ALONE AT SEA

Evening Star, Issue 18332, 20 July 1923, Page 8

ALONE AT SEA

SHETLAND WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE,

In tho ‘Evening Dispatch’ Wm. Hudson ■writes:—

Tho circumstances of tho very hard experience undergone) by an elderly Shetland woman, concerning which “ Hebridean” makes inquiry, aro well known to me, and with your leave I shall eet them down briefly and in order. On Saturday, January 30, 1886, a little trading smack named tho Columbine, of twenty-one tone burthen, lay storm-stayed in the Bay of Gruitnces, near the southernmost point of tho Shetland mainland. The rough weather had compelled the skipper arid his crow of two men to lot their craft ride in the shelter of the bay for several dayn and to abandon a a intended run to Pair Isle. On tho Saturday named the weather moderated, and tho short run of under twenty miles to 'Lerwick was resolved upon. In tho vicinity of Gruitucss was a hamlet mined Soatness, in which, upon a little farm, there resided with her brothel', a crofter fisherman, Elizabeth Mount, somewhat over sixty years of age. She was in weak health, though not prostrate, and, wishing to visit a doctor in Lerwick, she had secured' a passage in tho Columbine, tho skipper of which was an old family acquaintance. After days of waiting she was rowed to the smack, and the passa-o was commenced. The good woman soon fell sick in the little cabin, and was unable to drink any of tho milk or oa t any of the bread she had brought with her.

The storm was quickly renewed 1 , and Elizabeth Mount in the cabin heard running and excitement on deck.

'■ Get away tho boat,” was shouted. The smack heeled to one ado, and the heavy companion ladder foil to the cabin floor, rendering it impossible—even had she been able—-for the woman to make her way on deck. What had happened was this—though tho poor woman know only that something grave had occurred/—Die “boom” of the mast had snapped 1 he fastening, and, swinging violently around, caught the skipper by the middle and thrown him into the sea.

His two companions at once launched the boat—a. most difficult task in a stormtied up tho holm of tho smack that she might “lie to,” and set out rowing to save the skipper. They were unable to reach him, and saw him sink, What was their consternation on turning to row bade to the smock to sec her scudding quickly out to sea, ami themselves totally unable to overtake her! Overwhelmed with grief for the skipper and full of anxiety for tho lonely passenger on tho Columbine, they turned 1 tho bow to the shore, which, they reached' with the greatest difficulty and in a state of utter exhaustion, welcomed by ;.i group of crofter fishermen, women, 'and children, stricken dumb with grief. Tho afternoon wan advancing, and somo delay occurred before news of tho sad occurrence could be telegraphed l to Lerwick, and delay at Lerwick before it could bo decided what was best to bo done. A steam trawler, the Gipsy, was (ho same evening sant in search of tho Columbine, was at sea. twenty-five hours, and returned laic on Sunday night. She had found no signs of the missing craft. The steamer Earl of Zetland ran out 120 miles and returned; with no news. An Admiralty cutter made a similar quest with no better success. Tho Columbine was given up for lost by many, and the on lire cast coast population of Scotland found for a whole week matter for keen conversation and speculation upon the chances of her safety.

The poor woman was not slow to realise what had happened. Unable to roach the deck because of the fallen heavy ladder stops, -she drew a. chest across the floor, and, standing upon, if, was able to look out. upon the storm before which the smack was running furiously. Naturally .‘-lie gave vent la her terror m cries mid team, hut, being a woman of good sense and observation: familiar with sea stories and flshcrrnen’s perils, and knowing generally tho trend of tilings; above all, being a woman of a thoughtful and pious temperament, sho was not long in becoming calm, and trustfully facing her most trying and perilous tiil.ua lion.

For hours she stood on the box, holding fast fo tho edge of the small square hole that formed tho 'Ciitraaco to her liitlc prison-house. The- sky chared somewhat, iind sho watched the stars: kirw tho though, Jtear or Charles s vV.- ,: a. and was able to toll ike. “airU”; knew that she was drifiing in a. north-easterly direction. All this she afterward,; told in very intclliycnl terms. Mie. found the mate's walcli. wound it up, eel. it at what proved a very near guess, and 1 kept it t,,s her only companion during the rest of her perilous experience. Ship and steamer she sighted afar off —• too far off to signal in any way. None of them noticed tho little drifting omit. Days and nights passed. Her milk and biscuits or ecoires kept her sustained for several days, carefully apportioned by tho returning daylight. The smack wont adrift on Saturday afternoon, January 30. It tossed about in rho North Sea throughout the entire next week. On the. succeeding Sunday nionnug Elizabeth Mon at realised from tho humping of tho keel Unit the smack laid drifted upon rocks, and that, the end had probably come. Climbing a/gaiii' fin bier weakness Iho friendly box, she looked out and saw land. Almost immediately the smack heeled over on her side and remained fast.

The new gradient enabled Elizabeth Mount to crawl on deck. Hero was a sight,! Perhaps less than 100yds oil were rugged cliffo, the waves? between which and the smack washed an equally rugged boulder beach. A small crowd of people, she soon realised, had been watching the drifling craft almost since daybreak. She waved a handkerchief and her Shetland shawl, and this gave rise to intense excitement on tbo part of the specialors. There wna someone on board whose life must, bo saved. Tho land l proved to be the. little fishing island of Lcpsnc, to which tho nearest post town on tho mainland of Norway is Aa-lc-sund, not very far from tho Arctic circle. Tito kindly fisher folk were, not slow to act. At least -one woman, was seen to need help: the women would look after her when tho men had brought, her ashore. But how? Tide docs not much mailer in Norway. Two or three hardy fishermen, with ropes attached to their waist*, boldly entered the water. They threaded their way among tho boulders and reached I to smack at least breast deep. The language difficulty was but a trifling one in faro of such danger. Two of them succeeded in climbing on board, for the smack was almost on her boom ends. Ala king sure that there was no one else on board, they lifted Elizabeth Mount to the bow, lowered her over, gave her a rope that still held, between tho peak and the bowsprit, and bade licr try what sbn could do " hand' over hand” towards the two men who stood breast deep in tho sea. She pluckily kept, her bold for a. brief instant, and then fell into the arms of tho men, who were unable to prevent her being rat least half submerged. Tho eager spectators watched all that passed with breathless interest, and a crowd, of women received her from tho hands of tho men. She was quite well aware of all that was being done. But there, was at least a quarter of a mile of rocky path to traverse before the hamlet could bo reached, and the woman was drenched with, sea water. A fisherman took off his long boots and stockings and gave them to the sheltering crowd off' women. Some restorative was given, cud a little procession, at tho head "of which was a group of strong men, soon threaded' its way to the little harbor village of Lcpsoe. The women did all that was needful, and in an hour or less Elizabeth Mouat was snug and warm in a Norwegian' bed. A telegram to the owner of the smack, Mr John. Bruce, of Sambnrgh, Phtlhtud 1 : "Smack Columbine, with woman, sate.y brought into Lepsoe, near Aaksiind, reached Lerwick on Monday evening. It created intense interest throughout Scothind. Most people had given up nil hope of the safety of the smack or of i!« solitary passenger, and details were eagerly awaited. The ‘Scotsman* sent a. member of tho stall to Norway forthwith to learn the details of this remarkable deliverance and generally to show kindness to tho poor woman and attend her home to Scotland if accessary. . .... There" need be hut men tion of the interest manifested when .Elizabeth Mount embarked on a Hull steamer from Anle.sund, to which town she had been conveyed after >a week’s rc.-i and treatment in Bepsoe. Sho was accorded a free passage home. At other Norwegian towns people camo on board in scores to r-co her ; ■at Hull there was similar interest manifested. bu‘ it was when sho arrived at tho Wavorlcy station, Edinburg!!, in the can; m the ’Scotsman’ representative, that tire warmest demonstration of welcome was forthcoming. A crowd of two or three hundred people, a large prq)>ortio;i of them women, gazed on tho frail Elite woman, many of them with tearful eyes, and then rat sod a lusty cheer. Her story created much sympathy; a public subsoriptio/i on her behalf readied to

■between £3OO and £4OO. Kimly Shetland friends in Leith gave her a homo until the next r(eoTiier for Lerwick loft the port, and there an equally warm welcome from “her <iin folk” awaited her. vShe had left her homo on January 30. She did not return to it until near the end of the first week in March. „ ~ , , , Tin's is praoiiea.lly all lljat need he retold of a story remcmbcrcdi only by _ the oidec generation, but then it is thirtyseven rears since. Elizabeth Mon at died at her old homo at Scat ness on February 6, 1918, aged ninetythree.