OPERATION AT SEA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 3 June 1927, Page 7

OPERATION AT SEA.

SEAMAN’S LIFE SAVED

DOCTOR’S TASK ON ROLLING \

SHIP.

Passengers on the American Trader, which recently berthed in Londjpn Docks, had a thrilling story to tell of experiences in -a gale which occurred in mid-ocean.

The story was told by Mr. Hugh Holahan, of the American Information Bureau, -as lie sat propped up in the motor-car to which he had been carried from the ship on a stretcher, owing to a double fracture of the right foot.

“Neither crew nor pasengers ever had such an experience as befell them during the gale which was encountered during one .night,” he said. “Some of the passengers were on the upper deck when suddenly there came along what sailors call ‘an unlucky sea,’ which rapidly grew in size and momentum, and the ship was struck by a terrific wave. The result was to fling those on the upper deck with great violence to the other side, where we lay dazed for a few moments, after which we crawled as best we could downstairs. “'inree or four were injured —my own injury was a double fracture of the right foot—while others also injured iiicluded Mr. W. Alfred Darling, a public accountant of South Bend, Indiana, who had a severe contusion of the right leg and thigh, and Miss Travis, a chemist, until recently employed at St. Luke’s Hospital , New York City. “But it is not of the misfortunes of myself and the other injured passengers I would speak, but rather of one of the ci'ew, Peter Dunn, a Liverpool man, and of the magnificent efforts made by the surgeons under fearful difficulties to save his life.

‘ ‘When the ship wlas struck and evex-ything was turned topsy-turvy, Dunn had his head, neck, and right arm badly lacerated. He bled terribly, and actually lost two quarts of blood befoi-e the doctors could get a tourniquet on him “There were thi-ee medical men on board. One was the ship’s sui-geon, Dr. Marmaduke Dunslow; the second, Dr. R. Evelyn Lucas, of Bristol; and the other Dr. A. Hardwicke, of New South Wales. Together they operated on Dunn, and then- task, which lasted two hours, was carried out while the ship was rolling like a drunken man. “To counteract this rolling, as much as possible, and to enable the doctors the better to perform their task, Captain Fish changed the course of Die ship. It was feared for a time that Dunn might Ipse his life, but thanks to the effort of the doctors, lie was saved.”