THE MAORI WRECK. THRILLING EXPERIENCES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 59, 7 September 1909, Page 4

THE MAORI WRECK. THRILLING EXPERIENCES.

HOW THE VESSEL WAS LOST., ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS BY MAIL. Capetown files to hand contain full accounts of tho disaster that befel the Shaw-Savill and Albion Company's ■steamer Maori on the night of the 4th August, -when she crashed on the' rockbound Duiker Point, a spot fifteen miles from Table Bay. According to the Cape Times, the Maori left Table Bay shortly after midnight on Wednesday, 4th August. There was a fair sea- running at the time, but the night was comparatively clear. Residents at Sea Point noticed her passing along that portion of the doast particularly, because she was hugging the land more cloiely than is generally the case. The captain was on the bridge, in company with the' second and fourth officers, and there were four fieamon 6n ' deck, including Stillwell, who was at the 'wheel. The watch below consisted of one engineer, two firemen, and two, trimmers. "ROCKS STRAIGHT AHEAD." As the vessel rounded Sea Point a heavy fog settled_ down from the westward, while a drizzling rain commenced to fall. The night became thick and h'e^vy. 'Forty mimites after leaving -the breakwater, with the engines going at full speed, >the vessel struck a huge rock, which seemed to stand well out of the water. The first intimation of danger was the look-out's warning cry. When only about thirty yards frpm the rock he shouted "Rocks straight ahead" five times in frantic haste. Captain Nicole immediately commanded ihe steersman to put his wheel hard-a-port. The next moment the Maori fairly ran up the rock. Then came three awful bumps, and back the big vessel slid into the water as the engines were put full speed >stern. The skipper instantly ordered the wheel to bfe put over tt» starboard. Without a second's delay the steersman responded. When the vessel bumped the first time, "the chief officer made his way to the bridge for orders. The whistle was ordered to be blown, and this was done fourHimes. By this time the sea was breaking over the decks. The skipper shouted to the chief that the vessel was. filling, ami as there was no time to be lost ordered every man on deck. His command was repeater 1 / below, and the men hastily made their way to the deck. NEVER-TO-BE-FORGOTTEN SCENE. Round about the vessel was a- heavy fog, and the drenching rain made matters worse. The captain was on the bridge,- and the men reached the deck with little or no clothing. Hardly one | Was fully dressed. They afc once realised I the daiige"rous position of the vessel. She I j was gradually sinking. Every minute j the sea broke with heavier force, and at intervals came that fearful grating noise as the big boat ground upon the rocks that seemed to beset her on overy side. When every man was on deck the crew were ordered to stand by the boats, and to do nothing un,til the captain "sang out" orders. . Calmness prevailed. The men implicitly obeyed ordersj and stood by the Boats. Immediately afterwards Captain Nicole gave tne order to "man the boats," shouting that they had only two or three minutes to spare. The vessel carried six boats, but only three of these were lowered. While the men took to the bodts, the sKipper remnined on the bridge, and was the last to leave the ressel. He was seen to cross the bridge, making his way to one of the buats on 4he weather .side, which he is stated to have boarded. / The Maori was settling down by tho, bow. As far as could be -seen, the terrific bumps had smashed m the fore part of the doomed vessel, and there was a .torrential inrush of water. The boats slipped clear of the Maori. Soon ,af ter^ards they lost si^ht of her in the mist and the rain. The vi-eaflier was so thick that the boats failed to come together. THE BOATS PART COMPANY." The chief officer, in charge of the port lifeboat, got a momentary glance of the other two. He hailed them, and received an answering hail Then the mist closed down again like a pall, and they were lost to view. Feaa-ing the rocks the chief officer decided to stand well out to sea. The water was heavy and the men, thinly clad, sodden with rain and shivering with the bitter cold of the night, found it a matter of extreme difficulty to keep tho boat's head to the seas that were rolling in. The night waa pitch-dark and the flight 6f the unfortunate men was indeed pitiful. All through tho long hours they kept at the oars "simply pulling the boat's head against the seas that at intervals half ••• swamped her.. Weary with their labours, wet through, and chilled to the bone, they plucked up courage as a lightness in the sky heralded the approach of dawn. The boatswain then advised Chief Office t Reed to make for land. With lighte* hearts the men set to work, for they had gone weil away from the coast, and the craft was manoeuvred about in order that the best available landing place might bs selected. ' MAKING FOR LAND. Tile chief officer saw ahead what seemed to be a strip of white sand, and the boat was turned in that direction. Immediately afterwards a huge breaker struck the lifeboat, and she was smashed upon a rock with terrific force. All the occupants were flung into the water, and, well-nigh exhausted from the.struggles of the night, just succeeded in clutching hold of the gunwale. Stewart, the boatswain, urged them to hatig on, saying tkat all would be well. The waves continued to lash over the men until some of them, utterly exhausted, released their hold. By al* most superhuman effort the boat was righted, and though leaking much through the hole, the others managed to make the beach between 8 and 9 o'clock m the morning. The survivors, numbering nine, made their way through the bush to a farmhouse, where the residents gave them attention. ( CHEERS THROUGH THE NIGHT. Stillwell, who was at the wheel at the time the ill-fated ship struck, says the captain was perfectly calm. The violence of the impact caused them all to fling themselves out of their bunkb, and rush into the bitter night of cold -and rain and mist. Three boats were hastily lowered, with biscuits and water on board." No. 1 boat, it is believed, had Captain Nicole On board. In the boat on which ' Stillwell came to land only two had boots and trousers — the rest were lightly clad, and shivered through tho long hours of a pitiless night. As the boats drew away from the doomed steamer, now settling down to her grave, heartening cheers were given from boat to boat, and they disappeared into the pitch-black night. Only one boat reached land. BOATSWAIN'S HEROISM. Two splendidly gallant rescues we're effected by Boatswain Stewart. When the chief officer's boat was beached, it was discovered that eight men were missing. A number of men were seen ,in tho heavy surf, and Stewart, though

In an exhausted condition, swam out to their assistance. They were some eighty yards from the shore. The first man to bo rescued by the boatswain was Stillwell, who, when he was reached, was in a halfconscious condition. Stewart caught a firm grip of the man, and though he was sorely battered about by the heavy bieakers, he- managed to bring him to the sands, where the other men lent a •hand. A second time Stewart swam out. On this occasion he was again successful in rescuing Meelon, a fireman. He experienced great difficulty in bringing him ashore, Meelon weighing no less ■ than 18st. Once again, though now almost completely exhausted, the boatswain gallanfly set out,, and wad just about to clutch hold of Hutchison (the chief refrigerating engineer) when a heavy" sea parted them, and Hutchison was never seen again. HEARTRENDING INCIDENTS. A terrible and heartrending occurrence was witnessed when a man named Attridge, a gffeaser on the Maori, made the attempt U> cross by the rope, in th« centre of which was a big knot. At this point the unfortunate man stuck fast, and could move no further, remaining in his critical position, exposed to the full force of the seas for some considerable time, and disappearing beneath .the water at times for half a minute at a stretch. By dint of a great effort another rope was; s thrown to- him, and, seizing this, he jumped into the sea. The men on shore hauled on the line, J)ut the strain was tco great for the poor fellow^ and a huge wave, sweeping on with irresistible force, dashed him to deafh. against a rock, his de.ad body being l swept out to sea. Glad m an, a fireman, was hanging on to the cross-tree of the foremast, when he *, made a movement' as if to come down, and attempt to swim to his comrades on shore. '•' Good God ! look, he's going to', swim," shouted a fisherman oil shore. " Stop him ! stop him-" A terrific sea was smashing on the rocks, great tollers foaming and thundering with fury. Everybody looked. Sure enough,' Gladman had one foot on the first rung of the ladder. "Go back, go back," cried a comrade on shore. Can't somebody stop him?" Every one screamed to the man on the foremast to go back.' He did — but only ior a time. Unmindful of the warning of his comrades, Gladman' descended, plunged into the boiling surf, only to lose his life. THE PERISHED. According to the Cape Argus, the following is the complete list of those who perished in tho wreck: — G. Nicole, captain ; J. Pearce, second officer ; C. Rowlinsdn, third officer ; C. Probyn, fourth officer ; W. Lines, carpenter ; J. Corbin, lamp-trimmer ; H. Stych, A.B. ; G. Inch, A.B. ; R. Hart, A.8.; F. Pope, A.B. ; F. Bartlett, A.B. ; J. Lo■ney, A.B. ; J. Cox, O.S. ; A. Beak, greaser; J. Gladman, A.B. ; H. Hutchi inson, chief refrigerating engineer ; A. ! Calvert, boilermaker ; J. Brady, greaser ; W. Diver, greaser ; L. Attridge, greaser ; 15. Fenwick, fireman ; 11.I 1 . Hooper, fireman ; T. Gunn, fireman ; J. Smith, fireman ; A. Heighton trimmer ; J. Goodwin, trimmer ; J. Wilson, trimmer j S. Fosderin, trimmer ; H. J. Hicks, chief steward ; A. Anderson, second steward ; 3. Archer, assistant steward ; R. Addison, ship's cook ; W. Hatch* assistant ship's cook% SURVIVORS AT PLYMOUTH. "THE WORST LIGHTED COAST IN THE WORLD." ■By Telegraph. — Ercss Association.— Copyright LONDON, 6th September. Fifteen sufvivors of the ill-fated steamer Maori have reached Plymouth. Mr. MarvVoodj one of the engineers, when interviewed, said the Cape coast was the woist lighted in the world. It was ridiculous to talk about wireless telegraphy — if the money were spent on lights it would save many lives. POISONED LE&. j ZAM BUK'g ANTISEPTIC AND HEALING POWERS AGAIN PROMINENT. Th 6 dire results arising out of neg- I lecfc of a "simple" Scratch could not be more forcibly illustrated than in the following case, and no more conclusive proof of the wonderful antiseptic and Eurifying qualities of Zam-Buk covild ' c desired. ' Mr. F. Billington, a' gardener residing in Buffalo-road, Ryde, near Sydney, says: — "While following, my occupation, I scratched my leg with a blackberry thorn, and took no notice of it. A fortnight later blood-poisoning set in, and ran right up to ihy knee. My leg was swollen, and as black as ink. The doctor whom I consulted advised me to go at once to Prince Alfred Hospital, which I did. I underwent an operation, and the doctor opened up my leg to the knee, but the blood-poisoning spread and ran right up into the groin, which necessitated a further operation. In all, • the doctors opened up my leg in twentythree places, and inserted fourteen tubes. Even then the doctors were not satisfied - with the state of the leg, and were on several occasions on the point of amputating it. For six months I was tnus undergoing treatment in the hospital. When I left the hospital the blood-poisoning had been practically removed, but owing to the sinews of my leg being contracted through being in an iron cradle, I was forced to walk on Crutches for three weeks. The leg appeared to be doing nicely when I ac-. eidentally gave it a knock. The results of this were dire. All the wounds broke out again, and the leg became very much inflamed and swollen. I applied several treatments, but the results were not satisfactory, and hearing Zam-Bjik so well spoken of, ,1 decided to give it a trial. In less than twenty-four hours after the first application oi Zam-Buk I found great relief. The swelling and inflammation subsided, and the Wounds were soothed. I continued the ZamBuk treatment for a fortnight, by which time the wounds were healed. I feel deeply grateful for what Zam-Buk has done for me, and will never lose an opportunity of recommending it to my friends." No stronger evidence than the above could be needed to prove the sterling merits of Zam-Buk. Is 6d and 3s 6d per pot, of all chemists and stores. — Advt. THE TENDENCY NOW-A-DAYS. As the- tendency now-a-days is to deadea pain instead of curing the disease that causes it, a great deal of opium and other narcotics are used ih the. 'manufacture of medicine. This is especially 60 with cough mixtures: Such medicines ate worse than no medicine at all, for the effect the narcotic has on the brain and nervous system is most dangerous. For this reason we want to impress upon you the importance of using Cnamb'erlain's Cougli Remedy, for this remedy contains no opium or other narcotic. This is not merely a statement of tho manufacturers', but each bottle of Chamberlain's Cough Remedy contains the Government's anaH-eia, showing that it has been officially declared freo from all narcotics. — AdvL