SEA TRAGEDY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22401, 23 April 1936, Page 15

SEA TRAGEDY

(HUGE .WAVE HITS SHIP THE LOSS OF FOUR LIVES PANIC AND CONFUSION NAIRANA'S narrow escape [from our own correspondent] MELBOURNE, April 17 Graphic stories of tragedy, panic, Confusion and fortunate escapes from death wore told by passengers on the Bass Strait steamer Nairana, 3042 tons, which was struck by a huge wave when approaching Port Phillip Heads on the vovage from Burnie and Devonport (Tasmania) to Melbourne on Easter Sunday morning. Three persons—a man, j,j s w ife and daughter—were swept overboard and drowned, a man was crushed by the weight of water and killed, and 11 others were injured, two critically. Without warning the wave lifted up from a calm sea while tho steamer was negotiating the dangerous stretch of water known as "The Rip," and broke over tho starboard sido of tho ship. The Nairana was thrown on her beam ends with the water up to tho boatdeck. For a minute the steamer lay on her side helplessly in the sea. Passengers were thrown to the deck, crockery was smashed against the bulkheads and 'cabins were flooded. A Terrifying Lurch Thinking "that the ship was foundering many passengers became panicstricken. Alley-ways were jammed with screaming 7 women and children. There were on board S8 passengers and the crew totalled 91. Most of the passengers were preparing for breakfast when the ship lurched in terrifying fashion. Mr. and Mrs. F. Parsons and their daughter, , Miss Jean Parsons, were walking on the promenade deck while awaiting the breakfast' gong. A few minutes before the tragedy they were seen laughing happilv. No one saw them washed overboard. "It was only after the roll was called that it was found that they were missing. „ „ r n-n The other victim, Mr. R. W. Gillow, who was travelling with his wife and two voung Children, was talking to another man on the lower deck, when the huge wall of water poured over the stern of the ship. Many passengers on deck seized the rails and other fittings, but Mr. Gillow was evidently caught unawares, for when the great mass of rushing water had passed he was found Iving dead on deck. He had been crushed bv the immense weight of water, and had died from a broken spine,.fractured skull and lacerated throat. Mother and Infant

At the time Mrs. Gillow was walking on the upper deck with her infant daughter in her arms. She was also struck by the sea and thrown to the deck. She struggled to her feet with water to her waist and attempted to stagger to. the doorway, holding the babv above her head. A seaman saw the woman's plight just as she fell to the deck in the seething waters and he picked her up before she could be swept Several firemen in the stokcliolcl had narrow escapes. When the vessel tilted thev were pinned to the bulkheads b barrows rakes and loose coal. On the bridge the helsman was wrenched from the wheel and was thrown across the bridge, but the master, Captain John Mclntvre, seized the spinning whee and managed to control the ship until "ghted herself. The vessel momentarilv quite helpless, for the "dder and propellers were right out of the water. i The Captain's Log

In his log Captain Mclntyre, in the language of the mariner, thus told the storv of the incident: "7 40 a.m. —Huge wave ran up under port quarter throwing vessel s head to port, suddenness of which threw man at the wheel to one side. Control of steering momentarily lose. Vessel notf running at approximately right angles.to the line of leads and carrying very heavy list to starboard, and my distance getting very limited. There was' only once choice and that was to put the helm hard to port and get out to sea again, as there was no hope of defeating that pressure to get Back to the leads again.' Accordingly the Nairana steamed out of "The Rip" to sea, where the fears of the passengers were allayed and the injured received attention. It seems that no lifeboats were lowered or lifebuoys thrown overboard because it was not known at the time that three passengers had been swept into the sea. Ihe Nairana returned through the heads and anchored just inside off Queensclur. A doctor was summoned from the shore and the passengers and crew were mustered. It was only then that it was established that the members of the Parsons family were missing. Later the Nairana steamed up the bay to the Yarra, where she berthed three hours late. Ambulances were waiting to take the injured to hospital. No trace of the bodies has yet been found. There will probably be no inquiry into the accident. Officials of the Navigation Department take the view that the accident can be regarded only as "an act of God," and that therefore there can be no criticism or the handling of the vessel by Captain Mclntyre. The only damage to the Nairana was a broken deck light, and her lasxnanian schedule Was not interrupted i>y the accident.