WONDERFUL ESCAPE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 7

WONDERFUL ESCAPE.

FURTHER DETAILS. \ ■, KATE TATHAM CAPSIZE. - - RESCUE BY A GERMAN CREW. or TEF.EG IlAril —PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT. Sydney, November Q. • -Tho following, further particulars are' to ■ hand of the capsize, in Newcastle harbour, of the iron vessel Kate Tatham, 275 tons, engaged in the New-Zealand-Australian trade. Within ten minutes of the capsize of the Kate Tatham, ship's boats arrived on tho sqeue frorii the German ship Hans, which was lying a few hundred yards away at North Stockton'.' '. , -Tho watchman on , the Hans noticed the 'disaster, and gave tho alarm.; .- Witlf'comluondablo alacrity the crew turned out; in 'fciieir-;night-garments, lowered.-a''boat; and Vii'-etlv to tho partially-submerged, barquentine.' •' .... ■ fj'io officers and crew of t-ho v Kate Tatliau passed into the boat, and a thorough search was then made for tho missing' sailor. - crew were taken to tho ship Hans, where ' thoy wcro fitted out with' clothes, .'and thej' were. subsequently conveyed to the Sailors' Homo. ,/ , " Then the rescuers discovcred'vtlic . horrifying .position, of Reffs, ■! the youth; wiip.' had been'/drawn-'into t-ho hold by' of, tho ift-pouring water, and who" Was "existing in a stratum .of air between tho. suifaCG of the water in the hold; arid tho vessel's star- ■ M}. lcn '" s tapping, oil the in- '- sido located liis whereabouts, there 4-as- no ' tim.o to.'.'lose, as-tlio tide was almost at < its' . KoigiiC. 1 * Hero .'was. only about foot of the ' vossel above water, leaving 'iijr fpi; tho distressed'sailor, - i V-V, The, axes -went to work. with a will, arid In a fe\V. minutes an oblong opening, had • been cut, in.,.tho* .deck just below.i tile-.bulwarks. ■ ' ReffsVAya 8 some distance from the 1 but on being called just managed, 'jwith .his' wasted strength, to creep along to-tho'open-nig.' Strong.arms .then pulled\him throughthe hole, and tho crowd of onlookers gave encouraging clieerg, 7 '.' ! , / The "sailor, ivith his; face- blaiiched; from his two,hours','imprisonment in thVnoisomV air, collapsed iipon tho o)ien- : aiiy but mado a' good rcoove'ry. ■■■ -•