Woman Plays Cooma’s Passengers To Content While Ship Rocks On Reef.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17905, 22 July 1926, Page 10

Woman Plays Cooma’s Passengers To Content While Ship Rocks On Reef.

PEOPLE HOLD CONCERT ABOARD STRICKEN STEAMER THROUGH HOURS OF WAITING. (Special to the “ Star.”) ROCKHAMPTON, July 9. While the Cooma rocked perilously on the North Reef, awaiting rescue ships, her 149 passengers smiled grimly—and had a concert! For two hours while Ihe seas dashed against the ship's sides and broke in streaming surf on the reef, a brave mother, distressed by the sea-sickness of her three young children, sat desperately at the piano till she had played the whole saloon out of anxiety. When she left to see her babies, others carried on. A happy spirit of contentment spread over the ship. Some even played cards. A few dozed off peacefully in deck chairs.

The passengers were finally transhipped to the Burwah without the slighest hitch. The lifeboats were pulled out for 200 yards from the Cooma, and launches then towed them to the Burwah. anchored about half a mile off. Owing to the surf the transhipment was hazardous, but members of the crews behaved wonderfully, assisting all the passengers down the rope ladders from the Cooma into the lifeboats, and then taking them across to the Burwah with apparently only one mishap—a lady had her fingers slightly crushed. Only six children were on board the Cooma, three of them in one family. The passengers spoke in the highest terms of the captains and the members of the crews of all vessels for the exceedingly kind treatment accorded them, whether on the Cooma after the wreck, or during the tranference from the Cooma. or on the Burwah on the run to Port Alma. Notwithstanding their experience, passengers were cheerful. Smiling faces greeted those who were awaiting their arrival at Port Alma. Immediately the passengers disembarked at Port Alma there was a rush for the telegraph office. Then they were provided with refreshments. Ample provisions had been despatched to Port Alma by the A.U.S.N. Co., under whose flag the Cooma had been sailing for the last three months. On arrival at Rockhampton by train the passengers were provided with cars to take them to the hotels, at which accommodation had been arranged. The guiding spirit in the whole arrangements was Mr H. M. Walker, shipping agent for the A.U.S.N. Co. Some passengers obtained the whole of their luggage, but others had merely what they stood up in. Almost immediately after the train left Port Alma, Captain Hassail, of the Burwah. received a wireless from the captain of the Moresby, stating that he was running short of coal, and that he would have to run to Gladstone to replenish his bunkers. Accordingly he asked Captain Hassall to take the Burwah out and stand by the Cooma during his absence. The Burwah, therefore, left Port Alma for North Reef, and was expected to arrive there in the early hours of this morning to relieve the Moresby. The master of the Cooma, with a working party and a wireless operator, went aboard again. The captain of the Burwah paid a tribute to the wonderful fortitude of the passengers, and said the ladies were a credit to British prestige. Such was the morale of all the passengers, that it was more like going to a picnic than coming from the wreck. “ A couple of hundred feet would have made all the difference, ” said one of the Cooma’s pasengers to-day. In the morning the appearance of the Cooma caused one passenger to remark that she looke liked something that had tried to cross a paddock. Than She Sat Silently, Alone. Into the disaster crept the extreme elements of pathos and humour. The mother who had trouble caring for her three children of tender years showed marvellous pluck. When the crash came, she displayed a wonderful maternal spirit in caring for her children, while doing her best to cheer up others. When the ship grounded she safely saw her children to their beds, and then, going into the music room, noticed the glum look on the faces of a number of the assemblage. Without any demonstration, she quietly sat down at the piano and struck up. “ Brown Eyes, Why are You Blue ” and “ Sleepy Seas. ” The audience quickly responded. While the seas outside dashed against the sides of the vessel the music went on and spirits rose. This wonderful little woman continued playing for two hours, until the cries of her babies compelled her to retire from the room and leave the continuance of the entertainment to others. Apart from the musical side, others made up card parties. The strain this little woman was subjected to was evident on her arrival at Port Alma. for. with her young children. she retired to a train carriage, and there sat silently alone for a long time. She readily agreed to a request for an interview, but the strain of what she had gone through was too great, and tears, more than words, told her story. Mr D. R. Casey, of Messrs D. R (. asey and Burgoy’ne, a prominent

Melbourne accountant, in his story of the crash, said it was a little after 6 o’clock, when a number were seated at dinner that he heard a grating sound. The majority were not seized of the true position, and the utmost calm prevailed. In fact, this was one of the outstanding features of the whole occurrence. Later, when it was known what had happened, everyone resigned themselves to the position. The weather was ideal, and there was a very fair amount of daylight. “ When approaching North Reef, ” he said, “ we saw the lighthouse very close. Aparently it was only half a mile away. To many travellers this seemed somewhat strange, and several who were at the railside remarked in an astonished manner, ‘Gee! We are getting close. Look at that reef! Look at the waves breaking! ” “ The captain was on deck at the time, and was noticed to go downstairs. It was only a matter of seconds before the crash came. ” “It was an uncanny sensation. The ship gave a sudden lurch. There were no outward signs of misgivings, but inwardly one could not help but feel that something was amiss, ” Mr Casey went on. The remark was passed that we had hit a rock, and the tossing of the boat indicated that we were resting on something.” Then the crew were noticed attendto lifebelts and necessarv lifesaving gear. About 10 o'clock Captain Mayne called the passengers into the saloon, and spoke in the following terms: “We have met with an unfortunate disaster, but we are going to meet the situation by having you transhipped to the Bur "’ah. which will be here about 11 o clock. I want you to carry out the best traditions of the British Navy Obey orders explicitly. I will personally direct from the bridge. Women and children first, and men afterwards.” < heers were then given for the captain. “Show Me the Way to Go Home.” V ReV „ F 2 ther -' !an san. of Sandringham. Melbourne, stated that he was sitting next to the chief officer at dinner _ when they heard a crunching and grinding noise. It continued for about, five seconds, and suddenly the vessel stopped, the engines having been shut off. An ominous silence followed, accompanied by a violent lurch, which scattered the stewards and all’ movable utensils in all directions. A look of blank dismay crept over the countenance of many diners, and all thoughts of eating disappeared.* But there was no panic. . The skipper and first officer rushed on deck, but most of the diners remained in their chairs. The lights flickered but did not go out, and gradually the passengers regained their composure and wended their way on deck. The breakers were but a few yards away. Looking over the side of the vessel, the sea seemed to be covered with a film of white powder. Ultimately the passengers discovered that this was crushed coral, and that the vessel was fast on a reef. At intervals the ship gave several verv disconcerting lurches, but it soon settled down.

At midnight, with the rising swell of the tide, the vessel again commenced to bump in a pronounced manner, and shortly afterwards the waves began to break over the stern. “The behaviour of all,” said Father Mangan. “and particularly of the women. was solendid. A concert was quickly arranged, and the merry party sang ‘Show Me the Way to Go Home’ and ‘The End of a Perfect Day.' ” * Father Bangan also joined in the general tribute to the self-sacrificing efforts of the captains, officers and crews of the Burwah, Moresby and Ulooloo. Confining himself to the actual grounding. Father Mangan said: “The night was bright and starry. A lighthouse was in sight long before darkness set in. and the heavy swell burst visibly on the reef, and we were at a loss to understand how the vessel got on the reef.” Mr W. E. Hooper, managing director of W. Braithwaite Proprietary, Ltd-. Preston. Victoria, who gave a somewhat similar story, embodying the incidents mentioned above, stated that from what he observed at daylight and on leaving the vessel, there appeared to be very little, if any. hope of getting the Cooma off the reef. There did not appear to be many feet of water underneath the vessel at low tide. The Cooma was subsequently abandoned by the crew, her position being I regarded as hopeless.