THE LOST LINER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18625, 5 August 1922, Page 12

THE LOST LINER

> SURVIVORS’ STORIES. MANS' RECORDS OF HEROISM. PANIC-STRICKEN LASCARS. RESCUE OF THE CAPTAIN. (Thom Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON. May 30. ’ From interviews with survivors of the » and 0. liner Egypt (7941 tons), sunk in collision with the French steamer Seme, off Uahaht, in a dense fog at 7 p.m. on the everting of May 20, it would appear that the ■ penio among the lascar crew (tho Goanese" stewards) led to much of the grieVous loss of life. Indeed, one statement goes as far as to assert that if the Lascars had behaved differently , almost everyone would have been saved. It is officially stated that the number of people who disappeared when the liner •went down is 102. Twenty-eight out of 44 passengers and 204 men out of a crew of 290 have been saved. She foundered at what is known as the Raz de Scin, where the depth of water is over 60 fathoms. The purser of the Egypt states that the vessel was stationary at the moment of the collision, arid was sounding her siren. Because of- the thick weather, she had been sounding her fog-horn repeatedly, but neither vessel saw the other until it was too late’to avoid a collision. Survivors were landed at Brest in a pitiable state. Many were suffering from the effects of the immersion, and the majority, especially the women and children. were scantily clad. It all happened with' auCh incredible swiftness that many among them had had soareel-r time to realise that the Egypt had been npped open before they found themselves in the water struggling for their lives. Many were drowned because, fearing a panic on board, and an impossibility of finding places in any of the lifeboats, they jumped overboard in the hope of being picked up by the Seine. THE IMPACT. Particular interest attaches to the statement of. Captain Le Barzic, of the cargo steamer JLa Seine (1583 tons), which is in the form of a report sent to the Commercial Tribunal at Brest. The captain says: “I left La Pallice on Friday. The fog was slight, but off Penmarch it became very thick, and I placed a man in the forecastle and made use of my steam sirens. Afterwards I gave the order to slow down. My vessel was proceeding at a speed of six knots. About seven o’clock on Saturday sight I heard a whistle quite near. Immediately & black mass showed itself in front, of me, barring my route. I gave the order full speed astern. A few seconds afterwards there was a terrible impact. The vessel, which I knew afterwards was the Egypt, disappeared in the fog, which was so thick that one could only see a hundred yards ahead. Twenty minutes later, after % siren had ceased to operate I succeded in finding the Egypt. She already ..had a list to pdft. Her boats containing survivors were on the water. I made a sign to' the shippeople to approach and come on board the Seine, but they seemed to hesitate, thinking doubtless that my vessel, the foreplates of which had been crushed in . was not a sure refuge. At 20 minutes to 8 the great liner disappeared for ever before our eyes, leaving on tho surface of the water only foam, with here and there debris... and dead bodies. The survivors in the' boats then decided Jo apnroach the Seme. My crew assisted them, while some of my--, sailors, under the direction of a, matejp'saved men and women who were in tJte'lsea clinging to wreckage. I ordered all my lifebuoys to be thrown overboard ■and jny boats launched. The work of tescub in the very thick fog was particularly difficult and dangerous, because we were on the Ijine most frequented by liners passing down-Uhannel. 1 remained on the spot, until 20 minutes past 11, and picked up four bodiestiand 29 passengers and over 200 men belonging to the crew. "The cook. Rerau. although terribly injured in tho head (It , was subsequently found that his skull was fractqled)’served out hot drinks to all. Tho presence of mind of the officers and crew ,of thft) Seirte was admirable. ’ Thi; damage done was terrible, possiblv <hie .to the fact that the Seine is n steamer epeciAßy constructed for service in Northern , seas. Sand so. hds strengthened bows built to withstand the ice. . This also in- all probability accounted for the Seine’s managing to keep afloat, though her bows hadJagcn badly crushed. || “EVERY PRECAUTION.” Captain A. Collyer, of the Egypt, who wentiio the Hotel de France at Brest on. landiqfc, told- a, representative of the Matin :• “Evely precaution was taken on board my , vesseLto avoid a collision. Our siren never cease® to act, but the fog was so thnfe that m is possible our signals were not 1 tearcrVby the captain of ihe Seine. I can make-ji’no , definite affirmation on this subject. fc! My • iofficere all did their duty. T haveQpst all my papers, and I cannot say anything further.” ■Captain Gollyer’s declaration is confirmed by the: maritime authorities at Ushant, who telegraphed that the fog was so thick that thp'irtfcabitants of the island had for -three days ;>Jivod •in _ complete darkness. ihe ( fog-enveloped island and . the lighthouses never-ceased to use their sirens, the sounds of which were dominated ,by the bellowing of the; great lighthouse at Creach. “HEADS BATTERED IN.” Admiral Scherer, Maritime Prefect of j Brestp! told a representative _of the Petit Journal that when the collision occurred a panic broke ont, and terrible scenes were witneiied. ; Knives were drawn and revolver" (shote fired. Among the dead bodies , picked- lip‘"by French vessels some had their ifaeads completely i battered in. In ftn interview with the correspondent of the) Petit Journal at ’ Brest one of the survives-said: “There was a general panic, nnd terrified women and children rushed about in all directions. A passenger who attempted to make' way for his wife to get her info one of the boats, which was literally besieged hv Lascars, was 'shot dead by a Lascar, who drew a _ revolver from ins pocket and fired point blank ’at ilie passenger’s head. A little later, .when' a boat was being lowered in which" there were a number of people, mostly; women and children, some Lascar saiterk; .jumped into the boat in such numbers teat one of the ropes broke. Tho boat burned i over and its occupants wore thrown into the water.”

SAFE IN LONDON. A rousing cheer was raised at Victoria Iwhen tJur first party of survivors reached London. Several of the men were still in their evening clothes, without collars, and most of the party showed signs of the sufferings they had undergone. Thera were many pathetic scenes. Professor Turnbull and his wife, who were bound for \ Bombay, told graphic stories, of the disaster. ‘‘The whole of the Britisn were splendid,” said Mis Turnbull, “and the women behaved very bravely. They jumped or dived into the water without fear and did just what they wore told . in a wonderful spirit.” Professor Turnbull, who' was carrying all he had been able to save in two brown paper parcels, had a discoloured eye, which he had received from something striking him as lie was getting off the doomed ship. Mrs •Turnbull said that Miss Burn, the stewardess, risked; her life in going down to a cabin to rescue another woman. SHIP DOCTOR’S “GOOD-BYE.” • Among those clinging to one pieoe of ~ wreckage were the Egypt’s surgeon. Dr D. C. Breamer,' and the ship’s second officer. The doctor was almost at his last gasp and would have already sunk from fatigue and shook bat for the encouragement given him . by his companion in misfortune. Suddenly, : as the first boat was heard approaching, Bremner, who was clinging to a deck chair, : cried,. “I can’t hold on any longer; I’m done. Good-bye !” and disappeared beneath the waves. The fog was so thick that the Seine’s boats found it very difficult to discover the struggling people. Dr Bremner (captain in the R.A.M.C., with a fine service record) -had returned home from China only a fortnight ago. He was a native of Edinburg, whore he graduated in¥lß92. He waa at one time president of/the Royal Medical Society. > A WIRELESS HERO. The sinking of the Egypt, like all great / called forth many oxampleo of ■ the “lovely virtne,” that is, courage, and ■' one pf tf» brightest of them was that of Mr Arthjir .William Hardwick, one of the three wireless operators of the ship. Though ■ not actually. supposed to be on duty when the oolHsiofi) occurred—he was, in iaat, ac dinner —this)young man of 22 went at once : to tile wirelbss cabin and sent his assistant - to hefp the Chip’s officers on the boat deck, saying he would look after the wireless himself. In the cabin he remained, sending all /. fhe tune- the ship’s message of distress, ' mhile .-confusion, and for some time panic, ' reigned around him. Before the last boat {1 left the Egypt he was seen, still at his koy- / board! and prepared to stay there as long \‘ as the instrument would work. Mr Hord- .. wick had been in the service of the Marooni, Company since 1918, and an operator vion- fivfe ships 'before he went to the Egypt, b-According-to his mother, he had only six before oqtne home from Russia, after

spending some months on a, Russian icebreaker called the Lenin. That ship once ran aground on some rocks, she said, and her boy then saved the lives' of two Germans. HEROIC PRINTER. The story of how George William Jenner. of Dover, the printer on board the Egypt, sacrificed his life by giving his lifebelt to a lady passenger when the ship was sinking. has profoundly touched his townsfolk. He was on the deck with a lifebelt which ho had taken, and as the Egypt began to x lurch he walked towards the port side, meaning to drop into the sea. At that moment he saw a woman passenger who had not been taken off. He went up to hf r and placed the lifebelt round her, saying. “Here you are, madam. This belt ia yours. I don’t know how to swim, but I will take my chance with the others. II? was drowned, Mr Jenner had worked on local newspapers, and for some time was a motor man on the corporation electric trams. In thi' South African war and the European war he was amongst the first to volunteer. He served in South Africa with a Volunteer ifctive” service company, and was voted the honorary freedom of Dover for that service. On being demobilised after the late war he learned linotype operating. He became printer in the Egypt a few months ago, and was making his second voyage on the ship. He leaves a widow and two sons, the elder of whom is a wireless operator on a liner. A CONNECTED ACCOUNT.

Captain G. D. Carr (120th Rajputana Infant ty), whose behaviour helped so greatly to lessen the panic in the ship, is also in London, and The Times says that' in the story of the sinking of the Egypt his name will find its place as that of one who in a time of extreme peril, by his courage, presence of mind, and prompt action, was instrumental in saving the lives of several of the women passengers and stewardesses "There is no doubt, at all,” he says, “that the Egypt was at the ‘stop’ when the collision occurred. At 7 o’clock there was a fearful bump on the port side. I ran out and saw the Seine drifting away from our ship. The force of the collision made the Seine spin round like a top. I realised at, once that we had'been heavily struck. The blow came between the engine room and the third hatch, and the Egypt immediately took a list ’ j port. I saw that there was danger in the situation, so the first thing I did was to change my coat, put on a lifebelt, and take off my shoes. I went from the saloon deck to the promenade deck to see what the organisation would be for saving the passengers and crew. The ships’ officers were at their posts, and evidently the second officer, Mr Cameron, had been detailed to go off in one of the stem boats in search of the Seine, and two or three elderly second class passengers got off in tho boat with him. REVOLVER FIRE IN THE AIR.

“With the ship listing, to port most of the passengers assembled on the starboard side. The women were wonderfully brave. 'They were naturally frightened, but they Suiokly recovered from the first shook of i© collision and calmly and quietlv obevod the orders given to them. But the lascars were in a state of panio. When I speak of the lascars it is necessary to discriminate. There were the. lascars who formed part of the crew, tho lascar firemen, and the Goanese stewards. It was these Goanese stewards who went, into a panic. When the first boat waa lowered they jumped from the deck and chanced whether they could get into it or not. One of the boats on the port side was capsized, but "ns I was on the starboard side I did not see it. But I saw some of the boats l go away practically full of natives while there were still wometl. on board. ,That was in no way the fault of tho ship’s officers. Every credit is dtie to them for doing all they could to keep tho lascars away from the boats. With the heavy list the boats on the port side were almost touching the water, and it was difficult to get into them; and for the same‘reason all the boats on the starboard side could not be lowered The last boat which it waa possible to lower was forward on the starboard side. Some frenzied' lascars rushed for it, and eventually succeeded in lowering it into the water; and other lascars jumped into it. There were still women on the deck, and I saw at once that some action' must be taken, for the lascars were pushing off the boat. I jumped from the deck into the boat and prevented them. They refused to obey my orders, and their attitude was so hostile and menacing that I was compelled to threaten them with my revolver. It. was, I believe, the only revolver. in the possession of either officers, passengers, or crew

“ Mrs Moore had' had the luck to get into the boat as I jumped for it, and I 'had to ’ protect her also. One or two of the lascars again tried te get the boat, away: and to frighten them into submission I fired two or three rounds over their heads. One of them was slightly wounded, and several others fell in sheer funk. They were now thoroughly cowed 1 , and they crowded together in the bow of the boat. With the assistance of the quarter-master on the deck above, I was ablq/to get all the ladies standing near that side of the ship safely into the boat. The only British sailors of the crew who came into that boat were two whom I ordered te come in, ks ■it was necessary to have two nautical men to handle her. RESCUE OF THE CAPTAIN.

“ While we were petting- in the last of the women —the 'stewardesses—the Egypt turned on heir side and began rapidly to sink, stem first. It was no longer possible for Captain Collyer to remain on the bridge. But he did not desert his ship. He clambered over the bulwarks on to the part of the hull which was still above water. As the Egypt went down the swjrl of a great wave swept him off the/hull into the water towards our boat, which was also carried away from the sinking ship,_ and we were thus able to rescue him. His escape from death was the act of Providence. Our lascars, still cowering in the bows —they were all saved, — \re re still too stricken with fear to be any help to us in. navigating the boat; and it was only by Captain COliver’s stem threats that they were kept in hand 1 . Out boat, which was constructed for 50 persons, was carrying 70 souls, and we were packed in her like sardines. If I had'not stepped the lascars they would have got away in the boat alone. No one lost his life through my action, but the women would never have got into the boat if I had not jumped in when I did. The ship’s officers did all they could, and Mr Camojon, who was ordered to go in search of the Seine, was the only one who did not go into the water. We cruised about for over two hours looking for possible survivors, and eventually rescued 10 or 12 people. The women worked wonderfully to revive the passengers taken exhausted from the water. Mrs Moore and Mrs South by were particularly devoted workers. They tore up most of their clothing to use as towels, and reached land with nothing but their evening gowns.” Mrs A. J. Moore tells of the magnificent conduct of Captain Carr, and how he restored order among the Lasoars in 4-he last boat to leave the ship. It was entirely owing to his presence and the manner in which he overawed the Lascars that the women passengers were able tt> get into the boat. She also relates \ how Captain Collyer, just before the Egypt sank, was swept into the water, by a great ware, and was with difficulty rescued by Captain Carr. Mrs Hansen, .another survivor, who was in the water for some hours, clinging to an upturned boat, says that Captain Out was responsible for saving many lives. IN CHARGE OF A PATIENT. “The last I saw of Mrs Parker,” said another survivor, “was just as the Egypt went under. She was standing on the deck, now awash on the starboard side, smoking a cigarette, and looking as cool and collected as if in the park. She was in charge of Mr J. P. Moon, who, being a convalescent natient, wns unable to look after himself. Realising this, and refusing to -leave him, she remained at his hand to the last. Otherwise she might easily have escaped.” A VALUABLE CARGO. The Egypt was one of the oldest ships in the P. and O. fleet, having been built at Greenock in 1897. During the war she was employed as a hospital ship, and was a lucky one in escaping the enemy. Afterwards she underwent heavy reconditioning by the Government, and was one of the last of the liners to be returned to the company. In October, 1919, while still in Government service, and fitted as an am-, balance ship, she was employed as a relief vessel for some of the large number of passengers who were anxious to return to India and could not secure other accommodation.

On this voyage the Egypt was carrying bullion valued at £1,054,000 —one of the most valuable shipments made to the East since the war. She was known also to have been carrying a shipment of sugar worth about. £2OOO, and insured at a premium of about 5s per £IOO. Sugar is. however, regarded as a poor underwriting risk, because it is so easily ruined by water, and its loss is a trifling matter compered with that of the gold and silver. Underwriters at Lloyd’s and insurance companies expect to lose large sums by the sinking of the bullion and specie. Since the metal lies in some 65 fathoms of water (about 390ft', no salvage is anticipated. The loss was freely spoken of as being one of the heaviest that had over fallen on JJmd't underwriters, and one insurance

company was credited with haring written ag much aa £50,000, a considerable proportion of which would, doubtless, have been re-insured. The rate accepted was Is 9d per £IOO, indicating that risk of loss by the P. and 0. liner was considered to be very slight.