JELLICOE'S RESCUE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11930, 25 October 1919, Page 8

JELLICOE'S RESCUE.

United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received Oct. 25, L3O p.m. Fanning Islands, Oct. 24.

The marooned men picked np by H.M.S. New Zealand on Christmas Island are at present guests of the Fanning Island cable staff, recuperating after terrible privations during ! the past year. They were left on the Island by the lessee's father, Rougier, in the middle of 1918 with a scanty stock of provisions and a promise that a relieving ship would arrive within forty days. These men, the manager of Rougier's station, named English, a French youth and a Taliitian were the ouly inhabitants' and -were almost desperate when the New Zealand appeared. The landing party, which included Admiral Jellicoa, was held up by English, who was clad only in a tattered pair of shorts, patched with rice bag. Admiral Jellicoe was amused at the comical spectacle presented by the man holding up a warship with a revolver, though he took personal interest in the hardships suffered by the party and had a long talk with English. Lady Jellicoe read his diary. The commander of the New Zealand had officers working ail night copying charts executed with remarkable exactitude by English and meteorological reports made during his enforced stay on the Island. The map Bhowed the position of various wrecko on Christmas Island which is a veritable death trap of the Pacific. There was evidence of eight wrecks, while millons of feet of lumber, mostly in good condition, were strewn along the shores. The irony of the marooned men's situation was the possession of three automobiles needed for traversing lons distances between satterecd cocoanut groves. The unfortunates thus had means of travelling de luxe yet were without clothes, food or" comfort. Rats swarmed everywhere at first, and had devoured pillows and blankets while the men slept. English said he would gladly have exchanged automobiles for clean shirt, trousers and means of shaving to enable him to welcome his distinguished visitor and life-saver in some semblance of cieauliness instead of Robinson Crusoe-like attire and revolver point. English kept a faithful diary during the whole time on the island." This contained some entries pathetic in their hopelessness, day by day looking, longiner and praying" for "a ship to arrive. Distress, ill-health from exposure and wretchedness of food nearly drove the men crazy, and they would not have been able" to exist many more weeks. When English left the warship Jellicoe presented him with his photograph, saying "Yours is the hardest time I've ever heard of. You must have some little souvenir.'' It was endorsed ' 'To Joseph from Jellicoe, Admiral •of Fleet." Natives at the cable station presented Jellicoe Hwith a shark tooth swordstick. Jellicoe wirelessed "Thank Natives warmly for their kind gift which I shall value exceedugly."