AN OPPORTUNE RESCUE. Narrow Escape of Three French Man-O' War Sailors.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 125, 24 October 1885, Page 5

AN OPPORTUNE RESCUE. Narrow Escape of Three French Man-O' War Sailors.

Three sailors from tbe French man o'-war vlagon made an attempt to desert from the vessel on Oct. 21, but narrowly escaped using their lives. They endeav. ured o swim ashore, but the freezing temperature of the water chilled them, md althojgh goad swimmers, thy oon became powerless It is d>fficult to -ealize how the deserters managed to get tway from the vessel but they e-dped tht vigilance of the pentry by eliding down h ope into the water. Their clothes wertta~tened on their heads to keep them dry «hile in view ol cooti 1 yeticiea, each had laid in ft laige stock of tobacco Indeed, rinch m'in h«d fully six pounds of the fru yrant weed in his popseemon The t-ailon-away pafely from the vespel, bnt aft*M jtwimmittg for a distance, and that in the -vrong direction, they found themsolves bicoining crumped. The hour was after mtd iiiiihf, ai.d thero appeared but lit tit (jruspect of getting asdi^tance. The men however, cried out for help, and furru na^e'y for them a Hsherman named Muira> *vhs on hU way down the harbour bouno or Tiritiri. He Ba w the heads in thb water, and he-mng the cries, steered in th< hrection of the men whom he took oi< board his cratt and couveytd to >h wharf. It was not until the men ommenced to dreps that he paw they wen French sailora, and he then sentame-^engei i othe police. Constables Carrol and Keaney promptly responded to the summons, and took the denertero into custody Thej cached the Police Station at 2 o'clock, and were supplied with blankets in place ot fheir wet clothes The officers of the shi[ a ere communicated with, and the prison^ r•July handed over. A reward of £l wapaid to the policeman, and the amount will certainly not recompenj-e him for hirrouble. He Pajs the night was favourablele for fishing and he would have netted £6 at ltast had he gone on hi* way The accounts given of the circumstancesvary somewhat. Tho report bupplien b> Gonstab'e Carrol, for inbtance, states that he t>aw the men in Queen street, barefooted and only partially clad, and bo stopped them, and that Munay came up alter wards.