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LOST IN A FOG

THRILLS IN THE '.DARKNESS.

The Good/win Sands have another hero. /He is Mr Robert Farringdon, of Faversham, and he will be particularly remembered by the crew of the Zoro Anne, who would have been in a sorry plight without him. The Zoro Anne, a Norwegian schooner, bound from Copenhagen for Chatham with a cargo of cement, ran aground on the Goodwins on Easter Sunday night. She threw up flares of distress, but they were lost in the fog, and the watchers. on the Goodwins lightship saw not the faintest gleam. Someone else saw the flares, a Belgian motor cargo-boat, which was running to Faversham the same night. She made for 'the Zoro Anne and learned that the schooner had already been becalmed in the North Sea. All her food had gone. The motor boat promised to do what she could and scudded off, reaching Faversham three hours later.

It was then midnight. Mr Farringdion at once said he would run his own sailing boat, the Diana, out to the Zoro Anne. He hastily packed her' with stores—bread, biscuits, tinned meat, fish, and water —and at half-past 12 set out on his errand of mercy. The 'Diana, a little 14-foot sailing boat, crept out from IFaversham and made for the open sea. Farringdon soon saw that he was going to have his hands full to, save himself that night, let alone feed the' starving men out on the Goodwins. In the dense night air he heard, fog horns on all hands and could see nothing. The Diana crept in, small as the proverbial cockleshell in the wide Channel waters, taking all the air there was in her sail; Robert sat astern, the sheet in his hand, peering everywhere at once. He knew that he was crossing the track of Channel steamers, that no look-out could spy his tiny boat and if caught he would be swept down like a reed.

■Ghostly vessels loomed up and passed by in the fog. One or two came right by the little Diana, giving her man an exceedingly anxious time. One all but ran him down. 'He was steering well out of the way of another, and suddenly saw a huge vessel towering up, her bows almost over hint. He had just time to drop the sail ■and out with his oars and pull the Diana clear of danger. The hours went by, dawn came, midday passed, the fog cleared and fell again, and Farringdon began to wonder if ever lie woifld find the Zoro Anne. He knew that he wag very near her, but in the haze he could see nothing. Suddenly he smiled and shifted. his course. He had spied the hull of the schooner in a break of the fog. A few minutes later he was hailing her.

By then it was four o’clock. We can imagine the feelings of the five starving men on the Zoro Anne when a tiny boat appeared under her stern and a cheerful English voice rang out: “I’ve brought you some food.” . Presently the Diana ciropped away again watched by grateful eyes; and once more the Channel waters swallowed up the tiny craft. In all, the journey took a day and a night, and •Farringdon was glad enough to see the white cliffs of Kent again. The Zoro Anne was soon off the Goodwins, and all was well.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAIPO19260706.2.6

Bibliographic details

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1779, 6 July 1926, Page 2

Word Count
566

LOST IN A FOG Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1779, 6 July 1926, Page 2

LOST IN A FOG Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1779, 6 July 1926, Page 2