THE TIMARU DISASTER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 610, 19 May 1882, Page 2

THE TIMARU DISASTER.

Prom local papers to hand we have full reports of this terrible disaster. When Capt. Mills and his gallant ciew, who had gone oil: to endeavor to save the deserted Benvenue, found it hope lb;>s, they made for the shore. To quote the IhrakVs graphic description : •• The two leading boats had ei , her gained, or very nearly so, the shelter of the mole, when the other, which was the ship's lileboat, was observed to be swamped by a tremendous white-headed sea, and the coxswains of the leading boats, having evidently seen the accident, at once turned their boats and wont to the rescue. Cautiously and bravely the two boats approached the drowning men, tremendous seas heaving them sky high at times, until, when almost within grasp of those they went to save, a fatal sea reared itself, a mass of white seething foam, and swamped them, and, in the rush of white seas that followed, it was feared that ever} 7 soul would be lost. By degrees the true position of the boats was levealed, and they wore seen to be floating gunwale under, with men standing up in them, while othors were struggling in the water, and the sun shining on them, showed that those in the boat who could, were rapidly divesting themselves of their clothing. Now the excitement on shore was intense, and men bit their lips and wrung each other's hands in the knowledge that they were powerless to render the smallest particle of help to the fifteen brave fellows struggling for life, The only boat available was the lifeboat,

which had not been called into requisition since that fatal time, thirteen years ago, when eho capsized and drowned one of her crew, Duncan Cameron. She was speedily launched, however, and there was no lack of brave hearts to man her. D. Bradley and one of the seamen look the two stuer-oars, A. fthab being in the bow of the l>ont with the lifeline, and hearts beat high and hot tears were hastily brushed away as the gallant heroes pulled steadily out, the boat now hidden from view, and again her bow high in the air, breasting green mountains of water. The worst'was yet to come. Grandly handled, and kept well to the sea, she worked down to the helpless men, and one by one those that were left were grasped with a grip that it were death to relax, and were hiiuled on board, saved—so far. But the white-headed, roaring seas came in again, and up one of these the lifeboat rushed, firmly held by the steersman until lost to view in its boiling crest, and as the wave passed onward relentless, she too was seen to hnve capsized, and to be floating bottom up in a mass of heads and upthrown arms. She soon righted, and her half-drowned occupants, or most of them, somehow managed to get on board her again. How, no one can say, the bare fact alone remains, and also that as soon as they had recovered themselves, the same thing happened a second and third time, until those who had nerve enough to watch sickened in the watching. Bravely her crew stuck to their work, however, until all were picked up who could be found, and then began a slow and anxious return to. the shore. Many a time they were in imminent peril, but fortune favored them, and good management ensured t'ieir safety. When they reached the shelter of the Breakwater, from the wharf, thronged with people, rose such cheers as had never been heard in Timaru before, and all crowded as best they could about the steps to see the pooi fellows landed, Somo were naked and half dead, somo were lying postrate in the bottom, while others, dazed and bleeding, sat like men who did not comprehend that, somehow, they had escaped death.

The South Canterlunj Times says:'' To say thatTimaru mourns the loss of these noble fellows is faintly to express the feeling of grief which tlie whole community feels at the sad record. Our sorrow is but faintly qualified by pride in the heroism which shines alone in the darkness of the disaster with undying lustre; and by the knowledge we have of the many deeds of individual bravery and self-sacrifice at the suprame moment of danger. There was ' poor Gardner ' as we hvard a shipmate fondly call him Ihis morning; he was swimming about when the rescuing boat came up, but he declined to be fir^t attended to, and directed tho rescuers to another man who was drowning —but, after all, was himself lost! Another, a youth belonging to the City of Perth— Langridge by name—seeing that a shipmate was unable to contend with the waves through being encumbered with his clothes, and not being a good swimmer, swam up to him, took out his sheath knife, and cut the clothes off his friend, thus giving him the free use of his ■ arms. There was another who refused to take a place in the boat when others were more in need of it, and struck out for the surf boat, which he reached after a long and gallant battling with the waves. What shall be said of the life-boat crew? They were genuine heroes, and she was steered by as intrepid, constant, and skilful hands as ever undertook such a perilous duty."