A GALLANT ACT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2239, 28 January 1897, Page 56

A GALLANT ACT.

TIMBLY AID BY A BOAT FROM THH ORIENT. As the Orient was making her way to Sydney from Melbourne on the 10th inst. she encountered a, heavy gale from the 5.3. W. with a oonfnsed mountainous sea, the ship at the time being near Cape Everard. Soundings were continuously taken, and the ship's head put to the B.E. to get an offing, the ship all the time labouring heavily and shipping seas.' An experiment was very successfully made with oil on the set, whioh was breaking very heavily. At 4 p.m. the wind moderated considerably, and tb« weather cleared a little, when a vessel was observed showing distress signals. We kept the ship away, and found ib wan the brig Phillis, of Sydney, signalling " Want food— starving," also that their boat was smashed. Being asked by signali if it was argent they replied that it was. The .appeal was too much tor Captain Inskip. Ho was about to consult his chief when the latter said " I'll go, sir, to, help the men.?' The boat's crew were all volunteers. With very great diffioulty the boat was lowered, conveying biioults and pVesarved meats. -She was in charge of Mr F. J. Runkins, chief ofSoer, and had a crew of six sailors, Messrs G. Yates, W. Rigden, T. Mayno,~W; J7 Stock, W. Thompson, and C. Sibley. AJUxt a considerable time they reaohed )the Phillis, and the unfortunate crew oheered the plnoky fellows who hnd brought them food. It was a work of considerable danger 'even then 'to get, the provisions on board, but they at 'length 'succeeded about 7 p.m. The crew of the brig stated that they had been almost without food for five days. Just as the boat was about to return to the Orient the wind suddenly came up from tbe W.S.W. in a cquall of hurricane force, with hail and rain, and it was with great diffioulty thac the boat nould be eetn, though quite close to the ship. The sea having Again ripeu so rapidly, it was impossible to bring the boat alongside with oafety, and as it whs getting dark feats were entertained that the men could not be saved. After several unsuccessful attempts the boaO was got on the lea side, and, with a rope thrown to each man, they were all safely got on board, but in an almost exhausted oondition. The paitengers subscribed £18 for the boat's crew. Mr Fred. Wright, one of the passengers, describing the tceuo to a representative of the Sydney Herald, said : "It was the worst we&ther we had coming out. Look here, it wasn't a clear blow, but a sort of a whirlwind, and the sea was twisted up until it reached the upper deck. We had it pretty bad when we first came out of the Melbourne Heads, and soon after (I think it was on Saturday after* noon) somebody sang out 'There's a ship in distress.' To tell you the truth, the engines stopped. I was below, and ran up to see what was the matter. Some of the people thought we were in danger, and many ran up and got lopping wet. I haven't beou muoh to sea, but I think it wao the pluckiest thing that ever men did, when that lifeboat of outs was lowered to see those men get into it. Why, do you know, between us and the ship, the waves carried them so high that they seemed to be level with that schooner, or whatever yea call her." . ".Yon mean to «ay that you could not tell what the vessel wa<» ? " - . > "All that conid^be teen were some signals and rags of sail. I think sue was supposed to have a couple of dozen sails, but all that' were visible were strips like bits of calico, and even j them we couldn't see but now and then." i " How far were you off ? " I "About a quarter cf a mile, I should say. ; Captaiu Inskip, I think, said it was more ; but ! anyhow we get the boab started with two sacks of biisouits aud a lot of cauned meats, and we watched. Aye, you should just have seen ns. I We prayed, every one of us, thab those brave fellows would be spared to come back.'* " Were there many on deck ab this- time ? Were the engines kept going ? " "Why, there wasn't a passenger who wasn't vp — some of them kneedeep in water. A few or the Melbourne pusengers were too seasick. I don't think as to the engines thab they even moved after they stopped when the cry was first raised, * Ship in distress.' Why, she looked like a cockleshell." "Do you know how they got the provisions aboard the Phillis ?" " Only from what the mate said : that they heaved the tinned meats aboard as the sea lifted .them favourably, and the biscuits were hauled on lines ; but they must have been wet, because tbe lifeboat was half full of water and a man was kept baling. Their cheers could be heard aboard the Orient." "In such a gale how did yon, then, keep track of the whereabouts of the boat — that is, after she had transhipped the stores P " "Ah! now you come to it. I'm a stranger out, here, and you have not muoh twilight, and the officers seemed anxious. ' Well, a whole lot of people went aloft — as many as jihe rigging could hold,— and Captain Inskip had lookouts -away up the masts. It was wonderful ! The sea. seemed to grow worse, and it wasn't rain that fell, but a sort of sheet that came down so thick that you couldn't see the ship's rail. Tbe electric light was turned on, and in the living gftle the boat was seen. She came on the rough side, and the captain sang out something. I don't know what it was." " The ke side?" " Yes ; and we toon after seemed to come round so close to her that you would think the boat would fall aboard, and away she would go, and be lost again in the seaway, and if the saving of men at aea was ever more- fervently prayed for— why, people were even down on their knees on the very deck." " It's a wonder you didn't lose them ? " " It's a miracle how they" were hauled aboard. Lines, a lot of lines, were out, and lifebuoys attached to the ship, and everybody who could help at these hauled away on them, fetching a man aboard each time." " Were they much done up after their trip ? " "Not one could stand, they were so exhausted, but a little brandy soon fetched them round."