SAVING THE WAITOTARA'S CREW

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3144, 24 July 1917, Page 8

SAVING THE WAITOTARA'S CREW

PERILOUS ORDEAL OF THE CREW. "A livins? volcano!" Such is the description of Hie burning Waitolara, siven by Captain Oliaryin, wlio was in efiarge of Hie relief ship which went to the rescue of.the crew of the (loomed vessel. ".During; the years T have been navigating in the .said, "1 have seen two most terrible and impressive sights—one was the eruption of a volcano at Ambrim Island, in"the New Hebrides; the other was the Waitottira, as I. eiw her on the evening of the day I picked up the. crew. Bv that lime the plates of the .ship had become blazing red with the heat of the flames, and. at night these shone- out ugainst the pitch black of the water, whilst great gusts of flame burst forth from the sides and middle of the ship. Any sight more errie or wonderful could hardly be imagined than this seeting mass of living llnme, seen in a desolate waste of ocean. We ivere able to sight the ship from a distance of 45 miles.-" Captain Charvin first received xord of the distress of the crow of the Waitotara the- Governor, Jf. Kepicciuet. The Waion his arrival in Noumea on Sunday from tolar.i had, it appears, sent out another S.O.S. signal to catch a boat which the captain knew to be in that vicinity, returning to Sydney; but the captain of this boat, feai-ing.it to be a trap prepared by the enemy, decided to ignore ilf and get straight back to Sydney. Captain' Charvin, however, did not <iuestion tho message, but left Xoumea at. once, and next day reached the Waitotara, which lay-about 200 miles away. At the rcr|ilest of Captain .Ritchie, of the Waito.tara, he. waited near the wreck the whole day, while, n ivirelcss message was sent to* Captain Ritchie's agents asking for orders. Aa none arrived bv this time, Captain Ritchie decided to gel. to Noumea. The relief ship then circled close, round the Waitotara." and look a last farewell before sailing oft , . The members of the crew were in a sorry plight, having nothing but the clothes (hey were wearing »t the time, of the disaster, so C'liptiiin Charvin lilted them oiit from, his own wardrobe. As well 'as being practical. Captain Chiirvin. who is l-'rcncli, is also emotional.".

"Do you know," he said, "what affected me most in Hie whole affair? 11 was to see, when we reached (he ship's bouts, one of the crew Imaging under his.coat a case, in which there was a. pet canary. When T spoke to this man about liis pel, he- replied, with tears in his voice, that his one regret was that ho had not been able In save the ship's cat and the cockatoo." 41'ler landing the crew in" Noumea Captain Charvin went to New Hfibride?, returning in ten days to pick Iliem up and bring them on to Sydne-v with him. In recognition of his services- on (hi? occasion "Captain Charvin received from M. Bepicquel; a. telegram, thanking him on behalf of the French Government.