PASSENGERS' NARRATIVES

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 4, 6 January 1910, Page 5

PASSENGERS' NARRATIVES

THREE SEVERE SHOCKS

NO PANIC

"A.NIGHT IN THE BUSH

. INVERCARGILL, Jan. 6. ' Dr-.Cra-vvford, of Kaiapoij gave an interesting account of the disaster. He and his wife and Mr Barber, the fourth, 'officer, were chatting on deck while the steamer was proceeding downthe sound at full speed. They had just passed Indian Island when they were startled by a sudden severe snock to the vessel that'-'sensibly reduced her speed. This was followed almost immediately by a second shock, and a third, less severe. There was naturally considerable alarm amongst the _ passengers, but absolutely no panic. In about three minutes the ship took a considerable list to starboard, and the order came from the. captain to stand by the boats. Lifebelts were handed ■ out, and in ten minutes a boatload of ladies in charge or two sailors and the doctor himself, who was the only male passenger, got away, and landed on a small island halt a mile from where the ship struck. Another boat b.nded, but in the meantime the Waikare had steamed a couple of miles and was grounded on Stony Island. The passengers were quickly transferred, together with a large quantity of stores. ,L.he coast thereabouts is very rocky and tha water is deep close inshore! Uuiy the vessel's bow was grounded and the;stern was in very deep water' as there was considerable danger of the ship slipping off into deep water wire hav^j-s and. ropes from stem and sternVwero made fast ashore. The afternoon passed very quickly everyone, including many ladies' working like Trojans. The crew were soon afc work clearing a space in the bush above high-water-mark and .lighting fires. Tea and coffee were quickly available for the ladies. Shelters were- made, and large sails strung up to keep off the-rain/ Under these mattresses wore laid, with the result -chatbv nine o'clock most of the people Had selected a camping-ground and settled down for the night. As evening approached ruin began to tail heavily, but fortunately it did not last long. The utmost good humour prevailed throughout, and all took the d'sronifi'-m-e of their position ho;htbeartp'!]y. One wit played "We Won t ko TTomo till Morning" on the cUimer-butfe. 'No one really got much sleep, and with a sigh of relief the dawn whs wrl«r^, V, y 7 a.m. the cook, m j : bn f n <. P o f many drawbacks, produced on 'w^i], ;r! t rcmnst 'of e/ys ami b.-eo-n, which was partaken of by all ban' 1?. -' * J

Mr Afawin CWw,,^ K.^ofWvU » •;» 7 > Fv:d !^h fhe vessel, i:.-I,in, n R ...» rr,,!-! , 00 that tI ? .

; was settling down by the head and j getting a heavy list to starboard, on which side she had been struck. The fact that the screw was churning up water showed that the boat was settling down by her head as well. The captain reversed his engines and blew the boat-station signal. Everything was carried put without; the slightest hitch or the least delay. Within .15 minutes all the passengers were clear of the vessel^ which steamed-another couple of miles, and was beached. She could not have gone any further, as all the fires were out, and the stokers, he understood, had worked up to their necks in water. As ii was, she finished her effort with the last of her "way." ■ .-- ---"I was havii^.g a little nap before lunch." said Mr F. W. Freeman, surveyor, of Christchurch, "when I was awakened by a bump. I looked out of the port-hole and could see no-. thing unusual, and turned x>ver to sleep again. My cabin-mate rushed down and told me to hurry up, as the i ship had struck. There was no panic, ! and one could scarcely imagine that i so serious a thing as a wreck had taken place." Professor Benham, of Otago University, said that he, would like to impress the point regarding what the officers and crew had done for the passengers. There had been no'shortage of food, tents, or anything. One thing that had struck him in particular was the great promptitude with which life-belts were distributed and fixed and the boats run flown to the water. Two or three ladies had reduced their clothing to scanty proportions, and had to be refitted out on shore, and that w;as the only unorthodox occurrence. The landing-place was a good one, and the surroundings comfortable, including a fine creek. It would have been hard to find a more suitable landing-place