A Story of the Sea.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6753, 6 February 1892, Page 3

A Story of the Sea.

Mr L. Ghieret, the owner of the iil-fated steamer Prince Soltykoff, received the following communication from the British Consul at Brest:—"Brest, France, Bee. 18 Pear Sir-In reply to jour note of the 16tb, I sent Mr Kelk, the sole survivor of the Prince Soltykoff. home to England to doy, via St. Malo. Suddenly finding himself in the longitude of Usbant, ia the awful weather at the time, the captain (Mr Kelk) tried to make Westing at full speed. In the heavy sea the ship (Prince Soltykoff) would not stand it and accidents ensued, and he gradually neared Usbant still more. His only chance of escape from the reefs at the north-west end of Usbant then would seem for him to have put his helm up and try the inner passage, but not knowing it he was afraid to do so. The actual loss of the ship was very remarkable and unexpected. She was undoubtedly suddenly engulphed by an extraordinary ‘ race ’ or ‘ tide-rip,’ almost, if not quite, amounting to a whirlpool like the Maelstrom. In a single minute , she shipped vast waves all round the ship, at the same time, and she sank bodily under their weight or was sucked down. What followed was no less remarkable. The ■ea became suddenly smooth, with nothing left on it but the two boats which had been washed well clear of the ship before she sank with the three men standing up in them. Their standing up speaks as tj the calmness of the water. The night wss so beautifully bright that Mr Kelk assured me the smallest object would have been seen ha i it been floating, but although all the crew, except those drowned in the engine-room, were with Mr Kelk on the bridge when he was washed out of the ship, there was not > a sign of one of them in the water, very much to his surprise. The three survivors then all got into the sime boat. The two fishermen, Wilson and Walmsley, shortly afterwards died from exposure, and Mr Kelk threw their bodies overboard to lighten the boat. After thirty-two hours, during which he was put to long and great exertion to prevent the air chests from being washed out of the boat, she drifted amongst the Forsal Bocks, and how she escaped being dashed to pieces there is perhaps as extraordinary as any part of the story. Ultimately some men hauled Mr Kelk, boat and all, up on the rocks with hook ropes.’