SAVED BY A WATERPROOF COAT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 149, 12 October 1876, Page 3

SAVED BY A WATERPROOF COAT.

The story" of young JSamnel C.otding, out) of (Sho survivors of" the complement -if passengers taken from Melbourne by the steamer Dandenong, is pwhtished by the (Mm# tMwrtiiwr. folding owes the preservation of his life to Uts macintosh, one of fchtf fiuoi lie's parent life-saving coats, whie&» singularly enough, was recon»uen<led to him as a good investment. tti» accounts of the hurricane does not differ in any material manner from the accounts- already lamisheti, but his statement shows that when the last boat from tllo steamer reached the barque Albert William it was nearly dark. On, se-jirvg tl:o lii'stl boat smashed the Albert; William, and all, but three 1 t'lor living f re ig.h(S swept away, the peeple on brartf the steamer refused to leave that for a long time, and it was only uruUr great pvi'.ssure from the Eruve euptain that a few pyt'sons ventured into the second boat, and two successful trips were made in her. Collins*, having put on the «**nt ref* cmi to, left in the third boat, and this, on reaching the harn.no, wm tumbled by the jteos on to the second,, tying alongside the Albert William, causing both to founder. All managed to cling to the ropy running ttlbna- the side of the vessel, but a confused struggle taking p'ace, Molding was knocked otlf the rope by some nvn ; he sank, bat on trusting a little to the buoyancy of his mackintosh he,, with presence of mind, refrained from struggling, and vp.ry quickly forsnd himself on the surface »!/ain. The next mountainous wave threw him against the iron side of the barque 1 , and he again got hold of the rope. Three times he was washed off by the waves, but having secured another grasp of the rog>« he felt himself immediately hauled on board, anil for three-quarters of an turnr afterwards remained in an unconscious state on the deck of the vessel. The poor follow finds it a difficult matter to explain tile sensations experienced by htm when sinking for the third time, as he had been nm*hl'<j to prevent swallowing water, and,, on being seized with a dimness, he clung to the rope with thy surprising tenaeity only to be expected from a drowning man. (folding lost all his clothing, some money, and a valuable sheep dog by the week. Flo is suffering very much from pains in the pit of the Stomach and bruises about the body, the latter being caused by Imoclca ho received against the side of the barque which saved him. In concluding his narrative,, the poor fellow stated that the captain of the Albert It> illiarn offered his boats to any volunteers who would put off to the rescue of those on board the steamer, but no one would venture to brave the sea when darkness came on.