THE STEELE-PAYNE FAMILY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 775, 12 January 1905, Page 18

THE STEELE-PAYNE FAMILY.

A NARROW ESCAPE.

Mr Ralph Steele writes me the following graphic letter from Featherstone, on the 6th inst. :—The usual good wishes, of course, for the present year, and most sincerely too. We have all been in trouble again ; a slight change this time. The other things were getting a little bit stale, so a change to nearly a shipwreck will suit you. We had a “go ” on the s.s. Penguin on the 3rd inst., from Picton to Wellington. No doubt you will read it in the papers. We got nicely caught entering the Heads. The seas were mountainous and racing us, and the last one we got beat us entirely. We had one hundred passengers on board, but with the exception of about twelve, including myself, all were below in their cabins. When the wave broke I was sitting aft on the saloon skylight seat, and before I could get away I was up to the armpits in water. In the danger I was in I could not help a slice of grim humour, in wondering how soon 1 should be able to get a change of clothing, but when the sea had cleared I looked round, and saw the ship making for the hidden rocks and the towering cliffs. She had been turned broadside on, and was doing a race for the rocks, at the mercy of the waves. The rudder had got jammed, but by a mercy she gave a slight turn in from her bows, and Captain Holford, of Takapuna fame, sent her full speed ahead, the rudder had got free, and in a minute or two we were safe. The wave as it came towards us was like a tidal wave. I shall never forget it, or my thoughts. All I love best were down below, and I could not get at them, but I got down at last to the cabin, and I cannot but say it was a blessing that the ladies really had no idea what had happened until it was over. They could only say they felt something different to the other waves. Had we gone on the rocks there would have been a scene. I have only just got over it. It was a thing of a lifetime. Business is really good, and I am very pleased. We are just commencing the Wairarapa line, on to Napier, and then back to Palmerston North, and np all the towns to New Plymouth. We shall be in Auckland at the end of February.