A STRANGE RESCUE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 698, 6 May 1916, Page 11

A STRANGE RESCUE.

SHIP CAPTURED BY MOORS. | RELEASED BY BATTLESHIP. 11l awarding £4OOO to Captain E. ('•. j Lowthcr-Crofton, D.5.0.. and the I crew of lI.M. battleship Caesar, for i salving the London steamer Eburna when beset by armed Moors, Mr JusMice Deane, in the Admiralty Court. ■ said it was a good service well renI dered. While hound from (letes to New j Orleans last May, and manned by Europeans and Chinese, the Eburna, ,-il'My lons, stranded during fog in ' Alman/.a Hay, Morocco. Owing to ;' the hostility of the Moors to Euro- [ peans the Caesar was sent from (iib- | raltar, and found that a sub-lieuten-ant and seven men from the Eburna ! were in the hands of the Moors, i The master and other sailors from | the Eburna were on a British torI pedo-boat in the bay. | Marines were put on board the i stranded steamer, whose master and his sailors returned to her. In about j five minutes the vessel was got off by means of a hawser. Meanwhile ! sonic of the warship's crew, who had been working under the bows of • the Eburna, covered by the rifles of l the marines on board, were captured | by the Moors, together with an interpreter. Battleship Opens Fire. The Ca\sar opened fire on the natives, afterwards dispatching armed boats demanding the immediate re- ; lease of the prisoners. A large number of natives concealed behind 1 rocks and bushes on the seashore and hillside, however, opened fire on the boa's. The Moors made several attempts to move olf with their captives, but were brought up on each occasion by shell lire. There was no way of rescue without great danger to the prisoners. As night came on searchlights were thrown on to the Moors, preventing them from going into the interior unobserved. Later two of the prisoners—an officer and the interpreter—swam out towards the boats. The Moors promptly opened fire on them in the water, but with great difficulty they were picked up by one of the armed cutters. It was claimed that the Eburna was stranded in such a position that salvage was only possible by a very powerful ship and an armed force to keep the Moors at bay. Had it not been For the services, the Moors would have plundered and burnt the vessel. Beaten Off by Steam Hoses. According to the defendants, prior to the arrival of the Caesar, but after the capture of one of the Eburna's boats, natives rowed out and attempted to board the Eburna, firing upon her. They were, however, beaten off with steam hoses. Two European sailors were released in exchange for some provisions and tobacco. After the master, with his remaining men, went on board a torpedo boat, natives boarded the j Eburna and got some booty. The' only casually was one man wound-! ed. The value of the salved pro-! perty was £105,898. Captain Lowther-Croffon said that! at one time the hillsides were black' with natives. The captives were j subsequently ransomed by the Span-' ish Government.