RACE AGAINST TIME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16641, 25 January 1922, Page 7

RACE AGAINST TIME.

RESCUE OF THE STERLING. MELBOURNE’S GREAT ACHIEVEMENT. (Pun Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 25. Accounts given by the crew of the Helen B. Sterling show that the vessel liad met with heavy weather prior to Sunday last, and during more heavy weather on that day th© maimnast carried away at 4 a.m. Apparently this strained the vessel’s timbers, and hit in a certain amount of water, while two of the hatches failed to hold in th© heavy weather, and the big seaa which cam© aboard leaked into the holds. The wireless operator, Shaw, sent out his first wireless at 8 a.m., followed by others of a despairing nature, the explanation of this being that those on board were doubtful if the messages were being received, the power on board being insufficient for receiving proportly, though the sending capacity was adequate. The hopes of all on board the doomed vessel were raised by the welcome sight late on Sunday night of tho searchlights of the H.M.A.S. Melbourne, which was then racing to the rescue. The lights were discerned forty or fifty miles away, and when tlie warship came in sight the schooner was virtually awash, only the poop deck appearing above the water. The Melbourne drew near the schooner and poured oil on the waters to leeward between her and the small craft. • Perilous times then ensued in lowering on© of the warship’s cutters. Eventually she was got away safely with Commander Ward Hunt in charge of a crew of sixteen, men. The cutter went to within some seventy or eighty feet of the schooner, and a line thrown from the latter was hitched on to the cutler. Commander Hunt then had a breeches buoy affixed to the rope. This was sent aboard the schooner. When the rescue gear was fixed in readiness an apprentice was first sent across and some of the crew were then rescued in the earn© wav, it being deemed inadvisable to bring -off the women too early as the passage in the breeches buoy meant- dragging them through the water for about sixty feet with the inevitable consequence of wetting. Further, it was desired to thoroughly test the gear with the men. Tho last to be hauled, into the cutter was the captain, though, simultaneously, the second mate dived overboard with a rope attached to him. and was dragged into the rescuing boat.

Meanwhile, the Melbourne had gone around to the windward side of the schooner and poured more oil on the waters. Both at this stage and during tho Melbourne’s thrilling race to the rescue every soul on board tlie warsliipfrworked like demons. After the survivors had been, placed aboard the warship—the whole operation occupied two hours—the schooner was seen to be lying lowin the water. Heavy seas were washs ing over her continuously, and it was judged that she must sink within three or four hours. The Melbourne had a rough trip to port, arriving at ten o’clock last night, when the crew were taken to the homes of friends or to the Sailors’ Home. SAILORS’ TRYING TIME. The sailors of the Sterling state that the trouble started early in the voyage. Two days after they left Newcastle the gas engine for working tho pumps broke down, and after that hand pumps had to be used to keep down the water from ordinary leakage to which a wooden vessel is always subjected. Two days later a fire broke out in the forehold in a beam, but this was promptly extinguished. On Saturday a strong gale sprang up from the east, accompanied by vory heavy sea. That night it had increased to almost hurricane force necessitating the sails being double reefed and the vessel hove to. The sea rose higher and higher and constantly broke aboard, falling on the main deck fore and aft. ’Hie only dry quarter in the ship was the forecastle head and poop. Tlie hand pumps, being situated on the main deck, were right in the wash of pounding waves which broke on board, and it was impossible for the crew to man them.

MAINMAST GOES. The labouring ship soon started ex : tensive leaking, and in the absence of pumping soon sank lower in the water.'* Her position was hopeless at 5 a.m. on Sunday, when the mainmast went by tho board, and it was then realised that tho vessel would have to bo abandoned. The main deck being flooded the soundings of the pump well could not be gauged with any degree of accuracy, but it was estimated that there was not less than nine feet of water in the holds, and at tlie time she was abandoned she did not have more than one foot of free hoard. In th© afternoon the crew gathered on the poop and awaited tho arrival of iho Melbourne. The boats had been provisioned the previous evening, and were ready in the chocks on the poop to be manned in case of necessity. Tho idea was not to launch them but to trust to a chance of them floating clear if the vessel foundered. All through this day and the following night, however, the sea, was so high that no one believed they would live five minutes. THE RESCUE. Commander Ward Hunt said : From the nature of the calls, it appeared to be a race between our going there and the schooner’s sinking. Unfortunately, two of the signals we received from the schooner gave two different positions, owing, no doubt to the stress under which the operator was working. These positions were eight miles apart, were well above the water. Th© crew and our efforts were directed to ascertaining which of the two were correct. Eventually, about 4 o’clock, we got a definite statement that th© north-east Vtosition was the correct one. All the time we were going north the weather was becoming worse. At midnight a gale was blowing, a high Sea was running, and the waves were breaking right across the practically waterlogged ship, although her poop apd forecastle and Indies were perched upon the poop. Tli wind hint ehsed sotnewhat, and it appeared 1 hat with careful handling the crew could be taken off by one of tho Melbourne’s boats, and. as it was considered that the wind might get worse at any moment, it was not thought wise to wait until daylight. “ A seaboat was lowered from the warship, and only got awa,v from the 3liip with difficulty. On getting near the Sterling and having studied the position it was decided that it was impossible to get alongside* owing to th© seas breaking over her. A transfer by a breeches buoy was rapidly made.” COMMANDER S FORTITUDE. Hie ladies rescued, said Commander Ward Hunt, displayed the greatest fortitude in very trying circumstances. The difficult operation proceeded without a hitch, and after two hours’ bard •voile the people from th© schooner were safely aboard the Melbourne. Even » -oat was not forgotten. The return to , w:i , ship with a heavily laden

twelve oared boat in a considerable sea was accomplished without any great difficulty. As the craft came alongside the Alelbourn© she was hoisted up in thirty-five second from the lime they hooked on. The rescued people were wet and cold, but in a few minutes they wore having hot baths, and in ball" an hour were in bed. They had a terrible time aboard the ship expecting death at any moment.