MARINE DISASTER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 8 January 1914, Page 5

MARINE DISASTER

LOSS OF THE OKLAHOMA SURVIVORS' THRILLING TALES. BRITISH OFFICERS' PLUCK. (Pbsss Association.—Copyright.; NEW YORK, Jan. 7. Thrilling tales are related by the survivors of the Oklahoma. Of the crew of 38, eleven manned a boat and reached and boarded the steamer Gregory, en route to New York, after a remarkable 2000-mile trip up the Amazon. Nineteen others manned the second boat, which disappeared, and was never seen again. Eight stayed on board the Oklahoma until the Bavaria, rescued them. The Gregory sighted the boat, with the sail hoisted. The shipwrecked men, however, were numbed, and were unable to keep up the sail, and the boat broached, filled, and upset. Three English officrs on board the Gregory. Messrs Buck, Williams. aiW Roberts, thereupon plunged, half nn clothed, into the. boiling seas. Each seized a struggling sailor and dragged himj alongside, and "returned through the waves for the others. The first survivor taken on board the Gregory died instantly, but the others lived, through the devoted work of the doctors. When a man was seen swimming near, Captain Aspinwall threw him a life-line. The drowning man grasped it, but a huge wave overwhelmed him, and he disappeared. The capsized boat meantime righted itself, and floated past the Gregory. A man, apparently dead, was inside it. No further rescues were possible, the others having disappeared. The first' officer, Mr Buck, previously gallantly rescued a man in the Bay of Biscay, for which he was awarded a medal. All three officers have been recommended for promotion by the New York agents of the Booth Line. NO WARNING. (Received Jan. 8, 8.45 a.m.) v NEW YORK, Jan. 7. The Bavaria, bringing Captain Gunter and seven officers and men from the Oklahoma, arrived at Boston. There was no explosion. Captain Gunter was standing on the bridge, when a rending sound was heard, and the two parts; drifted apart. Later the Spanish steamer Calvo arrived, but the Spanish skipper just fooled round, lowered a boat, then fooled Again, picked up. the boat, and went off: . . , ' : . "WRECK OF THE DALGONAR. LONDON, Jan. 7. The survivors of the Dalgonar, -vyho were taken off by the Loire, have arrived. They include Carston, a N<ew Zea.lander, and Jackson, a South Australian. The Dalgonar on October 7th encountered a gale betwen Callao and Taltal, het decks being perpendicular. The boats werS 1 launched, but they were dashed to pieces against the hull, aiid Captain Isbister and three men were drowned. Dunker, the carpenter, by splendid - work, cut the masts clear, and for three hours the vessel partially righted. The Loire stood by for four days and rescued the survivors.