THE CLAN MACWILLIAM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20316, 26 January 1928, Page 10

THE CLAN MACWILLIAM.

HEROISM OF THE CREW. SUDDENNESS OF FINAL PLUNGE. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, January 25. “ Right to the end they fought, and no praise is too high for the heroism of the officers and white crew of the Clan MacWilliam when she sank in Vavau,” said Mr J. D. Whitcombe, of Nukualofa, this morning. Two days before the fire Mr Whitcombe had supervised the loading of the steamer Nukualofa with copra. On that occasion he saw one of the natives coming up out of the hold with his pipe in his mouth, and in reply to a remonstrance the native said: “ I am not a fool.” The native meant that he was taking due care, but it appears that they are rather casual in their habits when loading cargo. It was an incident that was called to mind a couple of days later when a wireless message came saying that the Clan steamer was on fire, although it will never be known what actually caused it. Mr Whitcombe said it was true that the Lascars got ou to one of the lighters when the fire began to make headway, but they afterwards returned to the steamer’s deck and worked right to the end. Mr Whitcombe added that one of the heroes of the fire was J. Johnson, who descended into one of the holds, and only by the greatest difficulty got out of it again. He was almost overcome, but' soon recovered, and was alongside the steamer with a launch to give ar ista:.ce when the larger vessel sank. In connection with the deaths of Captain Thompson and Chief Engineer Dishington, Mr Whitcombe said that the latter thought that the steamer would float for at least a couple of hours longer, and went back to his cabin to get the log, not knowing that- it had previously been put over into one of the waiting boats. Captain Thompson came halfway down the ladder on the port side, but lingered for the engineer to come. It was at that moment that the vessel suddenly made her downward plunge to the accompaniment of a heavy explosion and a great swirl of water. So strong was the suction that one of 'ae officers who had dived overboard had his sea boots drawn off. Mr Whitcombe said that the Clan Mac William now rests at the bottom of Vavau Harbour with 6ft of water over the top of the mainmast. A native boy dived and located the topmast, to which a chain and buoy were attached. Beneath her copra cargo the Clan Mac William had 4000 tons of ore.