A NIGHT OF TERROR ON BOARD A BRITISH WARSHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6966, 15 March 1884, Page 10 (Supplement)

A NIGHT OF TERROR ON BOARD A BRITISH WARSHIP.

We have been favoured with the following extract from a letter of an officer on board Her Majesty's ship Euphrates :—" Gibraltar, December 21, 18S3. —Here we are, safe on board again; and I will give you a full account of our adventures and escape. On Wednesday tho 19:h our run was posted up 240 miles ; distance from Gibraltar 40 miles, and we were running nine knots by the log ; so that we expected to be near Gibraltar by four o'clock. I was on dejk at four and walking with two men, one of whom remarked that we must be near land, as the sea was so chpppj, and we observed the ship's officers looking out for laud. My watch was from S to 12, and one of our officers remarked that he was pretty sure we should be aground during his watch from 12 to 4. We went to dinner at six ; and wo had just finished and the waiters were clearing away when suddenly, without a moment's warning, came a fearful crash, apparently just under us. Everybody started up ; but a cry of " Sit down" brought them to their senses. The chief engineer and the naval officors went to see what the matter was, aud no sooner was there a little quiet than half-a-dozen young earthquakes (for I can compare them to nothing else) took place. Lamps were smashed, and everything thrown over the place. The officer commanding the trppps cpplly walked down the saloon, and called out, "Officers join your men, please, aud fall them in." I hurried to my men and got them to sit down, and talked to them, and now came a bad time. We were in a stuffy place with 500 men on the.Jower troop deck, always a very hot place, close to the engines, which were going hard all, the bumping going on, and sailors rushing here and there shouting, and we, the lanterns all gone except one, left there wondering what it was. 1 then thought we had little chance of getting out, and as I looked forward saw nothing but death right ahead. The idea pf being drowned there in that choking atmosphere was not a pleasant one; but, thank God, it was only momentary. I thought that wo had seen the last of laDd and everything pleasant, but my pluck soon came back, and I could pray ; and 1 think there were few there who did not pray to Almighty God then. After that one looked forward to everything better. We bad to stay with the men two hours before anyone knew what was going on. The bumping ceased, but I have spent a good many shorter six hours than those two. When I got away at a quarter-past ten I found we were on a sand bank, that, fortunately, the rain which was ! pouring down in torrents had beaten down tho sea, and that it was almost calm. We had fired 21 minute guns, and a rocket with each; and we fired a gun every halfhaul- till daylight. When daylight came and the mist cleared off we fpund we were clpse to a large black rock, and ahead of us a line of breakers —we were in a sandy bay, with rocky points, on one of which was a lighthouse, and to the other side of which we should' have gone. At 2 a.m. the ship began to bum p again, but they got another anchor out ami kept her quiet. From S a.m. to noon it rained iard, but began to clear at one. Tlie lifeboat, which had been sent away at live a.m., got back soon after eleven, having telegraphed to Gibraltar forassistance. They had pumped all the water out, of the ballast tan.ks—result, no soup, coffee, or tea. The ship had heeled over to starboard tremendously, and it was beginning to blow when two steamers stood in to us, and soon after a gunbo.it from Gibraltar. In the first were packed .women and children and the married men, i t four p.m. At five, the fallin and double sounded, so off we went to our men, and cot or.lers for the Sth, 11th, 13th, and 33rd to fall in, and the 10th to hold themselves in readiness. 1 went down and packed my hand portmanteau with useful things, aud we wi-re rowed to the steamer Telephone, and had a lot of trouble jn getting ou board owing to a heavy swell. I had hardly got below and put my things away when there was an a wful noise, and one of the ship's boats upset. Two minutes later we heard a burst of c heering, and saw the Euphrates steam out backwards past us. She signalled for us all to go to Gibraltar, when I turned in, aud ou a waking found myself in Gibraltar. We were taken on board the Euphrates in a barge, and i\ll Gibraltar came to have a look at the marvel which could run ashore within a short distance of one rock, close to a quicksand, and leaving a bell rock astern. When the ship's boat upset, there was a report that i»n officer was drowned. Happily that was untrue. He was in tho water, 'out was washed against a rope ladder, and got on board ; but one man of the 11th was drowned."