THE MARQUETTE TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16566, 14 December 1915, Page 2

THE MARQUETTE TRAGEDY

THE SURVIVING NURSES AT ALEXANDRIA.

A resident of Dunedin has received a letter referring in the following terms to the return to Alexandria of the New Zealand nurses who» escaped death in the destruction of the Marquette, on which was the New Zealand No. 1 Stationary Hospital :— " While at dinner we heard the survivors of the wreck had returned, so I jumped into a gharri and drove down to see them. I knew so many of the girls, and had had absolutely no news. I was so afraid Sister Georges would have gone down, knowing she was such a bad sailor. It was an awful feeling going into the hotel wondering, whom of them all you would find there. There were 13 Christchurch sisters on board, all of whom I knew well. I feel very sad about Sister Lorna Rattray; it will cause quite a stir in Dunedin, I expect. One of the girls told me sho was most horribly upset, all being in the water for about eight hours, and Miss Rattray got terribly exhausted, and died of heart failure. They had helped to hold her up for some time; it seems awful after battling for such a time. " Sister Hildyard was in charge at Akaroa, do you remember? The other Christchurch sister was Sister Rogers. She left hospital some time ago, and was district nursing. All the girls _ had most pathetic tales to tell. Sister Hildyard sang " It's a Long Way to Tipperary," and saying, 'Are We Downhearted?" in the hope of cheering the others up, but she was tipped out of her boat so many times that she got exhausted, and died of heart failure. Three destroyers—two French and one British— picked them up, and put them to bed, dried their clothes, and gave them hot drinks and hot bricks, and were awfully good to them. I imagine their feelings when in the water to see six or seven transports pass them and not pick them up, but they are not allowed to stop for anything. " The wireless operator only had time to give the S.O.S. signal; the ship was gone in 10 minutes, and although they all got lifebelts without any panic, the boats seem to have been difficult to manage, they all either tipped up or got swamped. Sister Hodge's boat was tipped up while being lowered, and fell ever so many feet. She •was on the starboard side, and the ship was sinking, nose first, with a great list to port. If it had boon dark I don't suppose any of them would have been saved. They saw the periscope of the submarine in the water for some hours after.

"Dr/Aeland even lost his clothes in the drying process, and landed in Salonika : n a patient's royal blue sorgo suit. He was most ■ wonderfully good to tho girls. They were going to stay in Salonika, but decided there were not enough of them well enough to carry on a hospital, and the matron (Miss Cemeron) is very ill; she was injured in the chest.

" I gave them a little monetary assistance, and was glad to be able to do it, as they hadn't a rag except what they stood in. Over £100 was collected among the sisters, and the New Zealand Bank gave them £5 each, and I expect New Zealand will do something for them. TLey wero all in borrowed shoes of various shanes and sizes, and no hats. I had tho Christchurch survivors to tea yesterday, and they did seem to enjoy it so much. T'hev have the most tragic talcs to toll, and it must have been a most awful experience. They were only two hours and a-half from Salonika."