A RESCUED CREW.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11053, 3 September 1896, Page 5

A RESCUED CREW.

[Per Press Association.] LOSS OP THE PATEICIA.

HEROIC WORK. INVERCARGILL, Sept. 2.

The steamer Pifeshire arrived at the Bluff from Sydney this morning, with the captain and crew of the ship Patricia, from Sydney to Lyttelton, with a cargo of coal. The ship was dismasted and in a sinking condition when the Pifeshire sighted her on the morning, of August 28. A heavy sea was running, and j,the lifeboat was stove in the endeavour to launch it. The pinnace got away safely, and the rescue was effected by hauling the crew from the wreck to the boat through the water, by a life-line attached to a buoy. The Patricia was lying on her beam ends, with the seas breaking over her. The same means were adopted to get on board the steamer, the seas running over the rail, and after all had been taken off safely, the boat had to be cut adrift. The gale continued till the steamer’s arrival. FURTHER DETAILS. BLUFF, Sept. 2. . The Fifeshire, steamer. Captain Wilson, from Sydney, arrived at 7 a.m. On August 28, when a tremendous sea was running and a gale of hurricane force was blowing, the Fifeshire sighted a dismasted ship flying signals of distress, and asking for the crew to he taken off. Captain Wilson, after six hours’ laborious work, during which the lifeboat was stove in, succeeded in rescuing the captain and crew of the vessel, which proved to be the ship Patrician, of New York, bound from Newcastle to Lyttelton, with 1800 tons of coal. At the time of the rescue the ship wap quickly foundering, everything haying been done to try and save the vessel; but all efforts were futile, and she would not float more than a few hours longer. The following is a list of the crew saved:—Captain, E. E. Sterling; mate, Q-. E. Harris; second mate, Herbert Martinj steward, Otto Krumplog; cools, Harry Bing; seamen, Charles Janesen, Albert Curtess, Charles Petersen, J. Peters, Lewip Christopherson, B. Johnsen, T. K. Andersen, Hadwig Lyottery and F. Hence. * When trying to secure the deck spars, a Frenchman, named J. Janiur, was washed overboard and drowned, this being the only casualty. The position of the wreck at the time of abandonment was lat. 3&'85 and long. 168T1 east. The greatest difficulty was experienced in getting the crew from the wreck to the Pifeshire, the officers of the latter displaying great bravery in the work of rescue.

The Patrician was a full-rigged ship of about 1200 tons register, and was owned by Captain Sterling. The Pifeshire experienced very rough weather during the passage, and at the time of sighting the Patrician was considerably out of her course, fortunately for the latter, as otherwise, all the Patrician’s boats having been stove in by a tremendous sea, no chance of escape would have remained for the crew, who must inevitably have perished.