FOUNDERING OF THE DALGONAR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 46, 31 March 1914, Page 5

FOUNDERING OF THE DALGONAR.

Thrilling stories of five days ' experience in a terrific 'gale, in the Liverpool ship Dalgonar, of 2665 tons burthen, were told by the survivors who were landed at Dover on January 6. The captain and three men lost their lives in the disaster, which occurred in the South Pacific, 26 hands being rescued, after suffering great hardships, by the French sailing ship Loire, bound to Dunkirk. Six of the crew were trails-' ferred on November IS to the French sailing ship La Fontaine, bound : for Falmouth. The suiVivors lost all their belongings in the wreck. When the gale sprang up on October 9 the ship rolled so heavily 'that the ballast shifted, and she heeled over so far that her decks were almost perpendicular, with her keel out of the sea. The captain gave orders for the boats to be got out, but in each case the boa,ts had their sides torn out, everyone, being thrown into the sea. Then came an awful struggle for life, but, fortunately, the overhanging masts were s*> close to the sea that many were able to grip hold of them. It was during, these attempts to launch boats that Captain Isbester, sailmaker Cousins, able-seaman Confrere, and cook Anger were drowned, being hurled against the ship by the heavy seas and injured. The. French ship Loire, which had fortunately sighted the wreck, bore down as close as but th.e gale was so bad that she could get no boats put. "The gale continued with great fury for four days," said one of the Survivors} and;we did not expect the wreek would ricle it out; in factj we frequently feared she' would dapsize entirely as the terrific seas struck her." It was a time of great hardship for everyone, but the French ship kept,us company splendidly throughout the storm. On the 13th, which was the first possible opportunity to launch boats, the Loire sent two of her lifeboats to us, and we all got safely aboard her. Five j days later we fell in with the French : ship La Fontaiiie, from which we obtained provisions, and six of our crew were transferred to her—seamen Kenner, Mattson, Millaney, Ellison, Bockwell, and Singl—who were to be landed at Falmouth. The Frenchmen were exceedingly kind to us on the voyage, which had lasted nearly months.''