Thrilling Tale of the Sea.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2950, 23 November 1900, Page 3

Thrilling Tale of the Sea.

TWENTY-FIVE DAYS ADRIFT ON THE OCEAN.

An extraordinary tide of shipwreck and .altering has been brought lo England by the crew of the barque i’rimera, who have reached London from Ascension in the Union-Castle liner Galeka. The names of the poor seamen who were cast away in mid-Atlantic are E. Harvard (mate), A. Anderson, Hugh Humphreys, Otto Peterson, Thomas Basatin, A. Films, and H. Nobbs. They tell the following remarkable story; On May 30th the barque Primera left London for Walfisch Bay with a cargo of coal. All went well until July 7th, when the captain died after a short illness, and the mate took charge of the ship. Early on the morning of August 3rd a sailor saw smoke issuing from the fore hatch, and, believing that some hay stowed in the fore peak had taken fire, 300 bales of the stuff were thrown overboard. It was presently discovered, however, that the coal was burning. At half-past 1 a.m. on August 4th the fore and main hatches blew up with a terrific report, and the cabin deck was shattered. Finding it impossible to subdue the tire, the ship’s company and three passengers took to the two boats, 10 men getting .aboard the lifeboat and five in a smaller craft.

Along with tne mate and four seamen

tnere were in tlie lifeboat three passengers, one of whom was making the trip for his health. The other boat was manned by the second mate. W. Thomas, and a crew including Thomas Jones, Edward Orindlev Walter Mackindrick, and Albert Crindelma,n. Two small casks containing 16 gallons of fresh water, a few tins of corned beef, condensed milk, and jam, and some shins’ biscuits constituted the provisions of the small craft. While lowering the lifeboat an accident occurred which very .-nearly sent it to the bottom. A sudden lurch of the burning vessel caused the lifeboat to swing from the davits, colliding with the side of the ship, and knocking a hole in the smaller boat . Constant bailing was therefore necessary for days after the boats were launched, the smaller boat towed behind the lifeboat. In these the castaways drived in light airs and calms for some days, watching the burning-barque, which by night presentetd a spectcle at once grand and terrible. In the hope that the chances of rescue would improve the boats parted company on August 13th, both intending to make St. Helena, which was then distant about 630 miles. Misfortune, however, overtook the occupants of the lifeboat, for the wind fell light, and every day the slender store of water and provisions diminished until the wretched men were half mad with thirst and starving for want of food. To render their plight still more desperate a huge whale swam alongside for several days, now and again sinking beneath the boat and reappearing on the other side. In this deplorable condition the men remained for many days and then, as a last hope, it was determined to try to make Ascension, which was sighted on August 26th. Three days later they arrived off the island.

The naval authorities of Ascension sent off a. boat, which took the castaways in tow * ft « r havin S beeil 25 days 8 hours aclntt, the men were carried more dead than alive to the hospital, where in course of time they grew strong enough to be. sent home by the Galeka.

Of the smaller boat nothing had been heard at the time the survivors left for Lngland