THE STOKERS' HEROISM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19932, 28 April 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE STOKERS' HEROISM.

Not long ago a British ship-of-war, the Megaera, -was overtaken in a storm and greatly injured. The water began to pour into her, and it was plain that, unless she could be run on shore, she must sink and those on toard lose their lives. There was only one way of running the ship on shore, and that was for the engineers and stokers to remain in the engine room far below the water and keep the engines going full speed. It was almost certain that when the ship struck the shore she would fall over on her side and that none but those on deck would escape with their lives. But tho engineers and stokers had orders to keep the fires burning and the engines working, and to obey their orders they must stay below and run their risk of the terrible death. They did stay below, and at lasfc the sinking ship was run full speed on to the shore. Mercifully, she remained stuck fast and not only those on deck but the brave men below were able to escape. But it was to their efforts that the whole crew owed their preservation: they had saved the ship because they had obeyed orders. —Sent by Una Herrick, Herbertville, Hawke's Bay.