THE WRECK OF THE SUEVIG.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13486, 13 May 1907, Page 7

THE WRECK OF THE SUEVIG.

A GISBORNE; LADY'S EXPERIENCE. [from our own correspondent.] • ; ■ London*; April 5. Miss Meta . S'ievwright '(Gisbonie)_ is on a year's* visit ,to the ■ Mother . Country, and just at present she: is in Edinburgh with, her sister, who is studying medicine there. Miss Sievwright, it will be remembered, was a passenger by the s.s. : Suevic on her last voyage, which had so : disastrous ail ending, and she lias been good enough to send me some notes about her experience at the time of the wreck, which I have no doubt many people in. New Zealand will be interested to read. Miss Sievwright says: —" Our welcome to England was not a very cheerful one. At a-quarter to eleven p.m. on March 17,. St. ) Patrick's Day, the Suevic struck on the'Maenlierrie Rocks, off the Lizard.' I was in the -bathroom at the time, and the sudden., jar, made the steam burst forth in great "volumes. L had some, difficulty in getting the bathroom door open, but at last I succeeded in getting out, and then had sufficient presence of mind to go back ; and turn off the steam.' , At the bathroom door I > met ; Mr. Tuke, : a: New Zealander, from Ha,wke's Fay, and we went up on deck together. We at once knew, that something serious had occurred, for minute guns and rockets were being fired, and .. the . .sailors were t cutting . loose the boats,. , There was no panic whatever,' owing first' to the electric plant being quite uninjured, and bright light being every--where, and secondly to the cheerfulness and encouragement of the captain' and officers. " Everything that could be done for the comfo ( of the passengers was done. , Hot coffee was served at intervals the whole night, the stewards working' hard all through the night. ' We were in a heavy fog, and the sea. was very rough, making the work of landing the passengers an exceedingly ' difficult one. The women behaved splendidly, one after another ■ climbing down a perilous ladder with a ' rope, fixed under their arms. At . the word of command each one instantly let go and was suspended ' in the air over the raging sea until caught by the lifeboat crew and pulled: into the boats. Not a sound was heard from any of them, though several, fainted in the boats afterward from.the strain. - All were landed safely, and no serious accidents occurred. - , ~ ~ , "I ' left in one of the fast boats,", continued Miss Siright, " and did not have to descend that dreadful ladder. \ We were . lowered over the. side of the Suevic in a ship's boat, about half-past ten next morning, and w ere then rowed to a. tug 100 yds or so away, into which we were, owing to' tin; roughness of the sea, with some difficulty transferred. We were then, taken on to Falmouth, wet, weary, and many of us suffering much from sea-sickness. " .There were only about half-a-dozen New Zealandera on board, so far as know. 'Mr.'Tuke and Mr. Girdles-tone, both New Zealanders, worked : hard the whole night long, waiting on the passengers, and they earned golden opinions from everyone. _. -;4 " Only -.'some of 'our luggage-has. as. yet been recovered, but we 'nope in time to get it aix. We shall never forget St. Patrick's Dav, and the sad ending to our delightful trip in the Suevic. Great sympathy is felt by one and all for our captain on this, his last voyage. He was always the most careful and conscientious of captains, and was greatlv respected and liked by the passengers for his courtesy and kindness to all on • board." - ' ':. ■'' Y'