FOUNDERING OF A DREDGE

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 12

FOUNDERING OF A DREDGE

TWELVE-LIVES. LOST. The Japanese dredge Santo (521 tons) recently launched, by); Mtessrs Lobnitz and C 0.,, of Renfrew, has been lost off Queenstown, with 12 of her crew, including the captain and chief engineer. After leaving the Clyde, it seems, the Santo encountered bad weather.. Her bunker got full of water on Christmas night, and) next, morning, the captain, fearing that the dredge would founder, ordered out the boats. Nine men got info the lifeboat and five into a smaller one, while the captain, mat© and chief engineer remained on board. They were! then south of Ireland, and proposed making for Queenstown. Obeying late* orders, the lifeboat men again got cm board, but, owing to the weather, the men in the smaller boat could not, and remained towing. By this time the dredge was approaching Haunt’s Rock Lightship, and a pilot boat came up. The dredge was then seen to list over suddenly and foundered, carrying down with her the captain, chief officer, chief engineer, and eight firemen and dockhands, who were all Japanese. The fiv® men towing in the smaller boat, and who were saved, are Tom Kay, second engineer; William -Mdier, third engine eer • Alexander McDonald, carpenter; » and two Japanese, who acted as steward and assistant steward. They had only time to out the tow rope of the boat with a hatchet, and had a very narrow escape from being capsized. The pilot boat soon after picked them up.