CAPTAIN REID'S ADVENTURES.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 117, 13 November 1902, Page 5

CAPTAIN REID'S ADVENTURES.

AUCKLAND, This Day. Captain W. D. Reid, who acted so heroically after the ship had struck, when seen by a Herald reporter last night, was in a very weak state. He said that the ship struck during a dense fog at quarter to 11, or thereaboute on Sunday morning, while under slow steam. The first intimation of danger was hearing the engine telegraph ringing " Full speed "of some kind. " Rushing on deck, I saw what looked to be a precipitous cliff looming up ahead. The telegraph was set madly ringing again, but the engines did 'not seam, to move. Tho vessel gradually went on, and struck stern on right against a wall, then fell round to the- starboard- side and kept lifting up and down on the rocks with the chop and rise and fall of the sea. "The captain gave orders to swing out the- boats and supply all persons with life-belts, of which there seemed to be a, plentiful supply. They tried to get the port boats out first, as that side was next the cliif and more sheltered. 1 went to the captain and asked him if he knew what the land was, and I told him that I thought it was the big King. I said ' I will swing out a boat on the clear side and effect a landing with some of the passengers.' I believe part of the crew assisted me to swing out a boat, which we lowered to tho rail and filled with women and children. I then told the men to lower away, as I did not consider the boat safe for more passengers. A number of Austrians on board tried to rush the boat, and we kept them back, some of the ship's crew at the same time shouting out that the women must go first. The boat was then lowered into the water, when I got some men in, while some others had jumped. As the vessel was settling down, I slid down and got into the boat, and sung out for more men, but the captain ordered tho boat away, and told me to go and find a landing-place. By the appearance of the vessel when I left her I reckoned that she would last some time. "We put off and soon lost sight of the vessel, but could hear a grinding sound. I skirted the reef, and went round on the lee side of the island, but could find no landing-place. I then recognised that it was not the big King that we had struck, but there was no compass in the boat, and the fog was so dense that I could not * see in which direction the big King laid. I pulled along and struck anotfier island, but could find no landing-place- there, .and pulled along further and found another island, but still could nob get' a landing-place. I then saw through the fog another boat, which seemed very deeply laden^ Just then I struck the place that I intended. " I landed the women, intending to return to the other beat afterwards, but when I saw how deeply laden she was in the choppy sea, I hoisted the sail and went down to her at once. Her occupants told me that she was bilged and hplf full of water. I told them to pull on till they found a lee, and as my boat was perfectly tighb I would then be able to remove them. We pulled on, and in trying to find a lee shore I struck what looked a likely landing-place. In the meantime I had seen another boat with a mast, and cooeed for her to come up to us, but the occupants paid no heed. "The three boats then landed their passengers on a ledge of rocks. Many of them were greatly exhausted. The captain was in a small boat, which we fell in with, having been picked up out of the water, and was badly shaken up. We had great difficulty in landing, and by tho time we had landed the passengers it was 4 o'clock. The captain and I then held a conference as to the advisability of going back to the ship again ; but the fog was dense and the islands undistinguishable, and the women were prote"3ting against being left alone. We decided, to wait until daylight. We utilised a case of brandy and a cask of water, which we had picked up floating'about, and procured sails out of the boats and rigged up some shelter for the women. There .were about seventy people in all on the rock, and we . spent a horrible night. We had to watch the boats to keep them from being stove in. Next morning at 4 o'clock, I left to go to the wreck. It was then blowing hard and a nasty sea was running, and the fog was as dense as over. I pulled till about 11 a.m., as one of the men told mo that the forccabin steward had swum ashore out of the captain's boat' to see if we could get a landing, and was still there if alive. We pulled. down and saw him. There was a big sea running, and spray was going right over the man, who was crouched on a rock. We rescued him with great difficulty, backing into the breakers, and he swam through, when we threw him a line and hauled him clear. " We then proceeded to the spot where . we thought the Elingamite was. The sea was running heavily, and the wind increasing, and I could see no trace of the vessel,- nor could I discover any food floating. The fog was still dense, and I elected to piili off a little further to see if I could find any food floating. We discovered plenty of whisky and grog, of which we took two cases into the bout, also some oranges and onions. Many dead bodies could be seen floating by. I could not go very far as I had no compass, and the men had been two days without food and continuously at the oars. I was afraid oi the boat going to pieces. I tried to get back to the island when the people were, but could not pull up to them. T made four attempts, and could see the people at times. The men were thoroughly beaten, their wrists giving way, and their hands wero bleeding. '" The fog lifting for a moment, I saw another island, that we had not seen before, and which I recognised at the big King. I told the men that there were goats there, and as we could not make the island the people were on we must make for big King. We toiled and pulled, and reached there at 7 p.m., and saw a light on the island. I pullel in, and some one shouted out that it was fairly sheltered, but as there was a heavy eca running round 1 could not see a safe landing-place. Ak there was no anchor in the boat, I told the men that they would have to go ashore and get stones for the purpose, ond that I would stay in the boat. Two sailors stopped with me. "We lay down without any covering, aa we had given nearly all our clothing away to tho women and children. We were continually taking cramps during the night, which was very foggy and rainy. The wind shifted and the sen came right in on our shelter. I then knew that the boats which we had left on the other iclund would be smashed, en we mada an endeavour to save mine. We rode the gale out all night, and in the morning we landed end signalled to , a passing vessel, but failed to attract at-

tention. Subsequently, the Zealandia cams in sight, and eventually all wero safely gob on board.