SHIPWRECK.

Grey River Argus, 20 January 1912, Page 8

SHIPWRECK.

EXPERIENCES OF A HOKITIKA ■ RESIDENT.

Master Roy St. George, of Hokitika, who was aboard the s.s. Jane Douglas at the time of her -wreck off Stephen Island, has returned home, apparently none the worse for his experience, though it is one ;he .would not care to have repeated. He states that at the time of the accident lie was asleep in his bunk, and though he heard the crash it did not awaken him sufficiently to causa him to understand the disaster. He was at once called by one of the crew, and even then he did not get properly awakened. The steward came .in immediately afterwards "and pulled him out of bed and he had only time to grab a pair of - trousers and' a coat and get out. He first got hold of a pair of trousers and threw them aside as tiey. were not his own. This 'was a bit of bad luck for the owner, the cook, Mr J. B.rooksr, as there were £20 in notes in the pockets, and these were lost when the ship went down. When he got on deck there was only time to scramble into the boat, which was just being launched, and almost immediately the ship went down, Captain Vendore being picked up a moment or two later, only just in time. There was a heavy choppy sea, and as the boat was leaking badly as the result, of a smash received in launching, those aboard were kept busily engaged in bailing it to prevent it being swamped. When they started v to .pull for the land they had a heavy tide flow against them, and it was very laborious work- for several hours' before they got ashore. All on * board lost the whole of their belongings, and in some instances substantial sums of money.