GERMAN LINER SINKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18235, 31 October 1922, Page 7

GERMAN LINER SINKS.

AMONG PASSENGERS. PLUCK OF AN ENGLISHMAN.

HIGH PRAISE BY GERMANS.

The one Englishman aboard the sinking German liner Hammonia, off Cape Fjnis-terre,-with ?'& terrifying list and huge waves breaking over tho decks, lived.up to the proudest traditions of British sea heroism. He was Mr. W. H. Jubb, aged 32, of Parrock Street, Gravesend, where his wife and four children are living.. H6 was hound for Mexico City." He, almost alone among the crowd of panic-stricken passengers, kept his head and helped;to aid the bewildered women and children. He dived into the boiling sea to rescue a baby, made repeated dashes below to bring clothing j held in check ugly rushes for the boats, and kept calm while others flung themselves overboard. V Uncle Billy's Pluck." When" the rescued, totalling 545 out of 575, were landed at Southampton' from the Kinfauns Castle on September 12 Mr. Jubb was surrounded by Germar. women passengers, who referred to him affectionately as ''Uncle Billy." "He helped us by being—what you call it ? — British," said one cf them with tears in her eyes. "I do not know what we should have done without him. He is a real gentleman, and helped the. women and children. When we were clinging to the rails of the Hammonia, the deck of whicl, wa3 at a very, dangerous angle, it was he who helped ..us into the lifeboats." ■ Mr. Jubb was nursing a golden-haired baby, who seemed very disinclined to leave him, but ho was induced to tell his experiences. " The day before the accident," he said, " the weather was very bfd. The sea was running mountains high, and the Hammonia was tossing about to such an extent that passengers in deck chairs were rolled right over. "Whenj.the S.O.S. signals were sent - out, many of the women were so allarmed that they made their way on deck with just the few clothes into which they were ,able to scramble. 1 coaxed the poor souls to come on to the upper deck, where they would be in less 1 danger of being precipitated into the water; The- deck of the Hammonia was sloping terribly, the starboard rails being under water. One woman screamed ' Save my boy,' and I saved him and also prevented a young woman from failing overboard. Jumped Overboard in Terror. "People were hanging three deep to u® »» ong tlie P° rfc side of the ship. Many jumped overboard in shser terror, including women with babies One—a Spanish woman-tied four babies together m the hope that they would float and be saved, but I believe they- were all four drowned. "A number of Spaniards 1 were rushing about, weeping and wringing their hands. I went to help the officers to lower tha boats, and, seeing the boats swung out, a few of the Spaniards made a rush for them. A G_erman third officer—a fine fellow—shouted out, ' Women and children nrst, a cry which was unheeded bv the Spaniard?, who had td.be beaten, back. " Boats wer:e lowered to get away with women and: .children, but unfortunately smashed by the violence of the.storm, and two others.capsized as aoon a3 they touched the water. When the Kinfauns Castle came in sight I vras so overjoyed that I started to sing « Tipperary.' Trie; crew of the Kinfauns Castle ' were simply -magnificent, and. there, was not the slightest confusion aboard -that > ship., There wen' no lives los^a&srishe 1 arrived. I made sure I was going; down, tod I said to" myself. '' My "God, WfrtM be • an Englishman.'" ' " There was a lot of comment en board 1 the Kinfauns Castle," said a member of 1 the crew, "when he found that the first boat that wo pic&ed up was full of men, while we could still see women and children on board the doomed ship. The first man up our ladder was a German fireman, and the spei?d with which, he jumped in order to be the first to get to safety nearly caused others in a collapsible, boat to be thrown'out."' - . . . V ' " One collapsible. boat," said: another member of the crew of tne Kinfauns Castle, "came alongside practically full of water, with about 20 people in it, and little children practically up to the neck in water, -clinging pitifully together." Both the captain and passengers of the German une?, however, speak very highly of the conduct of the crew.