers on board for Adelaide, Melbourne) and Sydney; also some for the Cape. The Commonwealth's representative will meet the Narrung and assist tho immigrants if necessary. BATTERED AND STORM>TOSSED. WOEST STOEM IN SO YEAES. (Eeo. December 29, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 28. The steamer Narrung arrived at Gravesend at six o'clock on Saturday morning, with her bulwarks considerably damaged, her fore-deck a mass of wreckage, hatches stove-in, and a heavy list to starboard. Captain Bldwell, the commander, left the bridge for the first time since Thursday. Off Capo Ushant. The gale commenced after the vessel had passed the Channel Islands on Christmas evening, and increased in fury until seven next morning. Off Cape Ushant she was shipping water heavily, steaming dead slow. They kept her head to the gale, and hove to, remaining so all the morning, tho waves breaking right over the vessel, and leaping up to the bridge. Never in the last 30 years had the officers experienced such a gale, or witnessed such tremendous seas. '. Swamped by a Huge Sea.

In the afternoon a mountainous wave [ swamped the whole ship, completely burying her forward-deck, and wrecking all thejtackle in front of the mast. The water flooded all the passenger acoommp-' dation, smashed the winches, and burst through the hold. Women and children were in. the flooded cabins. The wave 9 tore up the iron deck, turning it back liko brown paper. . ; 'Bout Ship! Gall for Aid. It was impossible to proceed, and the vessel was turned round to prevent an-, other such, sea striking hor. Had she taken anothor it would have been all up with her. Turning in the teeth of the gale, a very anxious time was experienced; honco the wireless call for assistance. The operation of turning the ship occupied eiehty ininutes. i "We wore, running, four or five hours before we were out of•' danger," said' tho captain. ■■■■'..-.. The chief officer (Mr. Postle) estimated that the wave whioh.struck tho Naming was seventy feet'high. ' , 'A seaman was swept off Us feet, and three of his ribs were broken. ' 'Passengers. . It was impossible for some time to remove the. women and children from tho wrecked cabins. The debris imprisoned five men. in their cabins for ten hours. The male .passengers exhibited great coolness, baling out the,'cabins, which were knee deep in water. Tho women and. children suffered considerably from having their feet in water, and many of them were helpless from sea-sickness. .

The captain refused to take any food while tho ship was in danger.

"Now, Boys! It's Life or Death I"

The passengers narrate that at the moment the great wavo struck the ship Captain Bidwell shouted to the crew: "Now, boys, it's life or death! Don't trouble about anything else." Order and discipline were splendid throughout.

The stewards did everything possible, but were unable to maintain supplies of food to the passengers, and many were foodless for forty-eight hours, except for some tea and biscuits.

Tho' wireless operator, Reynolds, was working for fifty hours. The firemen were standing waist-deep in the water in tne stokehold, and tho coal was swept out of the bunkers.

The seamen on Friday night gave up their bunks to the women and children.

Lloyd's estimate the Narrung's cargo at .£IOO,OOO.

HEROI-SM IN THE STOKEHOLD.

ANOTHER STEAMER'S. EXPERIENCE. (Rec. December 29, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 28. The steamier Duchess of Cornwall has reached Falmoulh. She experienced tremendous seas, which tore away the funnel, smashed all the.boats, and put out 'the fires. ' Two men were drowned. Tho stokers and engineers worked kneedeep in water, and by their heroism undoubtedly saved the ship. ITALIAN STEAMER WRECKED. THE.CREW RESCUED. London, December 27. The Penzance lifeboat rescued tho crew of the Italian steamer Tripolitania, which was wrecked at Port Lethen. MOLDAVIA DAMAGED. LASCAR SEAMAN DROWNED. London, December 27. Tho wireless apparatus of the P. and 0. steamer Moldavia was damaged during the storms, and a Lascar drowned. BARO.UE IN DISTRESS,, SAILS GONE AND A HEAVY LIST. (Rec. December 30, 0.15 a.m.) London, December 29. The four-masted ' barque Mary Ann Elleadbody, of Glasgow, laden with Australian wheat, for Limerick, is in distress off Galway. Her sails are destroyed, and she has a heavy list to starboard. NELSON LANDMARK GONE. THE OLD SALLYPORT AT PORTSMOUTH. (Rec. December 29, 5.5, p.m.) London, December 28. The storm destroyed the old Sallyport at Portsmouth, whence Nelson and other heroes of naval history embarked to join their ships. A "NINETY-SEVEN" GALE. London, December 27. The gale registered ninety-seven milea an hour at Paisley,.