TWO LARGE LINERS WRECKED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13894, 4 May 1907, Page 7

TWO LARGE LINERS WRECKED.

FATE OF THE B.S. SUEVIC. RESCUE OF PASSENGERS AND CREWS. ■ (Feoit Ora Own Coheispokdekt.) ' LONDON, March 22. Earliest among the news items of the Week was the startling announcement on tho eonlonts-hiil of the oary editions of Monday evening's papere: "Two large Jincrs, on the rocks; 800 passengers in danger." There was somo slight exaggeration in these figures, but not as to the main (acts. For it soon became known that the White Star liner Sucvic, of 12,500 tons, bound to Plymouth from Australia, and tho Elder-Dempster liner Jcbba, from West Africa, uoth had gono ashoro on the Cornish and Devon ooaet respectively, :uid woro in imminent risk of total loss; while tho passengers and crews of both vessels ■wero in gravo peril, owinß to the peculiarly dangerous nature of the localities whero tho steamers had been wrecked, and to tho adverse factors of a hard S.W. gale, heavy seas, and thick fog—all prevalent at tlio time. Naturally tho chief interest ccntrod 011 tho a.R, Sucvic, owing to her popularity as a passenger steamer which had led to her being largely used by visitors from New Zealand to the Mother Country. Fuller intelligence was awaited with keen anxiety, especially hy colonists resident in England, who feared that relatives or friends might be on board tho ill-fated vessel. The mam particulars speedily came to hand. At half-past 10 o'clock on the previous (Sunday) night the Suevic, which, nndcr tho command of Captain Jonos, had left Sydnov lor London on January 26. and had called 1 at tho Capo and .Tcncriffe, was heading for Plymouth. An enjoyable and • exceptionally quick passago had been experienced, and tho officers on the bridge wero Expecting every moment to make the ■Lizard light, which in clear weather is observable more than 50 miles. There was a dense foff prevailing, with a moderate gale from the south-west, but. neither the Lizard light was seen nor the fog siren hoard Tho vessel was steaming at about 14 knots, when suddenly a grating sound war, heard. Then the ship seemed to leap Dut of tho water, and fall with a. loud crash on to a solid mass. She had run on to the Staff Rocks, so named from their pointed appcaranco resembling deers' Ejitlcra, and become firmly pinned there, with deep water 011 either side. These rooks arc situated about a quarter of £ milo south-west of Lizard Point—the mos southern promintory of the British Isles,and but for her progress being retarded by the rocks tho liner must have crashcd inmediately into the cliff, 011 which tic famous light-houso is situated. " Instantly," says ono account, " theie was consternation among tho passcngeis, many of whom had been thrown out of their bunla bv tho shock, and they rushed to tlio deck in their night attire. Somo wont into hysterics, and there ' was milch screaming, but tho captain and olficcrc. who dealt with the situation in a cool and masterly manner, soon allayed anv tendency to panic. Lifebelts wero served out, tho boats were prepared for launching, and rockets were fired. Tho rocks eoiild be seen' all round the vessel, among which the boisterous sea churned itself into a white foam. Tho dinger of launching a b,>at was extreme, and tho situation was the moro critical because, so far as could he seen, the sea was dashing against the precipitous cliffs, preventing any chanco or landing. A start, however, was made with tho women and children, and tlio first boatload was successfully got off. Thero were 582 passengers on board and 180 of a crew—ss2 souls all told, and it was realised that saving all would be a long and tedious process. On tho alarm being given h- tho coastguards, no fewer than five lifeboats proceeded to tho wreck from the Lizard, Cadgwith. Coverack, Mullion, and Porth loven. The rocket apparatus was also sjot out, but the distaneo rendered its nso impossible. The Lizard lifeboat was tho first, to g-ot off. and, fortunately, fell in with the Suevio's boat, loaded with women and children, which it towed to the only milabln landing-plgco in tho vicinity." The fuller accounts now available of the disaster to tho Suevic confirm in every particular the statements originally made n.s to the cool and collected behaviour of tho captain, the discipline shown by the IMssenpors and crow, and the marvellous skill, care, and patience shown in the work of rescue. In every respect the personal conduct of the British seamen is looked upon as one for natural pride. About 150 of tho Silevic's passengers j arrived at Paldington from Penzancc and Falmouth shortly before 6 o'clock on Tuesday night, travelling in a special Great Western express. For a considerable time before the 1 arrival of the train a large crowd of friends of the passengers had assembled on tho platform. So soon as the train was brought to a standstill the dcore wero flung open, and thero ensued a mad scramble as tho passengers rushed through tho crowds to their friends. The passengers proceoded to one of the waitingrooms, whero officials' of the White Star lino woro busy taking addresses to which any luggago recovered could bo forwarded. Somo of the passengers presented a remarkable s|icctacle. Many of them were clad in clothes which obviously had never been made for them, but which had been supplied by the kindly people on tho Lizard coast. Tho costumes of the majority wero more or less of a makeshift character. Some were without hats, others ovcrooats, some collars, and to on. Nearly all tho ladies had wraps for headgear, and in placo of ooats woro now rugs round their shoulders. Tlio huge luggage-van at the fore end of the train contained not a single valise. Many of the ]>a£sengera had wooful talcs to tell of the loss of their goods and valuables—some, indeed, having abandoned all their worldly possessions. But many insisted that the worst feature of all was the loss of their clothing.

Miss Kemslcy, who was coming from Tasmania to join her father in England, and who had travelled by tho Sucvic on her previous voyage, said:—"l travelled under the special care of tho captain, who is a splendid man. I have lost all my valuables and jewellery, as weir as all my clothes. There was splendid discipline 011 board, and this fact aooounts for tho careful manner in which all 'tlio people wero got off in tho dark. Tlio captain, who is a teetotaller, never left tho bridge when the ship was nearing shore."

Mr W. Windlo said:—"The women were very quiet until they to re got on dcck, but when they saw the waves boating over the rocks they were naturally upset. Some became hysterical, and others wept. Most, of them wero in very light clothing."

Mr M. Llovd. paying his first visit to the Mother Country from New Zealand, stated;—"l was in bed when the crash came, and rushed upstairs in my pyjamas. Then I came down and finished dressing. The captain camo down front the bridge and said, 'You need not be alarmed, there is no danger; just take things coolly.' Then the boats were ordercil out. and the stewards instructed to put lifebelts on the passengers. It was 3in the morning -before the gentlemen passengers began to be taken off. and this work lasted until 12.30. Many preferred to wait for daylight, as there was no danger in remaining on board. The lifeboats took many people to the tugs, which then steamed direct to Falmouth and returned for more. At Falmouth we were all accommodated in hotels last night."

A remarkable circumstance was mentioned by Mrs James Duker, who was on the Suevic with her daughter. Mrs Dukcr

said that 011 Saturday night, when the

Suevic was steaming merrily along, an official asked her and Mrs Murray if they

know where the lifebelts were kept, and indicated their eases, remarking: "Yon

never know what's cnine to happen, and if von should want lifebelts there they are." "Was : t." Sire Duker asked, "something more thau a coincidence that the official should have* made that remark onlv the da>- before wo had to put the 'ifebelts on? At anvrate, it was peculiar that he should have drawn our attention to them just the day before the wreck." WRECK OF THE JEBBA.

The second wreck of a big liner occurred on the West of F-ngland coast during the R-!o of last Saturday night, the s.s. Jehba. of the Elder-Dempster lino, from West

I Africa, being totally lost on the rocks near Salcombc. One of the passengers was Mr ■I. Rumble, a New Zcalander in tho employment of tho Ashanti Auxiliary Gold Minos Company at Dunkwn, who is visiting England on furlough. Mr Rumble, who 6ervcd as a corpora! in the Fourth New Zealand Contingent in the South African ,

J, aftor rotating how- Iho Jebhn went orc: " Nobody caught the first \j (inc. I was then looking out for a ■ /to ,'wiin flirouph, thinking that the '' c 'ywas too heavy, and that wo must " otlily break up', when a second roclcct 'Jnt up, and tho lino struck mc on tlio (bad. We caught it, and rniulo it fast liigh up tho mast. After that I went into tho rigging with tlio second officer, anil ho asked me to help the ladies up and get them into tlio line. It took about half - an hour to establish communication with tho shore. The women worn very cool ami courageous. The officers and men did their work wall, and there was no disturbance whatever. I was fho last passenger to go ashore, and presenile helped lo pull ashoro tho captain, who witr. tho lust to leave tho vessel. You ma.v imagine what it. was we had to do at. firet in prciiinp tlic ladioa up 300 ft of a cliff in tlio dark. Presently two men camo down and established nen* lines, and tho work of saying the passengers wont on rooro qniokly." Mrs Smith, the stewardess, behaved with groat prcscnco of mind, and did her best to cheor up the ladies, providing thorn with blankets to shelter them from the keen morning wind. It was half an hour before tho rocket-lino was ma<lo secure, and during this interval they checrod themselves by singing 6ongs. Tho purser was tho first man to aecond tlio face of the nliff in tho breeches in order to tost tho line, and he was followed by a girl of M, who behaved most pluckily. Later on two lines were made fast from a lower point on the cliff, and it was by thoso that tho majority of tho passengers were brought to land. As the rockct-lino ran at <i very htph anglo, it had to bo worked with tho greatest earo to avoid dashinr tho peoplo against tho cliff itself, but 40 woro successfully brought up in that w;iv. The ladies, som« of whom wero invalids, behaved wif h exemplary courage, and, " in fact," said

one, "somehow or other we wero all exceedingly cheerful." The villagers, all of whom were assembled on the cliff, behaved with great kindness, and some ladies staying at Hope spent tho whole night, in giving brandy and other restoratives to the sufferers.