SEA DRAMA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17062, 21 September 1929, Page 7

SEA DRAMA

SINKING OF MANOA USELESS PUMPS > S'LJ VA, Sept. 9. A dramatic story of the midnight foundering of the auxiliary schooner, Manoa, while the captain lay unconscious on the deck, is told by Mr. P. Archibald, who was a passenger. With 15 souls aboard—including a native woman and her baby as passengers, Captain Maclndoe, who also owns the schooner/ a native mate, a Chinese cook, and a native crew—the Manoa left Kubalua on Thursday morning bound for Waidoi. She had a cargo of 20,000 ft. of hardwood. That might a gale arose. Koro light was passed at 10 o’clock, and Waikava | light at midnight. s I Terrible seas were experienced, and : the seams of the vessel opened. When the pumps were tried it was found that they were choked and useless. Captain ' Macindoe ordered the crew to tear up the cabin floor and bail with benzine tins Then in intense darkness, Captain Macindoe and the (mate shortened sail, while Mr. Archibald took the wheel. I At this critical, moment a block and tackle derrick swung loose anckhit Caplain Macindoe on the head and he fell unconscious, with a terrible wound in his forehead. Mr. Archibald felt the captain’s heart, and thinking he was dead, gave orders to launch the boat. Before this .could be, done the foundering vessel shipped tremendous'seas, which doused the elec- | f,ric lights and flooded the engine room. In the darkness the crew found the smal) whaleboat, but it was damaged. Feverishly t[ie mate set to work to repair it i sufficiently to launch. ! Two 'and' a-half hours later, Captain ! Macindoe, still being unconscious, the | boat waS Munched, and the native j woman and her child placed in it. Capf tain Macindoe regained consciousness, ‘remarked: “Everything will lie all i right,” then lapsed into . unconseiousiness again. Just as all were in the boat , the-Manoa rolled over and plunged beneath the waves barely missing the ! whaleboat . ! The Fiiian crew behaved splendidly. iThey pulled the boat to the Leper Station at Makogai Island, which was reached at 11 o’clock the next morning.. Here, immediate attention was given by Dr. Widlake to Captain Macindoe. who was still unconscious. Later the wrecked people were conveyed by launch to Levuka where Captain Macindoe is making good progress in hospital. Hie vessel and cargo were insured.