A TERRIFIC, STORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14926, 26 February 1912, Page 8

A TERRIFIC, STORM.

WRECKS ON SCOTTISH COAST

FATE OF WISTOW HALL.

A terrific storm raged in nearly all parts of Great Britain on January 17 and 18. . Just after daylight on the 17th a large steamer was observed about a mile off the Aberdeen coast, opposite Cruden, in a helpless condition. She was at the mercy of the waves, and seemed to be drifting shorewards, when she suddenly rolled over and sank stern first. The fate of the crew is unknown. Judging by the size of the vessel they probably numbered between 15 and 20. Next day pieces of wreckage, on which -he words"" Frederick Snowden, Aberleen," could be made out, were licked up at Peterhead. ' On the 18th, the Liverpool steamer ft'istow, Hall, 'was dashed to pieces on the A.berdeeashire coast, with the loss of 54 men, of whom about two-thirds were lascars. The Wistow Hall was overtaken by the gale, and her funnel was carried away by tremendous seas, which swept into the stokehole and put out the fires. This left the steamer at the mercy of the storm.

While several miles east of Aberdeen a hatch tarpaulin was carried away, and in attempting to refix it two of the crew were killed and Captain William Stoddart and the chief officer were severely injured, the captain sustaining a broken arm. The steamer sent off signal rockets throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but owing to the ship's distance from the shore and the difficulty of being observed through the clouds of spray, the signals were unnoticed. Becoming disheartened,.,the crew ceased the rocket signalling, but after a time lighted distress flares. These also passed unobserved until the vessel reached the rocky stretch of Aberdeenshire coast near the Bullers of Buchan, where the signals were seen by the Port Errol coastguardsmen. The pitiable plight of the steamer was not at first realised to its full extent, but Both the Port Errol and the Peterhead iifeboats attempted to render assistance. Owing to the heavy seas, however, their endeavours had to be given up, and the Port Errol life-saving brigade followed the movements of the stealer from the shore. About eight o'clock on Thursday morning the Wistow Hall struck with great force on the south side of a gully close to the Bullers of Buchan. The vessel remained there for 20 minutes, when a huge sea caught her stern and swung her broadside on to the Tempion Rock, where she speedily vent to pieces. Within a quarter of an hour the large steamer was reduced to matchwood, the Port Errol life-saying brigade looking on helplessly, powerless to assist. As the vessel broke up the crew* were thrown into the water, and within a few minutes several ,bodies came ashore. Among the first was that of Captain Stoddart, whoso life was thought to t>e extinct. Vigorous resuscitative methods, however, were applied, and after an hour's unconsciousness the captain came round. » One of the most exciting episodes of a day of incidents was when a lascar was seen swimming from the wreck to the shore. He manfully breasted the heavy breakers, and after a desperate struggle his powerful swimming met with success. Two other lascars were washed ashore alive.