FIRE AT SEA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 107, 19 April 1933, Page 11

FIRE AT SEA

TWO MEN ON A RAFT ADRIFT FOR FORTY HOURS. THIRD FEARED TO BE DROWNED. The motor-launch Daphne, of Balmain, Sydney, eu route from the Manning River, to Sydney, was completely destroyed by lire at sea live miles southeast of Seal Koekg about nine o’clock on the night of Sunday, April 9. One oi the three men on the launch, Mr Eric Hogan, of Harrington, Manning River, attempted to swim more than three miles to the shore after the lire hud forced the crew overboard, it is feared that he was drowned. The skipper of the launch, James Francis Mackey, aged 28, of Balmain, and the third member of the crew, William Sams, also of Balmain, were adrift on the launch’s raft for more than 40 hours before they were picked up lust Tuesday afternoon 15 miles out to sea by the steamer Portfield, outward bound from Newcastle to Makatea. LIMITS OF ENDURANCE The two survivors had almost reached the limits of endurance when the Portfield came in sight. There was neither I'ood nor water on the tiny raft. It was submerged by the weight of the two men, and their bodies were halt under water throughout the period that they were adrift. As the hours went by the two men, weakened by exposure, had to struggle desperately to retain consciousness and to keep their hold on the raft. The possibility of attack by sharks added to the terror of the position. The men, realising what a tiny speck their fragile craft was on the broad expanse of the ocean, had almost given up hope when the Portfield was sighted. Immediately the Portfield had taken the men aboard she made back t.o Newcastle at her best speed. Mr Warns was unconscious. Mr Mackey had to be helped across the wharf. He told how ho had suffered burns about the body and on the feet and hands while attempting to extinguish the fire. PETROL PIPE BLOCKED. According to the story told by Mr Mackey, the Daphne cleared the Manning River bar at 4.45 p.m. on Sunday. At 8.30 p.m, the engine stopped. Mr Mackey made an investigation with a closed lamp. He found a block in the petrol pipe leading from the tank. Ho disconnected the pipe. Suddenly there was a blaze. Attempts to control the flames failed, and the crew launched the raft. The raft consisted of two redwood boxes made airtight by caulking, each six feet long, two feet wide, and 18 inches deep. They were joined at each end by two boards. There was no flooring between the boards, and the men were forced to sit on the boxes. The almost immediate sequel was that the raft overturned. It was a catastrophe for the crew, because the tin of water and the four loaves of bread which they had taken were lost, Mr Hogan, the missing man, was a tower of courage and strength. He helped to right the raft, and then swam about collecting lifebelts, which he fastened to the boards in an endeavour to make the raft more buoyant. Then ho announced his intention of swimming to the shore to bring back help. The two other men tried to dissuade him, but he was insistent. He declared that the raft was drifting out to sea, and that the only hope of obtaining help was to attempt to reach the shore. “I’m going,” he finally said. The last his friends saw of him in the bright moonlight was an arm swinging forward in a sturdy over-arm stroke. AGONY OF WAITING. Men who know the coast well say that if Mr Hogan had reached the coast at the point for which he made near Seal Rooks he would probably have been heard of by Tuesday. They believe that he may have been attacked by cramp after the exertions in the neighbourhood of the launch, or that be may have swum into the midst of a school of sharks. For the two men on the raft Mr. Hogan’s departure was the prelude of an agony of weary waiting for improbable help. They were still inside the ordinary path of shipping and twice saw steamers pass them by. They knew that they were so low in the , water that signals would be unavailing. Early on Monday afternoon, at a point about eight miles south of Seal Rocks, Mr. Mackey sighted the burned launch still floating, and apparently less damaged than he had expected. It was far too distant to permit a swim from the raft. Another night passed, and a morning. Mr. Sams was only semi-conseious, and Mr. Mackey had to keep watch to see that he did not fall into the water. The raft continued its southward drift. Suddenly, early on Tuesday afternoon, on the far horizon, Mr. Mackey saw the dim outline of Nobby’s, the landmark which indicates the port of Newcastle. Almost simultaneously, the smoke of the Portfield was seen. The steamer was taking a course which > would evidently bring it close to the raft. As it approached, Mr. Mackey shouted and waved. Anxiety made minutes hours. Then the Portfield began to slacken pace. The men on the raft realised that,' incredibly, they were FORTUNATE DREAM. Mr. Mackey said that in the last “ four or five hours before they were picked up by the Portfleld, he had had to make about five or six grabs to prevent the unconscious Mr. Sams falling into tho water. His own chief trouble had been to distinguish what he was seeing from what he was dreaming. Once ho had thought that Mr. Sams 0 and he had taken the raft safely into Port Stephens, and that they had gone to a hotel and had met Mr. Hogan there. He woke up to find that the raft was drifting past the entrance to the port. It was added by Mr. Mackey that he would possibly not have noticed the Portfleld but for another dream in which he thought that a rescuing steamer was coming out from Newcastle. Ho called to Mr. Sams, started j to signal, woke up, and realised that _ the Portfield was a real steamer and v not a phantom. Throughout the day L schools of barracoota -were approaching the reft with threatening manner.