SHIPWRECKED.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13713, 30 September 1908, Page 5

SHIPWRECKED.

loss of loch finlas. SURVIVOR'S. THRILLING STORY. Press Association-Bv iriOßAliT, Sept. *29. A . survivor of the Loch Finlas tel s a thrilling sroiy. He says : —The barque left Adelaide- on September 16' h wit a cargo 6f 30,000 h.igs of wheat. He vy we at hr r was experienced and the vessel was hove to several times. . -Early on Saturday morning the ship was running close; to the. land and orders were given to keep away. There was a "Strang wind from "the wtst and a moderate sea. The first intimation that anything was wrong w::| a 'heavy bumping. The captain was below and the chief mate was in charge. Orders were given to get the boate out, the; carpenter reporting that there was a lot- of water in the hold. The crew were excited, aiid the. mates "told them not to hurry and' take tilings quietly. Two boats were got out but- both, were; smashed by the breakers and Geveral men wei'e thrown into the sea. One boat, with nine in it, including the is?, co'rid mate, got clear; The captain,- who looked out of the eompanibn way after the vessel struck went below again. The boatswain asked him to come with the boat; but he replied "No, I am going to stop here." That was the last we

; aw of him: The first mate, whew enimaged in launching the port lifeboat, injured himself. We saw huh subsequently ai the rigging and lie must- have gone under iwith the ship, as also did the cook and v steward. The ves-wel disappeared about- half an hour after the time -of striking. Our boat, which had no oars, .:ai*si»ed, but we, clung to it antl drifted ywajjr. i We saw one man. Sveneen, in the hip's gig, and another floating on a plank. : These two passed towards Swan Island. With ihe current we drifted dong the coast. Several times we were »vashed off the up-turned boat, and one by one our number decre. iK-d. 1 mc-' oeeded in getting one or two back.. The v.'cohd mate became, deiiriors. We drift--3d about throughout the day, hoping agaiust hope. The second mate "wire got away; but. I brought him back. Towards nightfall, he became dangerousand slipping on :t life-buoy, threw up his hands; and disiippeaied. ' Sotae houniater.; when only four out of nine were * left, clinging to the boat, we drifted ,nto the breakers, and with great trouble ? we managed to'land.' - ' All of rs were severely hriijSed and we huddled together on the beach till daylight. We then madev our way along the. coast to a fishermans hut. We had. drifted for 15 houis. fhe boat could not have lasted much i longer. I' could not explain how the j hip came to be so near the coast. |

The namas of the -survivors* are KariReedtr, Alvargren, and Braca. The search for poisible survivors is being continued. One body has been wash-: ed ashore. ,

The sum of £IOOO was spent in repairs to the Loth Finks while she wes lying at Melbourne. Tlie crew when she left consisted of M.rsrs Lonnen (captain), Logan (mate), Rogers {second-mate). Petersen (steward}, Alaher (cook). Cdwan (boatswain), SoibeTg, >evenson, Jensou,, tviagor.- Kanuti, Petef•\>n, I.eger, and Philip (seaiiien), Luihingion, Parks and Zachiison, apprenticed, lie four survivals, and four others, who ire believed to have left- tlie vea.el at Adelaide. t

Captain Lonnen stated that it was hit> intention to make (his h's last and •• eitle down when he ruuclied Ehgland.