HERO OF SEA TRAGEDY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20000, 7 January 1935, Page 12

HERO OF SEA TRAGEDY

LONG SWIM WITH BABY “Smiler” Clark, hero of the Quetta wreck over 40 years ago, died at the hospital at Cloncurry, Queensland, recently, at the age of 74. Swimming for over 20 hours with an unknown baby in his arms was the heroic effort of the Cingalese seaman. No fewer than 134 people lost their lives in this tragedy of the sea. The British India steamship Quetta sank in a few minutes when she struck a submerged rock in Adolphus Channel, near Torres Strait, on February 28, 1890, and passengers and crew, numbering about 300, were thrown into the sea. Clark rescued the baby and kept it afloat for over 20 hours before he reached the shore.

Clark has told how he kept the child alive by clasping it to his body to give it warmth and by putting his tongue in its mouth for it to suck. An epic of endurance and unselfishness had its reward in the eventual survival of the child, who was adopted by a kindly family. Her identity was never established, and she was named Quetta Brown. Later she married and is now residing in Brisbane. “Smiler” left the sea following his unenviable experience, and for many years prior to his death he was gardening around the Cloncurry district. He was a popular figure among all who-knew him.