A NIGHT OF TERROR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10526, 29 November 1905, Page 4

A NIGHT OF TERROR.

WKJSGK OF LA BELLA

DluJL'lUliKD 1)1 AN AUCKLAND

SURVIVOR

One of the civw of the La, Bella, Mr L. Robertson, 'wiiting to hu> parents iu Auckland, uudi descxibing; Him wiedc. says : "We struck irn tlie reef on t lie port sidi; of the entrance at- 9 o'clock on Friday tiight, November 10. i woni below at 8 p.m. All hands were called ou vkek. t\i si quarter lo 9, and we clewed up the topgallant sail. Just then 'breakers uliead' w;us roporti-d, and 'HaitJ up tho helm' was given, but .she struck alnioel immediately. Sho was Bailing about six knotn, and bumped easily ior a witart, but after a time bumped heavily. The furegallant mast went first, then tno main topmast, then the main lower mast and foro lower topsail yard broke in two. "We all got. in tho weather lore-rigging, but .she went right over on hur beam ends, and we made fast to the dead oy«* aud hung on the outside of the ship -altogether. When all the masts went sho straightened up, aud we crawled back on to the rail.

'About 10 p.m. the tirst man was lost, watthud tu leeward and was KUiashed up by the iron locker forward. I saw him first and told the captain quickly, but did not. mention it to the otheiw, tso us not to dishearten them.

"About two hours later the two oldeet hkii were washed away, and at 11 o'clock the cook and an ordinary seamen wtsre washed over the side. They were dead before they were Hashed away, stiffened out with th. eold. Bitterly eold, and eeas coining over us all night* "The lifeboat was off during the night, but it wun useless trying to get near us, a« the boat- would have beeji .smashed to pieces. About 2 a.m. the donkey boiler canie away aft, whizzing along the deck, and jammed between the forecastle home, rail and the rail, and broke the sea. What were left of us were- in the forecastle head, hanging on to the weather sail, the deck being at an angle of of 45 degrees. Once we let go we would have islid over the side in uo time. Half the forecastle head was gone, bulwarks and all, and that is what saved um on the weather aide, as each sea. which swept tlio decks had an outlet forward?"/ "About 4 a..m. wo could see the plates wlick out. Half and hour later the fore part started to buckle and twist in all shapos. Seven of us were left by this time. Our boats were smashed to matchwood ten minutes after we utruek. At 5 p.m. the poop came* away from the mam deck, the barque having swung

broadside on, bi> T said lo tbow on the forecastle head. 'We had better got. on top of thu deck-house,' as the sea. was sweeping the forecastle- head by this time. The captain and two men got on tho house, and the mate, boy, and self still hung to the forecastle head. '1 said to the mate : 'Cur ouly chance is to get on the house. Watch a chance, crawl alt, and swim for it,' but the niate and boy were exhausted. "I was too weak to help anyone. I had just got on the house and looked to to see the mate aud boy, and both had disappeared. The mate was washed over the side and washed up again, and hung on to the cat head, but another sea tooK. him away. The boy tried to follow me, and was on the main deck when a sea caught him, and that was the last we saw of liim. I just got on the house in time to clear the sea. We were all stiff with cold, but I kept my feet and hands moving 'all night to keep them from getting numbed. 1 had a guernsey, draw-el's, and pants on all night. When she broke in half the captain eaid, 'Well, boys, we will have to swim,' but, being master, he did not want to go, and asked others. They refused, fearing the result. I said, 'Well, chaps, it is our only chance. Better try and swim for life than stay here and get drowned, as she may roll over any minute now.' No one cared to start, so I said : •Well, I'll go first if any of you will follow. ' The captain said : 'I'll follow you/ bo we got aft and took off all our clothes except singlets, and took a header into the surf. We caught a sea and did a hundred yards in about a second. 1 was picked up by the lifeboat, being about live minutes in tlie The captain followed me immediately, and somehow could not swim straight, but he was picked up by another boat just as he was done. Rooke followed next, and was picked up hanging to some planks, both legs being cramped. Next to follow was Finn Oscar, who was picked up by the lifeboat. "One wa s then left on board, but he was dazed, and made himself fast aft, and the boat swung him a line. He was far gone, and made it fast round his neck, above all places. He managed to let go the other line and was hauled aboard the boat. We were taken to the wliarf, and all Warrnauibool was there, I think, and cheered as the boat passed. "Captain fared worst, his leg and arm being badly bruised. Yes, it was cruel seeing them go one by one, and never knowing whose turn it was next. We lost everything. I said good-bye to myself and you, as I made sure we would all go. But what saved us was that we never lost heart ; the others lost heart, and once done, were as good as gone. I kept my spirits up to the last, but was very hazy when I got to the hotel."