ADRIFT IN THE PACIFIC

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 29 May 1914, Page 2

ADRIFT IN THE PACIFIC

TRAMP STEAMER. CAIRNHILL.

TAIL-SHAFT EI!OKE

A cable message from Sydney published. yesterday stated that the steamer FLuiambangra, from the Islands, brought news tiiat the lust tramp steamer Cairnhill. which 'broke her tailshaft when four days out from Nauru Island, bound for Germany, audi had been missing since her three boats, fully provisioned, left her for New Guinea to secure assistance, had been picked up at sea by the German warship Coimoran, which had gone to her assistance. Crippled beyond repair on the high seat l , with a 'broken (ail-shaft. and drifting helplessly at the mercy of the wind and sea, is" the terrible piight of the tramp steamer Cairnhill. bound from Nauru Island, in the Pacific, in the Pacific, to Germany. News of the perilous position of the Cairnhill was brought- to Svdnev about a fortnight ago by the N.D.L. liner Prinz Sigismnnd. which arrived from the East via. the German possessions in the Bismarck Archipelago. There were on board the Prinz Sigismiind 12 of the crew of the steamer t airiihill. who after a- desperate struggle in 'boats extending over a week or more had- reached Rabaul, German New Guinea. leasing the captain, chief engineer, second mate, fourth engineer, and chief steward still aboard the vessel.

THE BREAKDOWN. The Cuinihill (according to the Sydney "Daily Telegraph") is a- steamer 400 feet long, of 4981 tons- gross. She was built only two years ago. She left Nauru on 27th March for Stettin, Germany. with k cargo of 8400 tons oi phosphates. Captain .J. Moodie was in charge, and for four days the vessel made good headway, rumiing practically along the Equator, and steering for Anjed Point, Java. where she was to receive orders whether to make the voyage via Suez ("anal or to take the longer but cheaper route round the Cape of Good Hope. Then the tail shaft broke, and deprived of the use of her propeller the Cairnhill lay helpless. .Fpr nine days the engineers tried, every expedient they could devise to repair the damage. Their efforts were futile, and the ship was drifting eastward about 15 miles a day. It was finally decided to send 'boats to try to reach Rabaul. The captain hoped by this means to secure help for the ship, and in any case to give the crew a better chance of safety than they would .have by remaining on the drifting steamer. Three boats were got ready, only the captain and his four companions staving behind. LEAVING THE CAIRNHILL. The ship's company totalled 39, of whom there were 19 Chinese firemen. The steamer was left on 9th April at a. point about 150 miles north of New Mecklenburg {New Ireland), the exact location being lat. Odeg. 31mir>., S., long. 152deg. 47min. E. This spot is right in the track of steamers travelling between Sydney and Vokohanra The chief mate (Mr Culloden) -was in charge ot one lifeboat, the third mate (Mr John Walker) of the other lifeboat, and the boatswain (Mr A. Holm) of a smaller open boat. Each lifeboat carried' 14 men. and the small boat 6. The Chinese, who were panic-stricken from the start, were divided "between the "boats. A lifeboat was left on the Cairnhill. It was intended that the three boats should stick together, but. on the night of 11th April, after being ,a day out. they -were separated. Next day a fearful storm sprang up. CHIEF OFFICER HAS ROUGH TIME. In the chief officer's boat two barrels of water sprang a leak and became mixed with brine, leaving only one cask fresh enough to drink. Everything got soaked- with salt water eicept the tinned meat. The Chinese, frenzied with fear, had to be kept- in the bottom of the boat lest in their panic they might do some harm. The white; men struggled on wearily, and at the end or two days, when the storm had. subsided, they were weak and exhausted. They were on short rations for a couple more days, when they reached Seeah, in New Mecklenburg. They were given some roots and co.coanuts by the natives. They sailed 30 miles to another village, and then, guided by a black boy, walked ■ another 30 miles to Clarissa, where they arrived on the point of exhaustion. The mate made this last stage of the journey in a cutter belonging to a Chinese trader. From Clarissa to R-a'baul is only 38 miles, and the mate made strenuous attempts to get across in the cutter, but failed, and eventually did the trip in a motor boat. THE OTHER BOAT.

The bo'sun and his party had even aworse time. , In their little "boat the white men were 'haling throughout the storm, keeping an oar ready all the while to smash the skull of any Chinese who 'became too troublesome. ' They found the only way to get satisfaction out of the. weather was to open the tins of meat, and throw the fatty contents mithe water. This acted like oil, "ftnd- in the opinion of the bo'sun it was the only thing- that kept them afloat. But when the storm subsided they had. nothing left to eat !v,it a 61b tin of beef. They managed to live on it for the next live days, and at the end of a week from the time they left- the steam- <»>• t.liey crawled- a..-:hove oil "Nissan Island. They eventually joined the chief male's party at Clarissa. A WEEK WITHOUT SLEEP. The third officer and his men spent eight sleepless days and. nights in their 'boat. They were wet throuirh most of the time, and the terrified Chinese had to be watched incessantly. Most of their bread and biscuits were washed awaw and they Hnrieu lei!: and hungry at Papiro, New .Mecklenb; ;g-.