DEATH FOR MONEY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9182, 5 April 1910, Page 8

DEATH FOR MONEY.

HOW TWELVE LASCARS WERE LOST ON SINKING LINER. AYRSHIRE IN COLLISION. LONDON, Feb. 26. Graphic stories of the collision between the Anglo-New Zealand steamer Ayrshire and the Ellerman liner Arcadian, of which you have had brief news by cable, are told by survivors from the sunken Arcadian. The collision occurred early on Sunday morning in a fog off the Tuskar Light, County Wexford, and resulted in the loss of 12 of the Arcadian's Lascar creiv. They stayed below to pick up their money and other possessions, and failed to get clear of the sinking ship in time. The passenger steamer Ayrshire, of Glasgow, which had been up the Manchester Ship Canal, left Liverpool on Saturday with 200 passengers and a general cargo on board for Australia. While she was passing down the Channel a fog of great density came on. She groped her way along in the fog, and was near the small lighthouse when she suddenly crashed into another steamer, which was subsequently found to be the Arcadian. The Arcadian was so much damaged that she rapidly filled with water, and sank in less than five minutes, carrying with her 12 of her crew. The others had, with great difficulty, succeeded in getting on board the Ayrshire. The latter steamer received a severe blow forward. Ultimately the fog ship Hannah Jolliffe arrived on the scene from Holyhead. She. got a | hawser on board the Ayrshire, and | towed . her. into Holyhead harbour of refuge. "ONE BANG AND NOTHING MORE." After summing up the whole tragic affair in the phrase "one bang and nothing more," one of the Arcadian's Lascars gave his experience of the collision and the scenes immediately following. When he heard the "bang" he was below. It was followed by a rasping sound, as if something were being torn asunder. He made his way' towards the deck as quickly as possible, but did not succeed in reaching j it before the vessel appeared to be ; tilted up end on end in the water, and there was a succession of horrible , noises, as of explosions, which he could not account for. ! An opinion was expressed by the , English sailors that had the coloured | men been- more anxious to save their ! lives than their rupees, the loss of life would in all probability have been small. Most of the crew were below when the collision occurred, and at the first shock an extraordinary scene was witnessed. The Lascars, fearful of losing the most trifling personal possessions, packed all their belongings, including their money, into parcels, which they tied with coloured handkerchiefs. They then dashed up the ladders in frantic haste, but on reaching the deck many of them were swept into the sea. The last sight of one of the Lascars was dramatic in the extreme. The unfortunate man reached the deck just before the ship went down, and evidently realised that all hope of escape from death had vanished. LOST WITH HIS RUPEES. In a manner characteristic of his race, lie suddenly flung himself upon his knees, and, gripping his rupees firmly in his hand, bowed his head in prayer, and then disappeared—the coloured handkerchief with its silver contents still held firmly in his hand. . A remarkably narrow escape was that of one of the members of the engine-room staff. Immediately on hearing the sound of the impact he leaped on to the ladder leading to the deck, and made good his escape. The next moment water was pouring in torrents into the engine-room, arid had the man remained he must have been washed among the machinery, and so have met-with' a horrible fate. As it was, the inrush partially aided him in getting above, for, retaining his hold on the side of the ladder, the buoyancy of the water automatically carried him up. Another of the engine-room staff ; was seen hanging from the highest point of the ship, which was at an angle of something like 75deg. with the surface of the sea. Escape by way of the deck was impossible, as he could never have retained a foothold. The only course open to him was to plunge into the water, and trust to being picked up by one of the boats, and this he did, being eventually rescued in an exhausted condition. All the men spoke in terms of praise of the conduct of the Ayrshire captain, who kept his ship close to the other long enough to give the crew a chance of saving their lives. But for this the casualty list would have been much greater. Mr Daws, of Loudon, second officer of the Arcadian, had his _ wife on board, and when the collision had taken place he went to try to find her. This caused him to have a narrow escape himself. Fortunately his wife had been got on board t-he Ayrshire and was saved. _ Mr Bell, the chief officer, in jumping from the sinking vessel, fell into the sea, but was rescued. The Ayrshire .was built by Messrs Hawthorn, Leslie and Co., Newcastle, in 1903, and is owned by the Elderslie Steamship Company, . London, and Dunedin, New .Z<r »un. ~ She has a gross register of 5682 tons. The Arcadian belonged to the Ellerman Line, and was buili at. Sunderland.