THE ABANDONED VESSEL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7365, 17 January 1902, Page 2

THE ABANDONED VESSEL.

THE CAPTAIN'S STORY CONTRADICTED EMPHATICALLY.

ASSERTION THAT HE WAS ONE OF FIRST TO LEAVE.

Beceivcd January 16, 1.22 p.m. "Sydney, January 16. The officers' and crew's version of the abandonment of the Port Patrick materially differs from the story told by the captain. The chief officer emphatically denies that they left in contravention of the captain's orders. So far as he knew, the men did not ask the captain to abandon the vessel, and everyone was in agreement about leaving. No orders were given against leaving, and he considered the abandonment justifiable, as it appeared certain she would drift into the breakers. There was a big reef [ sixty feet from the stern, and the sea t was very heavy, the anchors dragging. * If the ship had struck the rocks in such a sea, not a man would have been saved. Everybody was satisfied that it was a proper thing to leave, and it was a miracle how the ship held the ground. Received January 16, 10.32 p.m. Sydney, January 16. The second officer says the captain never made any request to stand by. He got an order from the skipper that tho men were to get into the boats, and they acted on that order. Tho captain was already in the boat when he" (the mate) got in. He considered the abandonment was justified. It was sheer luck the ship did not drift on to the rocks. The crew in a body angrily resent the captain's statements that they asked him to abandon the vessel, and took to the bqats against his orders. " Nothing was said to the captain from first to lust," said the spokesman, " about leaving. Not one of us wap scared, and we would have stuck to the ship like Britishers till she went down. As for clearing out, we did no such thing. We took to the boats by order of the second officer." . The men also deny that the captain was last to leave, and allege that he was fa the starboard boat before the other was fully manned. Received January 17, 0.83 a.m. Melbourne, January 16. The Champion has arrived with the Port Patrick in tow. A

Abridged prospectus of Tavanaki Bacon Company in this issue.

Mr Spence, qf the Eoonomic, will comraence his half-yearly sale on Thursday. 18th inst, continuing it for one month, His London buyer advises a large ship ment on the way, to make room for which some wonderful bargains will be offered for sale. — Advt.