SOLE SURVIVOR.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16153, 6 March 1918, Page 6

SOLE SURVIVOR.

> REMARKABLE STORY OF THE \ SEA. (from our own* correspondent.) i SYDNEY, February 27. The captain of the steamer Timaru# • which has been searching tho islands off tho Queensland coast for a missing launch party, has brought a remark- * abla story to Rockhanipton. [ Wale searching Iron Island and the l adjacent islands lie came across D. Mackenzie, who was cook and steward on the New Zealand-built schooner Orete, and who was the sole survivor. He states that tho schooner anchored off Percy Island lighthouse on January 19th. It was then blowing a strong gale. The wind kept increasing until between 8 and 9 on tho morning of tht) 21st, when s?ie • parted anchors and . drifted towards Duke Island. In the meantime che " crc.v was engaged in throwing the deck cargo overboard to lighten tho ship. During this process Captain J j Anttersor. had his leg broken. •* Af-ter drifting aJJ day on Monday, the 21st, and part of Monday night,"'' JMuckcnzie said, "we struck'the reef and remained fast. AJ r e tried to launch a boat, but she got washed away, and Captain Ar.derson was then washed overboard with the boat, but we managed to got hint aboard again. J lie mate, Artong, had his collarbone brew en at the same time. The ship by this time had settled on tho reef. Un Tuesday morning, when tho title started to flow, the schooncr \v&s washed fore and aft by heavy seas, bhoitly after, she capsized with t:lo captain, hi.? son, a leading seaman, and an able F.oainan who were in the cabin with the door shut. The door was on the lee side. The remaining senman and myst'l were on deck, where we clung to the rigging until wo wore washed off. I got iiold of a door and drifted away, and only saw tho seaman ftfr a iew minutes alter we were washed off , the rigging. After drifting for •»bout lour or live hours I cot warned ashore on Tyneside Island Kith a quantity of wreckage, including kerosene tins I Jived on the island It) clavs feeding on small oysters, a few onions, and a couple of pumukins that were washed ashore. After* filling all tne kerosene tius with fresh water [ Irom a small stream I started to construct a raft with which to get over to another island, where I saw some houses. It was very tedious work, as I only had stones with which to get nails which I procured from kerosene cases. In ton days from the time I ] and on 1 iiad the la ft completed. I then started away for t!ie nouses, but the current was going tiie wrong way, .so I /iacl to jump off and swim back to tho inland. Feeli-i"-myself getting weaker ;il] tho time I started to make another raft and I had it completed in eight days. Next morning, winch was on the 10th day on tile island, I started away again and managed to get to another island, which J found to lie Hunter's Island, where I waited until the tide slackened up. I proceeded again to\sca and drifted nway with a very strong current through a narrow channel which I since find was Lola Montesc passage, an.l which brought mo straight away towards the houses I was trying to get to. I paddled with a four-indi batten until I was exhausted, and I had given up all hopes of ever reaching shciie again when J got into another current, which landed mo 011 Marb'e Island. It ere I saw a house which I made straight for; it proved to be . Tib.key's house. I Mini! never forget how well he treated me.

Captain Brown staled that Mackenzie was still on the island, and was too weak to leave when lie was there on the 13th instant.