SURVIVORS' STORIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12973, 14 November 1902, Page 5

SURVIVORS' STORIES.

A LADY'S ACCOUNT. ■*- CPee. Press Association.] .-, a AUCKLAND, Nov. 33. Miss Greenwood, of Duaedin, whosO father and mother are -unaccounted for, w«4 rescued bv the purser's boat. She state* that when' the boats were launched, though generally a coward with regard to water, she took tho advice given her, and jumped from the side of the steamer, about a twelve-feet fall. She sank, but soob camo to the surface, and confused sad struggling, . was pulled on board JM purser's boat. Later on she was transferrM to another boat containing ladies. . All around the sea was strewn with wreckage and a quantity of fruit. They saw CaptMtt Atwood on a piece of wood, and picked him up. They only saw one or two bodies. One was that of an old gentleman, who, She thought, was in the steerage at th« beginning of tho voyage, but Liter was transferred to the saloon. He was crushed between one of the boats and the steamer. The boat in which she was got manore at the landing chosen by Captain Reid. Tbi next boat which arrived there had it* occupants up to their waists in water. The cliffs behind the ledge at the landing chosen by Captain Reid were seven hundred feet high. Some men tried to scale them, with the object of lighting fires to attract attention, but failed. "When they saw the Zealandia, they coo-eed mi whistled and waved things. Miss Greekwood is sure that some would ttiavo beea unable to survive another night.. The weather was coldj and they had no food, and tho rain water was beginning to give out. ■ [Froii Our CoßßEsrcSiiara.] • WELLINGTON, Nor.-S.": - Miss S. Greenwood has wired to her relatives in Wellington to the effect that she saw her father and mother, and Miss Skinner in the third officer's boat, vnicjs was well provisioned and excellently; manned. A LIGHTHOUSE-KEEPER'S _ . REPORT. WELLINGTON. Nov. 15. Mr Voyle, the principal lighthouse-keeperf at Cape Maria. Van Diemen, wired' to tha Marine Department this morning, to £53 effect that the Clansman is at Hohoura, ing off survivors. The Greyhound returned

Avanui "with three bodies, bub found thing eke. The Countess of Ranfurly and > Omapere are continuing to search. The erling vas to report here yesterday, bub tf'not turned up. There is a dense fog' is morning. The Marin* Department beive that the inform ition respecting the ansman refers to the survivors who landed m the first boat. A PLUCKY PURSER. i' " , • [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Nov. 13. Sir Chambers, the purser of the Elingaifce, gives an interesting account of the saster. Of his own share, which was by > means inconsiderable, as other narratives iow Mr Chambers is unwilling to speak, is pluck and coolness right through are iowh by the fact that, in addition, to see- „ te the departure of three boats, he saved 1 .the ship's papers. To do this, Mr bambers had to descend a ladder to the t,well-deck, and along an alleyway, ie hundred feet loner, past the en-gine-K>m, to his own cabin amidships. He iked his life at every moment he was in, 0 alleyway or the cabin. At any moment teship might have sunk. When he reach--1 the? deck again, water was shooting irough .the hatches. ,

f. ' i THE AUSTRIANS. i-' [Per Pees* Association-.] AUCKLAND, Nov. 13. Tho Austrians deny that they rushed the »ats. They state "tint they assisted to ace the'women and children in the boats, id subsequently, when the captain ordered ie men to save themselves, the Austrians tempted to get into a boat not full, conining when the sailors prevented lem. The captain told the sailors- that ie Austrians' lives weio as good as theirs. he Austrians then got into the boat ami ssdsted to pull and bail out all the way to ie island. Spirits were served to the other issengers, but wero not offered to them, hey contradict the report that one of leir number was killed by the blade of am ir in a scramble for the boats. . SOME INCIDENTS. . [Pee, Pntss Association.] AUCKLAND, Nov. 13. Mr R. Jones, of Sydney, says he left the reck in the long boat, holding forty-five len, women and children. As ley were leaving they came into )llision, with a part of the wreck, ad a. plank • stove the boat in, leaving large hole, through which the water rush--1 freely. Four men took off their shirts tid stopped up the breach as well as posble, and the leakage was checked sumen tly to enable the boat to be kept afloab r constant bailing. On making land oni ie Three Kings the boat was smashed ta eces by coming into contact with a reef, It all the succeeded in getting ihore. One lady had her leg hurt, and! to fingers of one of the'anen were-so sejrely injured that they had to bo umpuited on rcachir-g the" Zealandia. •■ There as no shelter and the nights were bitterly ild. The women and children and the men iddled together in a vain attempt to keep arm. A verv pathetic incident is related by Ir Donaldson. As a boat was getting away ro passengers, a young lady and gentlean, who appeared to make no effort to icure their safety, were washed overboard asped in each other's arms. The gentlean, who it is supposed was her husband, tdeavoured to comfort the lady, but he so seemed content to accept his,fate. An Austrian, wi.o appropriated two lifellts was jammed between one of the >ats and th» ship's side and sank. Whilst a was nswstinc to clear the second lifeiat from the "EUngamite it swung back I the vcs'pl'" r.iil and smashed three finrrs of Mr Donaldson's right hand. After aching the island of Hreater King » poron of° one of the injured members. was nputated with a penknife by Dr Goldie. r Donald--on is awaiting the amputation : another finger. HELP POR THE SUFFERERS. [From Out. CouEiisroNDEHT.] WELLINGTON, Nov. 13. A concert, organised by Mr Moore, seaen's missionary, on behalf, of the sufferers f the EUngain.te disaster, took place at to Theatre Royal la'-t evening. Though >ry short notice was given of the eriterdnnient, the public attended in strong iree, and the piuceeds amount to about 40 ' Mr P. R. Dix placed the theatre at ie disposal of the committee free of large, and contributions from other (Tlrces were readily/tin-warded. The WelGarrison Band -md the members of It J. C. Williamson's Opera Company assted in the entertainment. Miss Skinner, a =aloon passenger by the 1-fated vi-ssel, who«e safety h< still in doubt, i the eldest sister of Mr D. Skinner, of ie Manawatu Railway Company, and ravelled in tho capacity of governess to Irs Greenwood. Uir family have had ai nique experience of shipwrecks, Mr D. kinner having been a sufferer in this reject on three occasions, and another rother-escaping by a miracle from drownTg on the Spanish coast, where his steamer ;ruck a rock, and went down five minutes iter. Mr D. Skinner and a companioni rere'washed overboard from a saving vesel off "Cape Horn by a gigantic sea. Anther • wave carried him inboard, but has ompanion was never seen again. ■ The friends of Mr and Mrs Greenwood, rtio are among the .missing, say that Mrs Jre'enwood has been in a serious state of iealth, and the excitement would probably

lave a fatal effect. Mr Mills, another passenger unaccounted or is a son of a commercial raveller and for some time past had been working'in the Australian bust. He was of ,'roving disposition, and a few weeks ago. nade up lis mind to try his fortune in few Zealand. Towards the end of last month a resilent of this city was. informed by a friend residing in Melbourne that he and a party rf brickmakers, stonemasons and carpen:«rs, numbering in. all twenty-three, were ibout to journev to New Zealand,, by way of Auckland. *IL was. their-intention, to bake passages bv the Elingainite, sailing rrom Sydney in "a few days subsequent to the posting of the letter. It was also stated that four of the men were bringing their families with them. On receipt of the news of the disaster, inquiries were made as to whether the party had actually railed by the Elingainite, but so far with no satisfactory results. It is just- possible that the party, or the bulk of its members, changed their minds, and elected to travel bv the Melbourne : Bluff route. A flaxinill Hand named Fred Gardner, reading in the Wairarapa district, has been on a visit to Melbourne to see the Cup ran. Before leaving Wellington he inform(d a companion that he would come back by the Elingamite. His name does not kppear on the passenger list, so it' is not krtftely he decided to return by another Eeamer. Gardner, so it is alleged, always bad a presentiment of meeting his death t»y drowning. .Oi the oflicers missing, Mr Watson, the third officer, is a native of Australia, and unmarried. He is an exceptionally smart lailor, and highly thought *bf by those in iuthority. Mr Fraser, the chief engineer,

was connected with the engine-room staff of the Westralia when that vessel made her first appearance in Australian waters. THE SEARCH. THE OMAPERE AND PENGUIN'S MISSION. LITTLE HOPE FOR THE MISSING. [Pjsk Piiess Association.] AUCKLAND, Nov. 13. The steamer Omapere. arrived at Doubtless Bay to-night. A "Herald" representative telegraphs that she went-round the Three Kings and 100 miles from the scene of the wreck to the east and north. There was no sign of the missing boat or raft. She met H.M.S. Penguin this afternoon. The Penguin had searched, all round the Three Kings and saw nothing, but passed the bottom boards of a ship's boat. The Penguin will "probably visit, the Three Kings again. The opinion of Commander Dav°son is that there is little hope of any of the missing being now found alive. TELEGRAMS TO THE PREMIER. Last night the Premier.received the following telegrams: "The Omapere has just arrived at Hohoura, but they have not found the missing boat." The Elingamite sank in fifty-five fathoms off the West King. Diving would be impossible. The Greyhound and Penguin searched round the" shores of the Three Kings, but there were no sign of mail-bags floating. All the wreckage was broken to splinters, and drifting east and north-east. The Omapert- picked up a. bale' of kapoc ninety-two miles E.N.E of the Three Kings. The only hope of saving the mails is that they'may drift and be picked up by boats. Captain Chrisp, of the Omapere, is now wiring the Union Companv recommending a further and exhaustive "search. The Penguin is still cruising about the North Cape and the Three Kings. The Sterling left Cape Maria at six tonight for a further search sixty miles northealt."

THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE . • ■ .. ■ AUSTRIANS. TPkr Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Nov. 13. The Austrians who were on the Elingamite complain of the statement that they tried to rush the -boats before all the women got in. They state that after the boats were launched they assisted in putting the women and children into • the boats. There were seven of them in the boat with Captain Attwood, and they state that Captain Attwood is willing to testify that they worked well and willingly. They were trained seamen, and when they got in the boat they at once got hold of the oars and had to row almost continuously for six hours. They also bailed out the boat and lent their coats to the firemen.'

A GRAPHIC NARRATIVE. A SAILOR'S,.STORY. [From Our Correspondent.] AUCKLAND, Nov. 13. ' Mr James M'George, a smart and athletic looking young fellow of thirty,, gives a most graphic and interesting! account of the smaller raft party. " I am a, seafaring man," he said, " and have been at sea and had all sorts of experiences in my life, but tliiii affair was the worst I ever struck. I was forward at the time. The boat did not strike'; she', simply slid on and did not seem able to back off, and then swung round broadside on to the rock, so that there was no hope of saving life from the port side. Tlio boats were lowered and manned. Some of the Austrians rushed the first boat ere she had swung from the davits. They pushed aside women and children, who were praying, in their scramble. The rush was absolutely confined to the foreigners, and if some of us had had axes we would have let them have I it, have cut them loose, I mean. Well, I went down with the second steward to load up biscuits and knives, which we took up and chucked into the first boat we could see. When I was down the second time the stern post gave way and I rushed on deck. There I met Dr Goldie, who was getting the small raft free. When he had got it off he dived after it and secured it. I went along the deck and saw a young couple standing in each others' arms'. They asked me pitifully what was,to be done. I answered that all the boats had gone, and they must look after themselves. Just then the ship gave a canting roll and they were shot over the side. I.watched but they never came to the surface. They went down in each other's arms. I then dived off, and swam as far as I could under water to avoid the backwash. When I came up 1 was within a few feet of Dr Goldie. I picked up a couple of oars and got them to him. He had rowlocks. I said, " For heaven's sake, Doctor, get out of this," being afraid of the backwash when the boat went down. We picked up .six more men, then we met the purser's boat, but soon lost it again, and came across the other raft. From this wo took three. At about four we found ourselves separating, and waved thorn good-bye." , At this point the reporter asked Mr M'George what were his anticipations of safety at the time. He said: "It was a dead fog. We could see no one, hear no one, but I and all of us felt sure we would come through all right. We pulled against the wind and tide tor fifteen miles, and at last got close on tot the reef at the. Great King. Here we had a terrible struggle pulling for a little haven. It was against wind.and tide, and it took us two hours to make about one hundred and fifty yards. It was .dead low water and there were no breakers, • or else we could not have got ashore. We walked on shore and gave three heartfelt cheers. Then we wrote out a message on the raft, "Eleven passengers cast away on the Greater King. 1 ' The raft went in a straight course for the mainland. We could, I should tell you, see the Cape Maria Van Diemen light perfectly. We . slept on the rocks for the night. Dr Goldie put .his arms around my neck and hugged me like a child to keep warmth in me. He is a white man, is the doctor. In the morning we started to climb the rocks. The doctor went up first with a line, and then we were all drawn up. We reached a lovely green patch and sat down for a spell. We wanted it, I tell you. Then started the fossick for matches. AVe found four and dried them in the sun, worth a guinea a box, like somebody's pills, as one of us said in grim joke at the time. Wall, three went out. I struck! the fourth and last, and the tussock! caught, and we all sat down and dried! our clothes. Then we scb to and built a> house. It was a beauty. We lined it with tussocks, and all lay down for a bit. After a rest we had a, feed of limpets-,, all except the doctor, who had a lizard,, which be roasted. He offered me some, bub I was oft' luxuries. He said I did nob know what was good for me. After this fine repast three went to look for a provision/ depot, and' were away some three hours before they returned and reported no success. We then arranged the watches foi< the night, one and a half hours for twq men, to keep the fire going. Just then we sighted Captain Reid and his boat, thev having been to the wreck to pick up the" fore-cabin steward from a. rock. , We signalled to them. At first we thought they had came to take us off to where; the others were. We found, however, theiy were exhausted. We took four.ashore, the chief and fore-cabin steward and two sailors. Captain Reid could not bring' the boat ashore in safety, soi he ' ar.d some sailors slept on> he;: all night to keep her safe. In the' morning the acting bo'sun, 'Harry,' swam ashore with a bottie of gin round his neck, and walked four miles round to us to just give j

us a bit of comfort. That was pretty good, was it not? It went down very well, I can tell you. On Tuesday all hands were up at four. I was convinced, from my knowledge of the coast, that the Zealandia. would call. We hailed a sailing ship early, but gob no response. Then the fore-cabin steward went and discovered a spring, and got two bottles of water for the crowd, and as we were having a drink the chief steward saw smoke on the horizon. We did cheer I can tell you, and yelled to the other fel-. lows to set fire to the tussocks. They did not seem to see at first, so we set fire to the whole side of the hill, including the. hut. Then they saw ns and blew the syren. Then a boat came, but could not reach the landing, so we were drawn aboard with a rope, half swimming. Wo had sandwiches and Whisky, and my word they, did go down high. Wo went -for Captain Reid's boat and gave him ten men', then we got to the Zealandia. Captain Reid, exhausted as he was, went back to show where the others were. I believe our party were kept alive to a great extent by a plug of tobacco. We chewed this and swallowed the juice, and it kepb us from thirst. We were royally treated on the Zealandia. It was the most trying experience I've ever had, bub I'm all right to-day." THE SEARCH OF THE COAST. \ SOME SPECULATIONS. [Pw. Pp.iss Association.] MONGONUI, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. Constable Bowman, who started fromi Hohoura, reports that he thoroughly search-ed-the coast from Parengarenga to Hohoura for those still missing from the Elingamite. He found absolutely noi trace of the missing boat or raft, or, indeed, wreckage of amy description. The whole of the coast from Cape Maria van Diemanto Hohoura has now been thoroughly searched without success. At Hohoura they have seen nothing as yet of the Omapere, Penguin or Sterling. A resident. here who knows the west coast thoroughly, thinks that it is possible that the boat and raft may have landed on the long, almost 1 uninhabited eighty-mile stretch between Cape Maria and Abipara. The coast is one stretch of and travelling is next to impossible without a guide. The Natives, who are on the look-out here, will, in the event of a landing, no doubt quickly come to the assistance of the survivors. From what is now known, should they not have fallen in with a passing sailing vessel, or succeeded in making the sand wastes of the west coast, their fate seems only too certain. The three bodies, brought, to 'Awamui by tho Greyhound are to ba buried them?, "and there will be a permanent memorial in the little village churchyard of the wreck of the unfortunate Elingamite. , THE PASSENGERS. [Fbom Oijr Correspondent.} WELLINGTON, Nov. 13. A young man named Arthurson, belonging to the Glebe district, Sydney, is believed to have booked his passage by the Elingamite to Dunedin. It was his intention to spend a short holiday with friends in Oamaru, and he bad informed a relation here to'that effect, adding that he would probablv travel by' the Elingamite, as the date of "her leaving Sydney would suit his arrangements admirably. Mr John Morley, who was assistanb steward on board the Elingamite, telegraphed to his mother in Cliristchurch yesterday that he had arrived safely in Auckland, but had lost everything. Mr Morley is the son of Mrs Morley, of Berry Street, St Albans, and for some time before taking 114) his position with the Huddart, Parker Company was engaged at the Cliristchurch branch of the New Zealand Clofbing Factory. . THE PASSENGER LIST. NO COMPLETE RECORD. United Press .Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. . SYDNEY, Nov. 13. Jt is stated that a complete list of the Elingamite's passengers -is not in existence in Sydney.' " The company explains that the names of some of the rescued not appearing on the list is accountable to the fact that passengers frequently board just before vessels leave, and secure tickets on board; and others with return tickets fail to book berths at the company's office. Tho Elingamite had ten bags and two hampers of mails from Sydney and ten bags from the other States, all for Auckland and Gisbome. Intense thankfulness is expressed at the rescues, and there is a hopeful feeling about the other boat.