SEA HEROES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 63, 12 February 1936, Page 2

SEA HEROES

THE TALE OF THE DIEGO. EIGHTY PEOPLE ON AN ISLAND. On September 3 Captain Arthur Cossar, of the British cargo liner Clan Macphee, rescued from a small island in the Indian Ocean the survivors of the wreck of the Diego. The story of the w'teck and its stirring sequel is told below by a correspondent of the London Times at Port Louis, Mauritius.

Eagle Island belongs to the Societe Huiliere de Diego et de Peros and is a copra-producing island. It had been decided to stop running it, as copra prices were too low to allow of a profit; and the Diego had been sent to take away the labourers and overseers. The vessel was the last British ship trading in this part of the world. She was 67 years old. She reached Eagle Island on June 20 and dropped her port anchor in the usual anchorage, in seven fathoms of water.

Next day a gale sprang up, high seas were running, and the ship dragged her anchors. Life-belts were distributed to all on board. The wind, which bad been blowing from tlie north-east and north-west, shitted to the south-east, the ship still heading north-west. All sails were set, and as she began to move orders were given to heave up the anchors. No sooner were the anchors aweigh when the south-east wind died down, and as the heavy sea was still running the vessel, was driven ashore broadside. She bumped heavily ns she grounded, and immediately heavy seas broke all over her. By 7 p.m. she was listing heavily to port.

TALLAT’S BRAVE DEED. Three lifeboats out of four were washed away. The hold of the ship and the cabins were flooded. Rockets and distress signals were fired, as there was no hope of saving the vessel. The people of the island at once lighted fires all along the beach. From the land a native called Tallat set to sea in a small boat and tried to reach the Diego with a line. He worked frantically for over two hours. His boat capsized several times just as it was about to. reach the breakers on which the ship had grounded. The waves were so high that it seemed impossible the heroic native would ever to he able io come near enough to the vessel. But he did. Then a roxie was given to him and he went back with it to shore, where it was tied up. The landing of the women and the children began. Tallat took them two by two in his small boat and, with the help of the laud rope, brought them all to safety. Tallat’s conduct was heroic. The survivors declare that without his assistance the women and children who were on the Diego would have died. There were two women, six children, and three male, passengers. Alter they had landed the crew of 17 followed, lhe captain, Mr Henri Mazoue, and the chief officer, Mr Raoul Bererigor, went ashore last of all. The captain lost hold of the land rope and was nearly drowned. He was severely bruised, the waves having rolled him over the corals several times. The chief officer would certainly have been drowned as a man took hold of his feet and dragged him under water. He was saved because he was still clinging to the rope.

SCANTY FOOD SUPPLIES. Everybody having reached shore, it was found that there were only five bags of rice to support the population of the island and the castaways, altogether 82 men, women, and children. Next day two pigs which had swiun ashore were caught and killed. A council was held, and it was decided that ship discipline must he maintained. '’Unfortunately the fish caught in the sea were uneatable, being poisonous. A certain amount of tinned meat was taken ironi the wreck. But distress soon, became so acute that the chief officer volunteered to go in a small open boat to Peros Baniios, an island 54 miles away. Ho asked tor volunteers and four men came forward. One must remember that Eagle Island is nut situated on any ocean route. Coral reefs abound in these parts and steamers avoid them. Mr Berenger and .his volunteers set sail on June 22, but were driven back two days later. They set sail once more on the 26th in a rough sea. When they reached Peros they found there were no stores to spare, so they decided to proceed to another island, Salomon, 32 miles away from Peros.

There they were given rice, sugar, provisions, and calico; and the chief officer set sail once more for Eagle Island, stopping on the way at Peros, where he took a few turtles. The chief officer’s conduct was highly praised by all, the more so as lie had met with ail accident and a finger of his right hand was wrenched off. In spite of the loss of blood he carried on his selfappointed task after having wrapped his hand in a piece of cloth which he kept wetting with turpentine and sea water. On Eagle Island people were practically starving when Mr Berenger arrived back. On July 17 he once more decided to go to Peros and Salomon to try to secure some more sea turtles and a new supply of provisions. This time a French priest from Mauritius, Father Dussercle, who was on board the Diego, went with the chief officer and the same four volunteers. On Salomon, which was reached after a severe strug gle the chief officer was given all the stores it was possible for the manager of the island to part with. On his first trip from Eagle Island to Peros and Salomon islands, Mr Berenger had been away 10 days. On his second trip he was absent for 17 days, and everybody gave up him and his crew of four brave men for lost. In spite of the provisions fie brought back with him, the distress on Eagle Island was very bad; it was impossible to feed 82 people for long on such scanty stores. Rice and coconut, uith an occassional bit of octopus flesh, were the ordinary bill of fare, and even this meagre diet was drawing to its close when the steamer Clan Macpliee was sighted on September 3. The Clan Macpliee was sailing from Mauritius i;o Bombay. She was asked by the owners, of the Diego to search the Salomon group of islands for the ship. She took all the 82 people from Eagle to Salomon Island, where she left enough stores to last them a month. On September 23 the 8.1. steamer Hatipara, coming from Calcutta with a good supply of stores and clothes took all. the survivors of the Die<ro to Mauritius, which they reached on October 3. Some of tlie survivors are very poor and lost all they had in the Diego A collection was opened for them m Mauritius. Sir Wilfrid Jackson, Governor of Mauritius, has recommended lallat foi n reward for his heroic conduct on Eagle Island. Tallat is a labourer under contract with the owners of the Societe Huiliere de Diego et de Peros.