THE MARINE ENQUIRY.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12466, 16 February 1909, Page 2

THE MARINE ENQUIRY.

The Marine Inquiry opens on Wednesday. - MR FRANK SHAW'S NaRRA- " TIVE. Wellington, Feb. 15. Qne of the best aocounts given by t.he'survivors of what, happened . tothe boats' is tbat given "by Mr Sbaw. the manager of the "Marl boro agh Herald " When thejyeasel struck, he rushed on deck, and heard the captain shouting the order to distribute: thd lifeblts, 'and to get out the boats. It was raining at the tiihe, and 'a- big southerly sea was running, but it was not pitch dark, as tbe moon was up, but hidden behind thick clouds. The immediate vicinity waa .mistily visible. Everyone was ordered on deck. Mr Shaw went below to get Noel White, a .16-yearrpld son of ;a Blenheim business, man,' of whose presence on board ne knew. When he eotbn the deck he saw tho- first lioat lowered. It was rilled with women and children, and there wf>re nine men in it to do the rowing Either the first or second officer was in oharge, with instructions to keep out to sea.Splendid order was preserved on board; bo excitement, and all did as they were bidden. He felt proud of bis race when he saw the manner in "which everyone was behaving. The women behaved J well, and tbe stewardess (God reacher soul); bore'.berself like a heroine, fasten ing on lifebelts, ahd.speaking words .of cheer to the poor women and children, who' were so pathetically helpless in the face of the calamity. Without loss of time the crew and others put the rest of tne women and children and soma men in the second lifeboat while it was on the davits, but hardly had they lowered it down a little when one of the . ropes ran, lowering the boat at one end to such an angle tnat all the occupants were, precipitated into tbe sea, and half of them, about 15 01 16, were drowned before the onlookers', ejes. It was an awful sight. While the boat loading had, been going on,. about eight, or nine detonators had been fired* and red and blue lights were burned as a signal of distress. Tbey might have fired fifty big gun 3 for all the good it was, for the wind was howling so much, and the sea was clamouring so loudly, thaVthey could hardly heat each other, speak, and guns -would. not be beard fifty yards to windward. Mr Sbaw, with others, oss 7 fr=/d to unlash and launoh the fiist raft, while others were working at the windward boats. They got one raft afloat, , and were saemg to the others when- tbe vessel gave a jerk, and plunged her bow into the sea. He thought that it was time to jump. He. saw Mr C 7 Hird (the traveller far T.. and W. Young, of Wellington) just tb en. J and called to him to jump,; but he only shook his head. Mr Shaw had ho thought of drowning, and, as he "puts it,, that "he felt that bis time bad not come yet. " He was a fairly good swimmer, ahd when he sprang into tbe sea he struck out strongly to get clear of the steamer's whirlpool. He had been swimming for some time, when he caught sight of a raft, and he was assisted on to it by the steward. Therejjwere" twelve on it altogether, but after it was overturned One poor fellow, who could not swim, failed to get baok. Twice they saw the captain on an upturned boat, holding a "steward, who bad damaged his hand. Ham was desoendiDg in sheets, _a.nd the waves were twisting tne raft about, as if it was a feather. They drifted ba before the gale, and they were near the white boat/ — '■ (the. first-boat lowered, which was full of women and^childre'ri) — when a big wave swamped it, and all on board of it were drownsd. The raft was upset also, but its eleven : occupants all struggled backl; They saw \tbe captain once mora; be was still helping tbe in jured steward. They could hearthe howling of the wind and the roar of the surf, and around • •them7wasjall kinds of wreckage floating. • At "ona time thejraft got so close, to tbe captain's boat that ifc was decided to try to transfer the steward to the raft,

but the raft overturned at this stage. Again the eleven ail managed to struggle back. They were fortunate in dodging the outlying rocks as they surged inshore. A big roller finally landed the raft high upon the beach, liauiod tbem came tbe captain, and the first thing he said, sadly, as he pointed to thetn, was "I've lost my man." He had been washed away from tbe ' captain's grasp when only fifty yards from the shore. It was about 2 a.m. when tney landed on the strip of beach, some sixteen feet «vide, between the water and the base of a steep cliff.