WESTOW HALL WRECK.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 20 January 1912, Page 5

WESTOW HALL WRECK.

FOURTEEN PERSONS DROWNED

CAPTAIN'S MARVELLOUS ESCAPE

BY CABHS—PBEBS ASSOCIATION—COPYBI&HT.

(Received Jan. 20, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 19. An Aberdeen steamer with 14 hands foundered off Port Erroll.

The Westow Hall left Jarrow on Monday. Heavy seas destroyed the funnel, broke the boats, and extinguished the fires in the engine-room. The vessel drifted helplessly, the crew being without food and drink for three days. They were unable to reach the forecastle, and were huddled in the engine-room until the steamer struck. The Port Errol lifeboat made gallant efforts to rescue the orew, who were clinging to ropes, ventilators, and derricks. The breakers rendered the rescue impossible. Fishermen waded into the boiling surf knee-deep and dragged ashore Captain Stoddart and three Lascars.

Captain Stoddart revived after an hour's artificial respiration, and stated that he was confined in his cabin with a broken arm and internal injuries at the time of the foundering, and remembered nothing of the events util he foud himself ashore.