THE JANE DOUGLAS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1338, 16 January 1912, Page 6

THE JANE DOUGLAS.

INQUIRY PROCEEDS. CAPTAIN, HELMSMAN, AZW MATE. IB; Asiootatlen.l Nelson, January 15. The inquiry into the wreck of tho s.s. Jane Douglas was continued to-day. Captain Hay, master of tho steamer Nifcan, gave evidence. Ho stated that ho was acquainted with tho passage between Stephens and D'llrville Islands, and sometimes took it. Ho would havo done, m> without hesitation on Tuesday night if ho had missed the tide at French Pass. 116 agreed' that Captain Vendore's course was u safe-one, and could oidy account for the wreck'by tho tido setting tho vessel out. Captain Yeudore, master of the Jane J-tougJas, then continued his evidence, lie did not put on a look-out man, as ho was keeping n look-out himself. A fireman was in chorgo of tho engineroom at tho tinio of the accident, and was quite capable of working tho engines. Archibald Ingrain, inato of tho vessel, •bore' out the captain's description of the conditions prevailing on the night of the accident.' '. ". '■:■ Thompson, the steersman, snid that he rte&'ocl .tiro course set by the . captain which should, have carried the vessel We'll withii.-.Tower-Rock: . . . The engineer,' Ot. M. Brown, said that 'he at tho timo, but, within a. niinute after the'.vessel struck,, he wag in' the' , engmo-ro'om. : ' He reversed tho eriJTiM3 on instructions' from tho bridge, ftnd, when the propellereliaft- broke, ho ((topped them, and blew- off the steam'. Other, members of tho. crew gave.;evidence, arid the Court' reserved' its decision niitil to-morrow. . , ' "OUT OF HER QUICK." .IJ3TTEB FROM THE ENGINEER. Of the .striking o'f tho s.s. Jane Song- ■ Jas on ' Vowor Hock, and'the escape of. the ship's; company when she. sank, further particulars have reached Wellington. These aro.'embodied in a letter received by the; secretary of the Marine Engineers' Institute from the engineer' of tho' illfated little coaster (Mr. G. N. Brown).! Portion of the , letter-'reads as follows:—

"For tho first foui , minutes after striking the position was-hopeless, and there seemed to bo no'possibility of any of us seeing another 'sunrise. I stood*by. the engines until; someone said: , -' Com e, uji.' They were then putting out'the boats. I left'the. engines running, 'lialf astern/ which, was my last order from'tho bridge. Going to my rami, I' secured two wallets containing, certificate and-papers, and a watch anil chain , with.iilseriptioh badge— nil as a meadsof ideiitjfiKiHon slibnld ray remains ever that my position was hopeless. ■ "I hnd picked up my jacket and lifebolt when I heard, by the sound, of the engines, that cither the-i shaft had gone, or tho propeller had stripped. I threw down tho belt and coat, and, going to the engine-room, shut the engines down, and cosed the safety valves. Keturning. to Tny room. I )>at on my life-belt, and then gave a hand at' tho ship's boat. The, position had improved, ..but one could see that the steamer, wassettling/to founder, though she righted for two minutes after coming off the ledge. "We got tho boat off, and launched, very : badly' damaged, ' but. still. good . to; carry us. I was at the after fall, to. lower.at the order of the mate, Ingram, to whoso,coolness and presence of mind wo largely owed our lives. Mo were out of.her (the Jane Douglas) quick; .;J saw IB'atiithpro Vas-.no chance of trying to get...valuables, at all, and , I,.was.,in a. dfizeil condition, it .was. all so sudden , .

"We hung on as long as we could for' Captain Vendore to come, but had to let go, and we picked him out of tho water, after the stenmer had foundered. I was in tho stern-sheets with the mate, and, lis we miido water quickly, he told mo, to bale, artel I did so with a galvanised bucket—we had a dipper as woll, but it was' to tho bucket that we owed our lives ns the dipper alono could not have kept down the water in a ; boat, so badly <!amnged. The mate gave Fireman Young orders t« throw, a bucket into the small boat, and two into the lifeboat, and that ieiM done. ; . .' ' . . "The boat's stem was smashed, and sho ww lenkinT badlv. Wo tried to get round Capo Stephens, but tlio tide had ,tunie<l to ebb. ami we-got. into a rip. W<! rcannged, however, to get out of if, with the Treat half full of water. We dodged on Iho edgo of the rin from after 1 a.m. to about i a.m. s Th<f ti<io slackened at daylight, and we got round after making two unsuccessful attempts.

"AYe landed at Sandy Hill beach, and ■walked over to havA'i station, where we wiTo., wl! attended to. Wo landed at -Kelson from tho Pateenn, on Thursday morning. "I came ashore at..D'(Jrville Island in shirt sleeves anil hatlesg. JFy lifebelt 'broke the cold wind off mo to some extent, while I was iii the boat, but nevertheless I suffered terribly from the cold. Still I kept tho circulation up a little by spelling at baling, out, which operation wo had to keep going. I raised an old jacket from.a fisherman at French Pass. J finish by faying that I thank Provi<lpuco for being alive. I don't fret at -what I have lost. I am truly thankful that .I mil here, alivo and fairlv well— the shock I will set over. \ . ."