Survivor's Thrilling Story.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 12580, 29 September 1908, Page 5

Survivor's Thrilling Story.

15 Hours on an Upturned Boat

HOB HIT, bepterober 29. A. survivor of the Loch Finlas tells a thrilling story. The barque- left Adelaide on tlic 16th, wit'i a cargo of JO,OOO bags of wheat. Heavy weatlier was ixperienced, and she was hove to several tuues. Early on Satuday morning, the ship *vas running close to the land, and orders were given to keep away. There was a strong wind from the west, with a moderate 6co,

The first intimation of anything wrong was a heavy "bumping* The captain was below at the time, -lud the chief mate was in charge. Orders 'vcrfi at once given to get the boats out. TheTearpenter reporting a lot of water in the hold, the crew became excited, but the mates told the men not to hurry, but to take things quietly. The first two boats which were got out wer« smashed in the breakers, and several men were thrown nto tne sea, but one boat, -with nine in it, including the second mate, got clear. The captain, who looked out of the companion way after thesjH) struck, went below again. The bosuir iiraked "him to come with the boat, but he replied, "No, I am going to stop here." « "That was the last we saw of him," continued the story. "The first mate, who was engaged in launching the port lifeboat, injured himself. We saw him subsequently in the rigging, and he must have gone under with tne ship, as also did the cook and the steward."

"The vessel disappeared in about half an hour of the time of striking. Ourooat, which had no oars, cajseized, but we clung to it and drifted *way. We saw one man, Svensen, in the chip's gig, and another floating on a plank. These two passed towards Swan Island with the current."

"We drifted along the coast, and several times we were washed off the upturned boat. One by one, our number decreased, but we succeeded ;n; n getting one or two back. The second mate became delirious. We drifted about throughout the day, hoping against hope that we would reach land. We had great -difficulty with the second'mate. He twice got away, but I brought him back. Towards nightfall he became dangerous, and slipping out of his life buoy, threw up his hands and disappeared." "Some hours later, when only four out of nine were left clinging to the boat, we drifted into the breakers, and with great trouble managed to land, all being severely bruised. We huddled together on the beach till daylight, and then made our way along the coast to a fisherman's hut." "We had drifted 15 hours on the upturned boat, and could not have lasted much longer," concluded the man. The men could not explain how the ship came to be so near the coast. The name 3 of the survivors are Carlson, Reeder, Alvagaen, and Braca.