MID-OCEAN TRAGEDY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 9

MID-OCEAN TRAGEDY.

1 ' ■» ■■■- ■ '■':, CASTAWAYS RESCUED. •; TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES. I '-'- .'. .. . . ■;■;*'. ■■ .:.••■. / HOPING ■ AGAINST x HOPB. ' ■ THE PANGS OF HUNGER; '■'; i 0..,.; .■...'","'.>•■.'•-. ...':'• :".'.:; :; -; ! iV. ,v- v '■■ '-•'■• V: '■')'•"{ j.' •:• - - <>> / ■■ ' '• I , r— , LINERS SEARCH IN VAIN. v;;''';'' X';;..'■■;.; ''.^lf.y : ; ' ■•;■■'. By. Telegraph--Prcss AssociaUon.-^Copyrisbt. • • New York, May ,19<.•■-..| The ; four men - rescued. : , from- j British ;steamer^Coltiml^anjilost ; .by fite . in -mid-Atlantic are '. ChiefOfficer Robert Teirc, Sailors Kendal and Belanger,' and 'Fireman Lurwigsson. ■ .'•.■' They have, now ■ arrived at Halifax. Captain ■ Johnson,,- the : commander of the Seneca,'' the American revenue cutterl,that, picked up, the ...boat, states that ; the survivors .abandoned the Columbian in the middle oLtlio night, but ..kept .her Jin ; ; sight owing to the glare of the flames until daylight, 'when; rain fell and tliey 1 lost sight-of the vessel. ;,

• Cunarder Misses Boat.- ' The party remained in the neighbourhood, hoping to be picked > up, They tried,to light a lantern,' • but tho ; matches, . y which *, had beon wrapped <up in ■. waterproof ~/.; had been wotted.. ! . They .;•" drifted ~ after that, .v They .saw;, steamer.- after steamer pass by on. the horizon. A Cunarder came within -plain sight, headed towards them, and then changed ; ; her course ; \ and disappeared. ; Afterwards, .;■ much rain and fog ~ .prevented them' seeing other vessels. , , "' ■i'■&■■- sailor's coat I hoisted Jon the boat caught the : attention of ' tho Seneca's look-out ;; and led \to the ■ rescue.'.■"'; . . ■.'':' \ ■ : - 'No Time For Provisions. ; The condition of. : the survivors is serious, but it-is believed they will live. They , left thei ■ Columbian so hurriedly that they had ho time to secure provisions, except - those stored in the lifeboat for emergencies.: •V V -' : .: "•'■ ."':^: :r ;-'-'! ■'' .'■V."'.'.'"'

; The single cask of water was soon exhausted, but rain fell, enabling the men to avoid the pangs' ol thirst.

Hunger, however, tortured them, their/only food being;a small supply of hard-tack. '/'.-" •' '

Men, Become. Insane.. v :

; Efforts were made.to attract the .attention of' Steamers. : One rafter another the men in the boat died, soroo 'v' becoming insane through drinking salt water. Their comrades, with' their' little remaining strength; 'cast the bodies' overboard •into the uoa. '■.".''. ■■;•■•'.■ ■ '■?.£*:■

■ Some of the men' had' been'- badly burned, ' and collapsed - after the first day's exposure * •> •. The four rescue meri were found huddled in the bottom of .the boat,, and were unable to. talk,'.' .';,.' ' An extraordinary feature is that the search by 'five : - traris-Atlantic liners 1 for several/ days was fruitless. - ~,„• . i '