THE STEAMER DEVON ON THE ROCKS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1839, 27 August 1913, Page 8

THE STEAMER DEVON ON THE ROCKS.

The photograph of .the steamer Devon, reproduced above, was taken yesterday, shortly after communication had been established, with the shore and the life-line and basket-apparatus rigged. The life-line is faintly visible in tho picture, attached to the foremast, and tho. basket is just starting out on its journey shoreward with 0110 of the crew. Some of the men on the beach who assisted in tho rescue 'woxk cau be seen pulling on the line attached to tho basket. In the photograph tho distance between the vessel and the shore looks very snort—actually, it was about 100 yards at low tide. As the basket ran down the incline from the foremast towards the beach tho long lino on which it was serving sagged down until the basket and its occupant were within two .or three feet of the water. Then,' in most cases, one of tlie huge ocean rollors would como rushing along, and rising to the...height of tho basket, send it swinging from side to side, drenching and sometimes smothering its occupant in a torrent of foam. The shore party would pull desperately at such times to bring the suspended seafarer out of the danger zone on to the beach. Somo. idea of tho size of tho monster waves which threatened the steamer and crew throughout the night may be gathered from tho big comber which had just struck tho stern of the vessel when the photographer snapped tho picture reproduced above. At tho timo tho photograph was taken, tho sea had gone down considerably. Tho rocky nature of the spot where tho steamer 'struck can bo guessed at perhaps, although the photograph but faintly convoys tho desperately dangerous nature of tho locality. Thoso unfamiliar with the fearful force of tho swirling currents of tho ocean swells over and amongst tho rocks and channels at tho Harbour. Heads, might oven bo inclined to wonder why the ship's boats were not used to come ashore. Tho wide stretch of boiling water in tho foreground of tho picture might enlighten them even if tho huge roller climbing up over the vessel's stern should escape their notice or the perils of tho rock-strown beach fail, to impress them. ■ '