THE ELLEN DISASTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8630, 28 July 1891, Page 5

THE ELLEN DISASTER

PETERSEN'S NARRATIVE. SUFFERINGS OF THE SHIPWRECKED CREW. & ARROWING DETAILS, j MADNESS AND DEATH. PATHETIC AND TRAGIC INCIDENTS. Prest Association.—Jitectnc Telegraph.- -Copyright. Sydney. July 27. Pbtehsen, the sole survivor of the barque Ellen, is riow convalescent. He j gives a harrowing description of tiie sufferings endured by the unfortunate ' men in the boat. * Oα the sixth clay after leaving the barque the captain became mad, and moved about the boat, talking deliriously and laughing. He thought he j was in command of a steamer. , Next day the steward became ill, and later ou both he and the captain - lay down in the boat and died. < They did not know the exact time i when the poor fellows expired, but someone went to look at them, and • found they were dead, and hove the bodies overboard. Two old seamen offered up a prayer over the dead as well as they could with their parched throats. On the eighth day a heavy sea struck the boat, and nearly capsized her. Two men were washed out. One sank immediately, "but the other," says Peterson, " swam after the boat, and called to us to save him. We could no nothing, for the wind and heavy sea drove us away. After we lost sight of him struggling with the waves we heard the last despairing cry from the drowning man." That left only four in the boat. Of these, as already related, three were drowned when they had almost reached safety. According to Petersen the vessel was an old hulk, and many of the men had misgivings about her seaworthiness.