IMPRISONED UNDER A WRECK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3911, 23 April 1915, Page 7

IMPRISONED UNDER A WRECK.

A THRILLING RESCUE, A thrilling rescue under oxtruoidinary circumstances was effected last month during a ffcrce hurricane winch had rao-ed all through the night on the north-east coast of Great Britain The Hull salvage vessel No. 1 hacl taken refuge behind the breakuatei of Peterhad Harbor, on the Aberdeen coast, and shortly before eight o clock the crew started to shift her position, probably with the intention 01 getting her to a place where she would bo better protected from the fury of the gale. Unhappily, this was found to bo impossible. The force of the wind drove the vessel across the bay, a mountainous sea overwhelmed her, and she was flung ashore at the brick works, where she lav bottom upwards. . Naturally, all hone for the safety of her crew had been given np, but suddenly the onlookers were electrified by seeing the hand of a man waving from one of the portholes of the capsized ship. It was evident iliat someonc was imprisoned in the overturned hull, and instantly preparations wore made for a rescue if possible. There was only one possible way of getting the man out—to cut through the steel plates of the ship. At great personal risk, a boilermaker named MeCrobio managed to got an oxyhydrogen blowpipe to work, and after a tremendous struggle succeeded in enlarging the porthole sufficiently to allow a man to pass through.

The imprisoned sailor was thus enabled to esdape from his appalling situation, and he was safely brought ashore by MeCrobie. Lie,proved to be John Ritchie, the cook of the salvage vessel. He belongs to Yarmouth. All tlio other members of the crow, which numbered seven, were drowned. Ritchie, when brought out, was unconscious, hut bo soon recovered. ‘‘l bad a. wonderful escape,” he said, in an interview. “When the vessel was swamped the engineman and T wore down below. The others were on dock at the time, and must have been washed overboard. I was almost .suffocated, but I kept:the ventilator open and put my hand through the porthole and waved for helm”