50 CASTAWAYS ON ROCK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18955, 4 March 1936, Page 13

50 CASTAWAYS ON ROCK

WASHED BY SEAS SURVIVORS' VIVID STORY l . LONDON, Jan. 6. i A dramatic account of how. 50 people, including four women, spout three days and nights on a rock 30ft. by 10ft., wltli | no drink and no food but salmon, after I their ship had sunk, was given by sur'vivors of the London steamer Silverhazcl 5307 tons, when they arrived at Tilbury yesterdav. i* The Silverhazel struck a rock in the San Bernardino straits, : in the Philippines, last November, and broke in hall. The crew of 45 and five passengers were able to scramble on to the rock. Ships were standing by, but were unable to take them off owing to the heavy seas. Eventually the survivors made sihail rafts and were rescued. Two died later?* , Mr. N. H. Bloyne, the Silverhazel'i chief officer, on bis arrival in London, said: " "It is a. miracle that we are here. We managed to get along on salmon right enough, but at. nights in the bitter cold with waves breaking over ns and a-, typhoon threatening you can imagine what our feelings were. We tried to keep ourselves in good spirits by singing, but. the job was to get. safely snugged down on the most treacherous piece ft small rock von could imagine." Mr. Frederick Clayton, the chief engineer, said time and again boats from flic U. S. destroyer Peaiy endeavoured to take the castaways off, but the waves always defeated them. A member of the crew, dames Mcuilchrist, of Berkley street, Glasgow, paid tribute, to the coolness of Chief Officer Bloyne. Other members of the crew referred to the death of their captain, Mr. 11. Leonard, who was the last to leave the rock. He had a dog in his arms as ho jumped into the sea with the rest of the survivors in the attempt to reach the waiting boats, but' he was swept away by the waves and never seen again.