SOUTH PACIFIC WRECK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16003, 20 February 1914, Page 6

SOUTH PACIFIC WRECK.

RESCUE BY FRENCH SHIP. IFBOM Orjtt Own Umnt:si"..s <nt.i LONDON, January 7. The survivors of the ship Dalgonar have just reached England after being rescued off the Pacific Coast of South America in October. _ , . _. , The Dalgonar, 2665 tone, Captain Isbester, was proceeding in ballast from Callao to Taltal, Chili, when she ran into a ternfio gale on October 9. One of the rescued men, when he landed at Dover from Dunkirk, told a reporter the story oi tho disaster. ~ ... , "The ship rolled very heavily, with tho result that the ballast shifted and she took an alarming list. The ship heeled so far over that her decks were pract.cally perpendicular, with her keel out of the sea. Wo anticipated every minute that she would turn turtle. As there appeared no possibility of the ship righting herself, the captain gave orders for the boats to bo got out. This was a very difficult matter. Owing to the position of the ship we had to get in the boats and let them drop down tho deck. There was just a chance of this succeeding, but in the howling gale the boats were in each case swept against the partly capsized ship and the sides torn out, everyone being thrown into the boiling' sea. It was then a struggle for life, but fortunately the overhanging masts were so close to the sea that most of us were able to grip hold of them. It was during theso attempts to launch the boats that Captain Isbester, sailmakcr Cousins, able seaman Confrere, and the cook Unger were drowned, being hurled against the ship by the heavy seas and injured. " With these four exceptions all of ua who had taken to the boats got back to tha ship again. In the meantime the carpenter, Mr Dunker, had started with a party of men who had not gone into the boats to cut away the mastes and so as to relieve the ship. "We all lent a hand, and in about three hours tho masts and rigging had been cut away, with the result that tho ship righted a little, but she was still over at an angle of about 60 degrees, and it was most dangerous on deck. " The French ship Loire, which had fortunately sighted our distressed condition, bore down as close as possible, but the galo was so bad that he could get no boats to us. We had only two small boats left, and it would have been madness to hare launched them. The gale continued with great fury for four days, and we did not expect the wreck would ride it out. In fact, we frequently feared she would capsize entirely as the terrjfic seas struck her. It was a time of great hardship for everyone, but the French ship kept us company splendidly throughout the 6torm. On October 13, which was the first poss-blo opportunity to launch boats, the Loire sent two of her lifeboats to us, and we all got safely aboard her. Five days later we foil in with the French ship La Fontaino, from which wo obtained provisions, and 6ix of our crew wore transferred to her (seamnn Kenner, Mattson, Mullaney, Ellison, Rockwell, and Sinp-i). who were to be landed at Falmouth. Tho Frenchmen were exceedingly kind to tis on the voyage which had lasW nearly three months." Of the 26 men she rescued the Lo'*ro brought 20 on to Dunkirk, whence they crossed to Povor. They included tho first mate (Mr Mull, Liverpool!, second mate (Mr Ovnard, L : vorr>nol). and tho third mate (Mr May, of Hereford). A. Careton, one of tho seamen saved, is a New Zcalander.