MANY LIVES LOST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 58, 2 December 1907, Page 7

MANY LIVES LOST.

SHIPWRECK AT THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS. TOTAL LOSS OF THE SHIP V** DUNDONALD. fl — - ; ' A THRILLING STORY. CAPTAIN AND A NUMBER OF THfc CREW DROWNED. SURVIVORS' STRUGGLE FOR t EXISTENCE. SEVEN MONTHS OF WEARY WAITING, (BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL TO TUB DOMINION.) Blufi, Decomber 1. \ On reaching Port Ross, Auckland Islands, the Hinemoa, with tho scientific party on board, found there fourteen castaways, survivors of the ship Dundonal^, . . " THE SURVIVORS. ■ The survivors are:— SECOND MATE. ' Donald M'Lachlan. SEAMEN. v , • ■ ' Knudsen, '. , Harry Walters, John Judge, Santiago Marino, . Alfred Finlow, Michael Peel, John Pulize, John Craten, Jack Stewart. Robert Ellis, Herman J. Irving, Jabez Roberts, • Charles Eyres. LIVES LOST. Those lost are: — ... THE MASTER, ' . ... J. Thorbourn. . . ! FIRST MATE. Jabez Peters. SEAMEN . AND' OTHER HANDS. William' Low, Sam Watson. , Cromarty, Andersen, / , - Holdersen, Marinel, Harry Lageblume, Crawford (sailmaker), Lee (carpenter), ' William Smith (steward). ' PASSENGER. : The Captain's Son. The Hinemoa camo within sight of thf> Eiebus :Covo provision depot for castaways at 7 o'clock oil the morning of tho 16th. A, piercing wind was blowing and driving bofore it cold, sleety showers; yet no cold could keep anyone below when the wori went-round that a 'flag was flying on. shore, and..that there- appeared'to be men tliero The. .Hag flew heavily, and bore somo device that could not be made out clearly,'■ but it proved to bo tho word "Welcome." ' No timo passed; it seemed, before the captain' was being rowed ashore, and all oi deck watched eagerly. As the ship's boat neared the landing three hearty British checrs left no doubt as to the nationality of the castaways. Captain Bollous went into the depot with some of the castaways, l and, although ha did not stay many minutes, eager expectations made these minutes seem hours co tlio3o on board. Presently he camo back, followed by the depot boat with a, crew of the- castaways; He had wisely decided co continue tlic trip, taking off the "castaways on his return., As the boat camo alongside in charge of the ; second mato -of, the JDundonald, he was greeted with' hearty cheers, and each man as ho climbed on board raccimi many a warm handshake. Eager questions and answers filled the short time they remained on board,' and whon they tumbled into their -boat again they were well provided by Captain llollons with tea, sugar, slid tinned "meat, luxuries which tho depot did not .contain. ' As the boat left the ship's side a member of tho scientific party threw,-into her a plum pudding that was to have been eaten on Campbell Island. The castaways looked . well and strong! though pale, with their stay in these clouds-covered lands. They were dressed partly in clothes left at tho depot for castaways, partly in garments of cauvaa mid sealskin mado by themselves, and, if the "fit and style of these were not tionablo, their utility certainly was. More than one pair of sealskin shoes showed creditable skill in the making. STORY OF THE WHECK. The Dur.donald, laden with wheat, ieffc Sydney for Falmouth on February 17. She encountered very heavy weather, and more than once appears to have crossed magnetio shoals, the compass needle spinning right round. Just'after midnight on March G the watch reported land ahead, and immediately afterwards .the ship struck heavily, on what proved to lw Disappointment Island, one of the Auckland group. .The Bliip had struck on a ledge jutting out under water at- tho base of almost perpendicular cliff's. She drove into a chasm m the cliffs, .going in ster.n first, and was f.wept frequently by the fierce seas that drove into the chasm. Finding deep water, she began, to settle down. As the seas ■ swept aft' all hands took shelter under the peak of the forecastle, but the settling down of the ship drove "tliem from this shelter, and they had to face tho exposure of tho forecastle, holding on to the rail mid bulwarks. TEN POOR FELLOWS SWEPT AWAY. Now camo tho worst. A gigantic sea civept into tho chasm, away the rail and swooping ten of tho poor fellows overboard, including t-lie captain and his son. Just before this vile captain had said to the mate, "If I go, Jaber,, look, after the boy." It was his last command. Of thoso remaining after tho calamity, five found their way aft, and the others found the foremast and climbed it. Among tho fivo that readied the poop was tho steward, an elderly man, largo and heavy. A German sailor said, " Conic on, Bill, let us get on, tho jigger." " It is save yourselves, - said the steward; " I liavo no chanco." Ho entered tho cabin, but had scarcely dona so when it was filled by tho sea and burst upward. Tho other four climbed the/-jigger, and clung there till dawn, the fierco seas sweoping below thorn and the deck now quite covered. Whon tho chcerless da mi

entored'the rift of rocks they saw that the top of the jigger almost touched.the cliffs.-' 1 A FURTHER FATALITY.-rRESCUE . - .. .. WORK. Ono. man attempted to climb ashore, but foil, and ,was not-seen again. Tho others succeeded:'in gaining a precarious fobtirig on the clifF, but' two,.of thenr wero under an ovorhanging ledge,: and, could not get up or down. .:, Tho ■ man • who was highest; up climbetl till he preached the . tussockj and fell exhausted; believing that-he was the only 1..-, survivor. As strength,cariie l .back ho climbed a ■ little; way' down/ and was; hailed by tho . men, on,the foreiriast.. They had been- preparing to try to swing ashore an atteriipt iri which they must have failed.-: A rope was passed to the-man on shore, m'ade'faSt above, arid along: this the mon on .the mast rcach'ckl 'the shore. .- The two men, below the ledge had ''been discovered, ' andi- a rope was' lowered to them, ahd at length-ithe gallant, survivors, sixteen 1 ; out of twenty-eight;' gathered .to- . gather; on-the. edgo of the-cliff. Tlie: mate cheered them liy - telling - them they were: on Jthe Auckland Islands,'arid that they-would find a Government provision depot.' Cheered this- they.set out upon,their search; only ■«t to find that there • was no depot .-.on this,-' -Disappointment' Island, indeed, to them, and, that a stretch of five miles of 'stormy water lay between them and the main island. ' They found' that they had among' thom four boxes of - matches, but' three of "these were w ; et, as were several of the matches in the fourth'.'; . - - •' ; V SEVEN MONTHS' WEARY WAITINC. By great care: was lit, and during the seven months .they stayed on the island ...was kept alwa'JS : burnirig.-. ■ Realising how rserious .a-thing-it would.bo to lose thcir.-firo Jin ■ this cold, -/stormy place, . they, made ,fivo IfireSj.banldng them up at night, and keeping • (jn : addition a ' watch lest tlio fro- . sqnerit heavy, rain should, beat their efforts..' -. they: found -at v ; sonic distance 'irom:theif camp;a patch; of veronica scrub, arid this they brought up for firewood.' Mutton\birds were abundant; aridthey on .these /at-first, and later on iriollyhawks, albatrosses, seals. When tliey first landed the yourig .^inritton-birds'were still in'tho burrows, arid fthey were easily caught, and many , old birds; caught at<;night as they came to- visit ■ fchei.ryouiig. 'Soon these- old birds "began ,*0 savvy us, you know," as one of the crew - put it, arid then the task became .harder. |A.t • night- theyV caught:' ducks' occasionally. For vegetable thoy had tho' thick, creeping (item of stilbocarpaj and this they found Weasant and nourishing'. The day after, they ' wfiarided -they returned to - the cove and: began to unbend the sails on the foremast, pass-, tog them ashore with all'tho rope'thoy could - 'remove; • . ;. ■" I DEATH OF THE FIRST MATE. ■\ TOey had abundant time for this,'.for the „ mast did not fall till twelvo days after they /.landed. Only ono more day did the-brave : ma;te survive, for .on the, fourteenth: day they stood arourid his,, dead body ; exposure , and disappointment had completed tho work that years and a ; cbnsuridptive tendency had (been doing. Sadly they buried' him in the shallow grave they ware able, to make, and "loyally they recognised the authority of the -. second , mate as'-;fi#st' citizen in their little • • republic. For shelter from the raging storms' ' of these dreary'latitudes they "made holes in . the peaty soil; building up sods around thoni, and covering them with the canvas they had saved, from the w'recli. In each shelter'four . men 90uld,live. ( i|-Aa their clothes workout they replaced them'with canvas garinents or ' with sealskin. For needles they used tho wing .bones of tho riiuttori birds, and for thread, the strands. of the canvas. Thus the dreary winter passed' less, heavily for the constant work that was'.^the lot,, of every one, and with tho spring, a pitiless stormy spring, cairio the determination to' try to •teach.the main island.. '; Clothes that had. been laboriously made . were Mstitchcd, and'.thp; roofs were' remdved 1 from some'of tho shelters.. • ' - THREE BRAVE FELLOWS. -'At tho foot of the cliffs' that faced Auckland Islands thoy constructed a rough boat of canvas; arid in due time three brave fellows started': to make'the; stbrmy; passS'ge. • . The -scarcely credible happened, and they landed safely; climbed- tho. cliff, - and set out in' search'for the doppt; The men were Ellis, Santiago, Marino, and Peel, and for thn days they'forced their way (back and forth through' .tho 'almost iiripe'netrabierbusli. The weather Was wet arid misty, arid they could get':no -view that enabled them ; to;discover'the lio ; : of'the land. - Sadly :.they gaivo up the. -at last;-; and, -re-eriibarkirig • jn ; their- frail . craft,; returned • safely to their mates'. It .was determiried to make another - attempt, 'arid another boat, Was constructed and-ith'e first one repaired. One boat: wiis smashed: to pieces on a rock before they cleared tho shore; and for that day the, attempt was abandoned.; Next day -.this, other boat was. !. put out, havirig'as crew Knudsen, Walters,. ' Graten, and Eyres. They took with theiri . four matches and a 'sod hollowed out con/tainirig embers; These tifey replenished from •time to time during th'ej pas'sago, ;h'aviitg even to whittle portions of the framework, ■ of the slender craft:to do so. ; ' PRICELESS MATCHES. At length they reached the Main .Island; land" all was eager'-anxiety to get their priced less.fire ashore.- It was vain, for, as'they' reached the. land, their'boat was overturned and smashed. Thoy had still loft, four, -matches; which tliey hoped iwero dry, and for these; as one said, : t-hey would not have taken thousands'of pounds. As they started to climb a :stecp 'gully that led up from the landing pla<x>, a sea lion came charging down. Him they promptly killed. -They, had brought with them some cooked seal -'flesh, and this they ate'duririg the tliree days they searched; not: daring to venture far in-tho thick: weather,; arid not' risking the matches. 'At length tlio weather became a little better, and thoy tried to light the matches. Each, as it- was struck, fizzled, and no moro, and thus all-hope- of making a fire vanished* Not quite all,'-for they tried rubbing sticks together, but in vain. By this timo tliey had eaten all the cooked food, and had begun to eat the raw fle'sh of the sca-lion they hail killed on landing. | A JOYFUL DISCOVERY. 'On tho, fourth day the weather, still con- - tinned to improve, and froni the top of the hill they made out the long spur leading down to Port Ross. ; They determined to try it, and, each carrying his load of raw sealflesh, they started. In their sealskin" shoes, walking in such heavy bush was terrible ' Work,' but thoy, held on, arid as daylight faded reached tho • notice, board that told ! them it was four miles to tho depot. This gave them such heart that they , could have ■ gone, on had it bcon forty miles. Splashing in and'out of water, with many a fall, thoy roached the dopot, and realisod that safety had come. Noxt morning they took tho depot boat, provisioning her, and started out to bring in their comradiss. But they

could; not find their way out of the harbour for a long timo,arid when ' they did thoy woro blown out to sea. '• With ■ great toil they regained the harbour, arid': rioxt day they set out aunin. ; ' v A PLEASANT SURPRISE. . This'tinier they Bu'cceedcd' iii gotthig round to Disappointment Island. Wlkiu their mates there saw a " real boat " they supposed it contained othbr"castaways,'and this Was tho more impressed lipori thorn' from'.the fact that, the' men' 1 in tho -boat"work clothes from •the depot, arid had fori they'''had cut off the lorig loclss that the seven months •had given thorii, arid that made 'thorn 1 11 like spring'poetstell 1 you'/' as Eyiro said. 'However, it'wdß : nbt long before all', whs" made clear, and. it' was o'pleasant; surprise this timo. Soon • Dundonaldtown on Disappointmen Island was. left withopt its citizens. The voyage to! the depot was' made without mishap.:.-Tho. notice that''the Tutanokai' had calletl at the depot in February,-and that another Government boat might be expected in abotit six months, %avo'theni Bome'anxiety at'first,'for'thoy thought that as''the six months had' passed tho boat/might; have' come and gone: ' They reasoned; hotfovef; that had She been she would have left another notice, so''with a good .heart .they,-begaii to' adapt thomselves to their'improved''surroundings. HOW VHEY PASSED THE ''TIME. They made pets of one or-two,goats that they captured,. and they .adopted.; the still more • effective pastime of wprfe. They. -con? structed a landing, stage on. :»hich a month . later : thoy welcomed Captain Bollons; and : tljey rigged a rough flag pole and prepared the! flag of sail-cloth that flew to welcome their. rescuers* The letter'sof. tho word '" welcome ".,they stitched on, making' them • of pants,, caps, jerseys,;'anything that on a. white ground would,. appear. ..dark. The, whole story shows heroism , and . daring of the highest order, and • nothing moro thrilling ha 3 / happened in those , stormy waters since Musgravo and his bravo comrades mado the voyage to Stewart. Island in their dingy, after spending twenty/months, on Auckland Islands;' '' ' ~ • The 'event' emphasises the value of the Goverrimejit's. depots 'and tho need for. tho periodic visits of the Government- steamers. • If, they-. clicl W ottief wjork'than this no true. Now. 'their cost. Probably, too, the event, short's the , need for a depot arid boat 'on Disappointment Island. Throughout' their 1 long rind dreary stay ■on the islands the' men' showed 1 loyal obedience to their officers, t the second mate, Mr. M'Lachlaii,;- land- the .uoatsvram,:.. Mr Knudsen. \ IN GOOD SPIRITS. When, they came on'.the -Hinemoa: on her arrival, Mr.; M'LaclJan. was - asked '-whether one of-them'would remain to act ,as cook for tho Campbell Island parfy of-, scientists. He picked, out Charles EyTO, a .hparty, goodnatured fellow, just :<rat of:.his 'apprenticeship;l As,he .went to' the boat to. go ashore h.v said,-. ." Charlie, -I've told them you'!! stay and'cook, for,' them. ■ ~1. suppbse you'.H take on the' job? 1 doh't . knoiv anything; about cooking, and I may poison them all; but I suppose I'd better try." "You'll do," said the,mate. "Right oh! said Charlie:;' .",but . I . aril going to cook you'd- better say. .good-bye. . No telling wliat'll happen." Subsequent experience showed that nothing but excellent cooking, good fellowship,; and complete mutual • understanding' did; happen. LATER HAPPENING^. . On her return to Port Ross on the 28th inst., tho Hiriemoa ■ took on board Mr. M'Lachlaii, Mr. Knudsen, and throe of the Dundonald's crew, and set out for Disappointment Island. It hid been originally intended to Visit this island if possiblo, arid tho Dundonald wreck strengthened, the intention. ..- Tho:mate!s bodj; was to be brought bacls arid buried- in the' little cemetery Vat Erebus Cove, Port' Koss. ' At ''8.30, the Hirieriioiiiwas abreast:-of the-little .cove from which the adventurers in their'caiivris' boat's had sot out. At once'two'parties wore rowed ashore, and immediately on landing found the frariiework; of , the first boat and part of another, that had 1, b'eeri smashed' »ri getting it , afloat. .'The cbfaplcte frainoworli was .placed in ! tho' llinem<ja's vh'oat 'to be taken aboard'.' It is ;difficultr to 'believe tlut it.i.is-.the'frariiework of'a; craft in wliioh an adventurous-voyage was(,made.. . The total length' is about Bft.," it is -about 4f;t-. wida. •and 3ft. deep. .It is 'composed: entirAlyvpi th'e ttfistoil:stems >of v'orpriica elliptica,' an-.l these are from > one, t<j three'.'inches• in, diarneter.' Thiey . are lashed together by,: odd bits of wire and rope; Surely ,rio coraclo so frail' ever put to tea bearing the lives of men. ■ . :• ■' ■ AT THE SCENE OF THE WRECK. Climbing ' through: - ,the> , Wet \ tussocks', passings through' mollyhawk ; rookeries, the party- reached- the ridge : and-, got-a view 9 f. : Driridorialdtowri. , On the other .side of : . a' low tussock vallPy there ivore twelvo or th'irtcen little• .Hutß -varying-,. somewhat 'inshape irid height. , The largest. has a height ■of/ about 9ft., . with ,:a ddrne-ahaped root, The floor islower'than the - surrounding, hillside', and is covered with.. tuSsock grass, on which were lying; two or three " blankets ' made of mollyhawk skins* roiighly. stitched together. The walls' are made of. sods cut by means of a wooden 'shovel iriaile. from a piece, of tho wreck—almost the : only piece recovered, as nearly everything: was either washed; off the shore 0r... broken, to matchwood.' The roof ,is; supported .on a framework of veronica stems, 'and it "consists; of tussocks torn up'and placed with the roots uppermost, the blades of each tussock overlapping those of thcr one below, it, and £.<? ; forriiing a . rough thatch, i The huts are notvery arid are quite \Hndproof and snug. The entrance is small, and one can hardly, enter by adopting''tlie humb.'e posture proper to an'liastern'courtier. THE. CASTAWAYS' TREASURES. . In addition to the Bleeping huts, there are store huts and a cook-houso, and huts" m which fires were kopt alight lectin some stress tho .castaways should , find ..''themselves without fire. •In the' store -huts were found carcases -of- birds covered by mildew. In sovoral huts 'were scraps' of sailcloth,' pieces of cork from lifoj belts, bono nfecdles, and other treasures for which' the rescued', men had no • need. The general feeling 'on exploring tlieso huts was not uriliko, that experienced on a visit to l'ompeii. . ,Two great stacks of firewood wero in the viHago, anl the accumulation of this irepresented great toil, for all the wood • had t6'be. broken by hand, and then carried up bill through tlio long tussocks. . Much of this wood had boon obtained more than a mile from' the camp. There appears to have been no health officer in Dundonaldtown, for , the. dismembered carcases of birds strewed tho. ground everywhere.' Most of these were . covered by a growth of pinkish mould. Fortunately, tho cold weathor had been ur.suitcd to putrefaction, and there was biit little'sndl.

HONOURINC THE DEAD. While tho visitors wero exploring tho vi. lago, and cameras wore clicking in all directions in spito of tho rain, a party of tho Dundonald men had gone on for about a mile to tho first camp, where tho mato was ' buried. ' With incredible toil they brought tho body through the long tussocks and dowi to the landing-place, and 1 it was brought off; to the Hinpmoa in tho last, boat to leave;,the island.'.. There was not timo to visit the actual scene of, the wreck,'but the Hinemoa steamed past it'. It is indeed an awful place for a ship'to .'go ; ashoro. Yet, except the landiiigrplace, it is.' almost- tlio only spot whpre anyone could have, a faint hope of being: saved from a wrecked vessel. Tho Hinemoa returned to Port Ross about four in the afternoon, and half , ail, hour later tho passengers, arid crew, landed , to. follow -to thoir resting place, tho remains of tho brave mate of tlio. Dundonald. It is a vbry pathetic little cemetry this, at Erebus Covo; - 01 tho few mounds that mark the narrow tene-ments-ono is over the remains of a little child that died in 1850—probably, the child of one of the Enerby settlers. . Another grave has at its head' a rough board, roughly lettered to indicate that thero lies below tho body of ■ a man, namo unknown, who had apparently died of exposure. Most pathetic perhaps of all' is a grave over which is hung a brokon Blate, and on the slate is scratched the single word " unknown." Beside these was laid tho body of Jabez Peters, a true seaman and .a brave'man, who in tho solitude of. Disappointment -Island died as ho had lived, uncomplaining and fearless. His grave was marked by a wooden cross, suitably inscribed. Captain Bollons read the funeral service, and around stood as strange an assemblage as ever gathered arourid tbo grave of a man.. Tlio officers of the Hinemoa in thoir uniforms, the crew down to the cabin hoy, school inspectors, university, professors, and other men of science, and, occupying tbjc chief'position, tho. castaways in thoir motliy clothes. All felt the solemnity ,of the time arid realised that-thoy woro present to do honour to the memory. of a . bravo ,nian. Next day tho Hineirioa sailed for tho Bluff, adding the castaways to lior already: full list of passengers., Many of , tho relics were :. brought • aw£y, and will .be. exhibited' in. tlie museums at Christchurch and. Duriedin for the benefit of tho Shipwrecked, Mariners' Relief Fund./ STRANGE MISSIVES AND NOVEL MESSENGERS. While on Disappointment Island the castaways genorally spared tho young albatrosses for use when tlie supply, of iriollyhawks should be exhausted. But tliey made .pathetic atterripts to communicate,with the world by means of the parent birds. They worked messages on strips of canvas,' stating their condition; . These ; canvas strips, were' tied to the legs of nesting albatrosses iri such.a way as'to bo easily 3een. ,It was hoped that tlieso birds would', be shot or captured by seamen on ocean vessels that .noticed tlio adornment. - They ' found that all the birds that- returned to -tho nests had 'managed to r'ombve' the canvas, hut they gained some hope from the fuct. that Some of the birds did not return. As a mutter of fiict, it is probable that these birds did Actually return, but at night. ' : ' sPASSING VESSELS SIGHTED. On two 'occasions passing ships .wero seen aji'd each time a, great smoke was made in the hope of attracting attention, but in vain.- It wiis the smoke'mado to attract tlie 'notice of a fou'r-masted barque that decided tho first exploring party on the main island to return; as- thoy thought thoir mates on Disappointment Island were signalling. for th'em.' .' ! Captain Bollons carefully explored the coast of Disappointment Island to ascertain at what place a boat could safely bo left.