THE WRECK OF THE SUEVIC.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10963, 4 May 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE WRECK OF THE SUEVIC.

PERSONAL NARRATIVES,

Among those on board the Suevic when she was wrecked on March 17th were Rev. A. R. Edgar, Methodist minister, of Melbourne, and his daughter, Miss Maud Edgar. Mrs Edgar ( last week received letters from both hei* husband and daughter. Writing on March 22nd, Mr Edgar said :— ■'

"You must have been dreadfully shocked when the news of the wreck of the Suevic reached you.- Maud and I are both safe, and full of thankfulness. It was a truly awful time. You can jtist imagine us— everybody m high expectation of meeting friends. We were to land at Ply. mouth at 3 a.m., and all through the evenng persons were coming and saying good-bye. We went to bed at about 9 o'clock' in order to get a few 'hours' sleep before the ship should reach Plymouth. I had jnst fallen off to sleep when a bump and a loud grating noi.e roused me. Tlie cries of women and children soon made it apparent that something dreadful had happened. Officers : came running along the passages assuring uf that it was 'all right,' and tltat'-'there was no danger. I got up and dressed, and went first to Maud's cabin.; Slie- waft already dressed. I. then went on deck, and soon saw our position. The command cariie from the captain, 'See tliat' all/hands come on deck.' ;. "Things from that moment began to be serious. Tlie night was intensely dark, and a thick fog surrounded us. ■ There was a strong southwest wind arid a heavy sea. I Soon the tannon's boom was heard, and the rockets : sliot into the air. The boats were ordered to be., got m readiness; and all; hands were told to put on lifebelts. Even little children were not exempfed.' Tlie loading of the first boat was quickly dpneT 'No ohe biit : women and children must getinto the boat;!' t.he officers shouted;' but some who were scared biit of their lives' disobeyed orders. •- I stood by"lierpingTto get the children m. I saw a good charice for Maud, but slie stoutly refused 'to' go,, sayirig m her quiet way, 'I wori'tleave uritil you do. If you go down, so shall ji' / ; "For 12 long hours we watched the very slow and dangerous task of getting the people; off. T-The : woriuin had/to climb down a- rope-ladder hung, over tlie side, and tlien leap into the" lifeboat when they could.T Tlie children were -carried down m the same '.way by firemen.: and thrown into the arms;of those below. It Was an awful sightT- ,T ; •! • - : ; '-'-"•■- --"At about; 24a.m: a dangerous list to starboard gave all great cnocerri. ' But- we hung on and cheered e^ch other. At that hour I was the only clergyman on board. I "simply had no fear, but -went abput cheerintr the ;pdople. At dkybreak onMonday morning several tugs came; out froiri Falmouth, but tlie sea was so rough that they could not get near enough. The work of puttingthe women into the lifeboats went oh," arid the boats were tugged to about three miles off. ; - ; ;: "i ■ ft At -10 o'clock; tlii- captain called for a muster of the remaining people, and found 1.0 still on board. Half an hoiir later, or about 13* hours'af ter we had run on to the rocks, I 'had the joy of seeing the last of the women into the ship's boat. Maud was by my side. "There is room for five more m- this _x>at,' called an offi-. cer. ; I said 'In yoii go, Maud.' 'Are you going, father?'/ was mer" reply. 'Get in,' said thfc officer- Joruly half a boat's load are left.' So m we got. - . ; *- ; ;,: ' "I canhot venture to describe the. dangers of the next half 'holm An open boat; incompetent rowers, and 'mountainous seas. SufficV it that- we. got alprigside a tug. I was shot m head first^ but. not' hard. I got- Maud safe a moment after. She swooned away from the sheer sense of safety, but she, soon got all right. The tug stood by for on hour,; tossing like a cork on th_. water. We had the joy of taking the last .from the wreck, and then steamed to Falmouth, a distance of 15 miles. : ■_:■' ;■" ; Tf What a sorry crowd we looked ! Men iri, their pyjamas and .overcoats ;. women anyhow. _»laud and I were the most comfortably dressed of the crowd. We landed at last. Not a soul had an article' of belongings. All that, could be done by the coriipany was done for our comfort. Oil arrival we. were driven to a fiist-class hotel, and were' made 'most comfortable. Next mbrriirtg we>werO : taken to London by " a special trairi. We . have the joyful tidirigs to-day that 1 our luggage 'is safe, arid will be here^ to-morrow. Tliat will be a good thing, as' we have nothing but what we stand; upright m.; "- ■■'- "I may add that the Agent-General (Mr ; Tavernerj : lias been 'very kind. ; He met tlie : special train on arrival. I, was so confused ' through the events of the past few day_ that I can hardly collect my thoughts. From the numerous letters to hand each day I seem to be almost as well-known m London as m Melbourne." •''-.'".; MISS MAUD EDGAR. In a letter which accompanies that of her father.TMiss Edgar : - writes"':—" At last we have arrived- safely. The White Star Company's agents 1 housed us m the best Iwtels m Faliriouth, arid gave ris clothes and food. We ; were overwhelmed with kindriesf. I have often read about, the . brayeryTof- tlis Corriish lifeboat, men and * fishermen; but never thought tliat I should need; their assistance. Tney are simply wonderful.. You carinotTfor a moment imagine how awful.it all was-— so sudden, and no near. home. I liavenever been so near, death 1 before, but I ivas as calm as if I had. been on land. Tliere was plenty to do iri^assisting the women with their chUdren, Tandjkeepirig. them warm. "There wasT a. 'dense fog", arid' the cold was . iriteriseT Crowds Tot woriieri went into the lifeboats with, "only dressing gowns on! T got dressed! m about, five minutes. We ' wore . lifebelts all night. I was all bruised next day. We sat up- all niglit waiting for tlie dawn. ! We never; knew m what minute the ship would heel over. She was all on one side, and the front part was under, water. ; _ "At last w© were lowered down the side into a lifeboat. When near the bottorii the rope broke, arid we were dashed into the boiling/sea. I was afraid to look up. Father's face was drawn and white! We : thought our last; hour had come. There were 25 or 30 of us m tlie boat. It was manned.by .eight stewards, who could riot use an oar. . Qiily, for Mr .Gaylard and a Mr Bell we should have been smashed to-pieces on the. rocks. We then had to row for . half an hour to reach tlie tug. i- We had to. wait for a /.wave for a dash into the tug before we' could get off. Father went heels over -head from the little boat into -the tug. I had to laugh, m spite of our peril. Wluen father got off the boat was dashed away from the tug. When a wave brought the boat alongside tlie tug again I was the next to get off. I was suspended m the air with only the boiling sea beneath me. When I felt safe at last I gave way and fainted twice, and when I came to I was seasick for two hours. Then I lay on the wet deckj covered only , with a wet, muddy blanket. Father stood it all like a true Briton. He has a slight cold m his head, but otherwise is no worse. lam covered with bruises, .and so stiff that I can scarcely move." ..''