PORT KEMBLA WRECK

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12538, 30 August 1926, Page 2

PORT KEMBLA WRECK

SURVIVORS BACK IN DOMINION NEW ZEALAND LADIES’ EXPERIENCES MRS PERCY COGGER, OF WELLINGTON (Special to "Times.”) AUCKLAND, August 26. ''Well, anyway, if we are to drown we will go down with our noses powdered I” said Mrs P. Cogger to her cabin companion when the Port Kembla struck a rock off San Salvador. And these two suddenly-awakened ladies set to and dressed, and used tho powder-puff accordingly. True, they did not know exactly what had happened. "It was just like a bad earthquake shock,” said Mrs Cogger, to a "Star” reporter on board the Sbaw-Savill steamer Corinthie, by which she and the other nine shipwrecked passengers came on from Colon. Accompanying Mrs Coggerare her two little daughters, one aged eight and the other five and a half. Tho younger one of the two is probably one of tho most-travelled youngsters in Auckland to-day, as, in spite of her extreme youth, she has already travelled over 40,000 miles. They say that if you can show proof of having travelled 10,000 miles you can qualify for the right to put “F.R.G.S.” after your name, so that little Miss Cogger must have already qualified for at least a fellowship. During the interview she was rather more interested in the contents of a face-powder tin, which sho used to store some very precious coloured chalks, but when she heard the wreck being discussed she begged her mother to tell the man about the water that came into the ■ cabin —but that was an adventure that happened after the wreck. WRECKED IN EARLY MORNING Mrs Cogger, said the wreck was really a most prosaic affair, and right from the start they tried to see the funny side of things. Tlie Port Kembla was on her way to New Zealand with half a million pounds’ worth of cargo for tlio Dominion and ten passengers —six for New Zealand and four for Australia. It was at four o’clock in the morning that the ship ran on a rock off tho island of San Salvador. Fortunately the sea was calm, or goodness knows what might have happened. The big steamer seems to have been caught nearly amidships on a pinnacle of rock, and during the night she turned so much that land which was first on the port bow wag afterwards right over the other bow. The rock must have been driven well through the hull, for the floor of the stokehold was all crinkled up like the waves of the sea There was not the slightest sign of panic, and all through the ordeal and afterwards the captain (who was quite a young man) and his officers behaved splendidly, and did all they could for the passengers. For six days the passengers lived on the wreck, waiting for a ship to take them off. The wreck happened on July Bth. Three day 6 later a salvage tug came from King ston, Jamaica, in response to a wireless call, but she could not do anything to supplement the hard work that nad already been put in to get the vessel off. Over 2000 tons of coal was jettisoned by the crew of the Port Kembla to lighten her, and everything and everybody was covered with coal dust. Even the sea was black with it for acres round about. The only thing that gave out on the Port Kembla was fresh water, so that bathing was out of the question, and as the sea was covered with this coal dust it was impossible to go over the side, although that would have been a boon, because the tropical sun was scorcliingiy hot. Mrs Cogger says she does not know how the officers and sailors stood the awfully hard work they did in trying to get the steamer off. A CORSETED CREW The crew, however, not only stuck to the job, but got quite a lot of amusement out of it, in characteristic sailor fashion. When they got down into the hold to jettison stuff, the first thing they struck was a big case of women’s covsets, which had been broken open by tho impact of the ship on tho rock. Each man chose a pair, and, putting them on upside down with tiro suspenders over The shoulders, wore them while tearing into the coal. "Those two children looked like niggers," said Mrs Cogger, indicating her two pretty children, "but they did not mind it. Wo simply had no water to wash in. When the salvage tug came to us, we women got her captain to smuggle some water on hoard for us, aj\d we' all had a sort nf bath in it in turn, and then it wag left for anyone else who felt inclined to try aud get some of the coal grime off.” On the sixth dar a fine big mail steamer named the Venezuela arrived at the wreck to take the passengers off, and, when tho time to part actually came, they were really sorry to leave the captain and his officers with the poor old haltered Port Kembla on tho Tockfr. Even up to the last, however, everyono on the wreck firmly believed she would bo got off. ON BOARD THE RESCUE VESSEL The Venezuela was unfortunately a full ship, and Mrs Cogger and her children could only find room in the steerage. which was full of Chinese and other "esc,” who were hardly the sort of people white women would choose to travel with, Tho first night on the Venezuela some lunatic called out "Fire!” for no earthly reason whatever, and caused a mild panio. The Chinese and the other yellow people used to quarrel horribly, and knives and other lethal weapons were produced. However, even that nightmare came to au end, and tho passengers were installed in a gorgeous hotel at Colon, whtch was so expensive that a simple cup of tea with nothing to go with it cost. Is 6d. "In spile of it all,” said Mrs Cogger, "it was realty a wonderful experience, and now that wo have got safe hack to Now Zealand T would not have missed it for anything.* Mrs Cogger belongs to Wellington, and the other Port Kembla passengers are Mr .and Miss Ivory, Auckland. Mr P. Bovarie, Auckland, and three Australian passengers. Mr and Mrs Oxendale, and Mr and Miss Quayle.