"ON THE ROCKS."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1696, 12 March 1913, Page 7

"ON THE ROCKS."

« it THE RED PINE DISASTER. CREWS TRYING TIME. HOW THE CAPTAIN SAVED THE COOK. Several members of the wrecked steamer Red Pine arrived in Wellington by the Pateena last evening—namely, Messrs. Robertson (chief officer), Chandler (chief engineer), M'Donald (third engineer), and Jas. M'Cready and A. Waterfield (liremen), and A. Anderson and W. Campbell (able seamen). ■ : According to Mr. M'Cready and his shipmates, all hands on board the lted Pino had an anxious as well as an exciting time. Aftpj passing Farewell Spit at 5.45 p.m. on Friday, the Red Pine experienced fine weather until well down the coast. Suddenly she became enveloped in a 1 thick fog. The first intimation of anything untoward happening was the vessel bumping on the rocks. The men oif watch were asleep in ; their bunks, and the impact awoke them. "Get. Out Quick." Kcxt minute the lookout man on th« ■ forecastle' head rushed into the crew's quarters' and shouted, "We're on the l'oeks. Get out quick." All hands scrambled out of'jtho- forecastle as quickly as they could, and reached the deck very scantily elad. 'In,fact, some of the crew were only clothed in tijeir singlets. Immediately all hands got' to work clearing and lowering the boat away. Captain Eden was "on deck superintending operations', and noticing • that several of his men, had scarcely any clothes on, ho told them to go forward and get hold of what clothing they could. Search for the Cook. , When all appeared to lie ready for launching the ]>oat, although the Red Pino was sinking last, Captain Fden called.each one of his crew yf 15 haiids by name as vney got into the boat. Captain Eden was still-on th 6 deck of the rapidly sinking steamer;,'l;c being the last to ;lfaye ,tlio ship. .Before ho attempted to reach tile lifei boat it was found that the steward-cook, I a man named A. Burls, was missing. Inch : by inch and foot by foot the Red Pine was ' sinking rapidly. Captain Eden left (lie E deck, the water by this time being well 3up to I*llo deck line, and'went in. search , of Burls. The latter was found asleep in his bunk, and probably would have l)eeii r drowned like' a rat in a trap had lie not 1 been aroused by the captain. , ' Both men made for the deck and sprang for the lifeboat. There was no time to lose, for as they reached safety the Red Pine took a filial plunge and sank out of sight. j The men who arrived by the I'ateena 1 last night spoke in high terms of. Captain o .Bden's coolness in a very trying silua- ; tion.

All Night in tho Boat, n v i",', ' Thick, dense 'foj enveloped' the 'small craft, with her human freight, so it.was decided to stand by-till morning;'; Wlien. day broke a .start; was made fot Mr, L. Stewart's sheep station 011 land. Oil arrival the shipwrecked crew were most hospitably; treated by Mr. Stewart and his family. After having received food, some clothing, and a little money, Mr. Stewart took the lifeboat in tow, and set off in liis oil launch for tho Trench I Pass. Both boats reached the Pass about thirteen hours after the wrockj which occurred at 11 p.m. 011 Friday. - ; Some Complaints, ;. J The members of the crew who arrived in Wellington last'night'complained bitterly of the treatment meted out to iheni by' certain persons at the Pass. They, stated to a reporter that they were charged 311s. lor'two meals, anil wto compelled "to stay out in the .open at night until tho Arahura arrived to take,them on,to Nelson. To pass the lime away the shipwrecked crew gathered round a big lire, and told stories and sang songs. It is 'stated that even the wood for the firo was begrudged-them. 111 fact, one man said that one of tile persons who '.vas at the boardinghousc where they had tl oir meals, came along to the camp,, and,.actually kicked a half-burned log Uf tho lire, witji the remark that the crew had not paid for it,. Naturally, these men asked tho question, "Is that the way in which New. Zealand folk treat, shipwreck, ed sailors?" ' - Lighthouses and Fog Signals, When asked if tliey could offer i:iiy suggestions in regard to making Cook Strait' safer on. foggy nights, the men stated that it was their, opinion that' fog signals should l)« attached to each lighthouse in the vicinity. . It was, stated- that during a fog like the ono experienced in Cook Strait 011 Friday night tho various lights become totally obscured, and a mariner does not know his exact position. If fog signals were erected they would lessen tho dangers a great deal. '