Rescued by the Zealandia.

Colonist, Volume XLVI, Issue 10568, 17 November 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

Rescued by the Zealandia.

When the Huddart Parker Line s.s. Zealandia drew up to the wharf shortly before three o'clock a large crowd of people covered every inch of the western tee at which she was berthed, and extended across the main wharf as far as the second tee. Anxious enquiries — ' ' Is so and so on board?" were heard from the wharf, from friends and relations, from the vessels bow to her stern, and many affecting sceaes were witnessed as the reply came in the negative or affirmative, or, as the face of the one sought was descried. . As the gangway was run out somebody called for three cheers for Captain Attwood, which were heartily given by those on board the boat, as well as by the crowd on the wharf. Three cheers for Captain Reid followed, and three more for the chief steward of the Zealandia.

The passengers were immediately allowed to disembark, the shipwrecked ones being first to land. The attire of many of those who landed gave evidence of the experience which they had passed through, shawls taking the place of hats, collars, ties, and such like articles being missing, and I ' there being many similar evidences of haste with which the unfortunate passengers had quitted their vessel. Nearly all wore haggard, weary expressions, and seemed anxious to get dry land under their feet as quickly as possible. The Mayor visited the Zealandia soon after her arrival in port, and intimated his willingness to open a subscription list in aid of any survivors, in need of assistance. He was informed, however, that so far as the passengers on the Zealandia were concerned, no pecuniary help was needed. .

The s. s. Clansman will call in at Hohoura on her return from the search. for the missing boats to pick up the boat load of passengers who landed there on Monday afternoon.

A service of intercession for the safety of those on the missing boatwas held at St. Matthew's Church to-day. Mr J. G. Ralphe, of Sylvia Park, Auckland, a saloon passenger, gives the following graphic account of the experience of the rescued people :— He states that on Sunday; morning I was on deck with another passenger named Richards and Captain Reid. We were amusing ourselves timing the Elinganiite foghorn with a stop watch. There was a dense fog at the time, and the steamer was going dead' slow. At 10.451 happened to, loojf forward, and saw what appeared like a canopy opening out of ihe darkness, shining like a blue light. This was phosphorous oh the breakers of the South King. We were within a few hundred yards of the island. I looked towards the .bridge, and saw. the captain riiig the telegraph three times— l belieye ''full speed astern." In a few seconds the vessel was in the breakers, and she struck the rocks bow, on. A great number of passengers were below, but there was | nopanic, and they were all on deck | before the/vessel ypeht down. About twenty minutes or so after striking, the vessel went down. The boats and rafts were got ready during this period, without any disorder, but there was not time to l put in provisions, and we went away with scarcely anything but water. There were five boats' and two rafts.-'' We all got safely away. I was in the No. 2 port boat, with Captain Reid. This boat contained the bulk of the women and children. W^e made fort

j the lee of the islands, looking for a ( landing place, with the intention of putting the occupants ashore, and returning to the wreck to give further assistance. We failed to find a landing till about six o'clock, on Middle Island. All the boats kept near the islands, and we occasionally saw all of them. Shortly after the captain's boat and the purser's boat joined us on the islands. The purser's boat was leaking very badly, and was nearly full of water.. Mrs Chadwick got her leg badly bruised during, the launching of the boat. Everybody considered Captain Eeid the hero of the whole affair. It was he who effected a landing. He knew the coast, and secured the confidence of everybody on the boat. With sails from our boat and from the purser's boat we formed a shelter on the rocks for the women and children. Captain Atwood, who was picked up out of the water, behaved splendidly. The total number on. the island was about Seventy. Captain Atwood had arrangedjjfor the first and third officers' boats to make for the North Cape to obtain assistance, but next morning the weather was very rough, and all our boats broke except the captain's. Captain Reid pulled out to the scene of the wreck with a number of men to search for passengers on other rocks, and to see if provisions could be got from -the wreck. We had no food on the island from Sunday morning, until Tuesday, and, as everyone arrived there wet through they had a very trying experience. We had one case of brandy, which was reserved for the women and children. This was just exhausted when the Zealandia 'arrived, she having been intercepted i by the first officer's boat. Mr Theo. Green, one of the Tramway Company's motor men, says the boat in which he was, with his wife and child, was in trouble from the time she left the steamer. They were in the boat for four or five hours, and eventually landed on a narrow ledge of rocks on The Kings. Their boat was smashed up the same night. The ledge was ragged and storiy, and the crew were exposed to the weather and to the wash of the sea, which occasionally broke right over them. He thought half the women would be dead, but though they had a terrible time, they have come through it very well, and none are seriously ill.