LOSS OF THE MARQUETTE.

West Coast Times, 25 November 1915, Page 1

LOSS OF THE MARQUETTE.

A NEW ZEALAND NTRSE’S NARRATIVE. , Per Press Association. —Copyright. ' LONDON November 2.1. A Now Zealand nursing sister, a survivor of the Marquette, tells u thrilling story of her experiences. Tlio New Zealand llopital Tnil, whicli was doing valuable work at Port, Said embarked on the Marquette at Alexandria on October 19th, with a number of English soldiers. They had a lifebelt drill on the voyage, a.id were warned of the dangers of lurking submarines. Therefore they were prepared for the mishap. The .Marquette was within a few bonis of Salonika, when, on the norning of the 23rd a periscope was lighted and an explosion followed almost immediately. The Marquette commenced to list. As the sea was ('aim and there was a light breeze there was a good ehanee f eseape, hnl several boats overtnrnI ill toe confusion. while lannebing, lid some hung perpendicularly. Another lifeboat fell upon a boat dn'.dv in the water causing several casualties. Sister Fox another New Zealander vas injured and not seen again. The narrative continues; Our boat vas not lowered properly. \W \ \ re ilispendod from the <) ivit.s '"i- same time —banging on for dear life. Toon the rope was cut and all fell mi to the sea, Most of ns were in the water eight hours, hut we did not feel the wafer cold, Mo did not see the Submarine again. Some boats were crowded, hut many (Ulcers aiul hum were > tved. The nurses behaved with grand courage, and refused to go in the boats until most lif the soldiers were saved. The nurses stayed on the decks '•hearing the Tommies until only a few »en remained to help the women into the boats. me-rhtlrf.gel’pg n orroor egp23l Rot for the lifebelt drill lew would have been saved. When we were precipitated so suddenly into the sea wv must have been drowned without the lifebelts. A large bole was driven in our lifeboat. When wo dragged ourselves into the iifeboa ts they soon filled ami swamped and all tipped into the water again. The sea Was fid of soldiers struggling for bits of the raft and wreckogo. We were swamped again and again, until we were exhausted. It was pitiful to see the nurses and soldiers tiring in their frantic struggles, and finally releasing their grasp of the gunwale and tloatidg for a few seconds and then slowly sinking without a murmur. Dr Harrison was swimming near onr boat, supporting a nursing sister, whom ho assisted to the raft, whereto many others were clinging.

I last saw llnvt sister some limo after, floating: near a raft, while. 1, almost dead heat, was holding, on to an upturned boat. Slit* was my greatest pal. I watched and .she nodded feehly in return, hut 1 was powerless to help her. That was the last I saw of her, hnt f was folded that she was assisted hark to a raft and afterwards placed in a boat, which like ours was constantly odertui'ping. Like many others she collapsed after a time Und died of exhaustion. She clung to our boat for a seemingly endless period suffering intensely from increasing exhaustion and oilly holding on by sheer strength of will. Then the hospitable ship steamed up and picked up the survivors. We were taken to Salonika fuel remained for two days. 'There we heard that our matron was very ill suffering for shock. Colonel MeGavin ami several other officers were saved. \Post of us were unfit for duty and returned to Alexandria. Those well enough intended to get a new equipment, and hoped to return to Greece in ten days. Sister Ray was so heave. She forced me to gel into the boat before her; Sister Poppelwell wps wonderful, and held up Sister Rattary until she died. They clung to a board with Sister Walker. Dr betrhy did his best for ns. He was very good. Ours was aft awful experience, and the chance of escape was small had not the attack occurred in daylight and calm weather and water warm. It will be a comfort to the relatives of the nurses in Hew Zealand know that they were so splendidly brave and self-sacrificing in facing death.