LONG & STERN PULL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1873, 6 October 1913, Page 8

LONG & STERN PULL

BOATS COVER llOff MILES. LOBS OF BARQUE AMARANTH. (Bt Telerrarli.—Proea AeeoolaUon.) Auckland, October 4. The steamer Atua, which arrived from the Islands late last night, brought tho full story of tlie wreck on Jarvia . Island of tho American barque Amaranth, tho crew .of which reached Samoa on September 14, in two small ' sailing boats, having covered 1140 ■ milos. They bad a chart, chronometer, and a sextant, but tho food taken with them from the _ wreck was quite exha listed. The Amaranth loaded coal at Newcastle and on September 6 struck the rocks olf Jarvis Island, to tho northeast of.Samoa. In two hours she was a total wreck. The crew took to tho boats at 10.40 p.m. and stood by all .night. The vessel having gone to pieces they landed next morning. They waded through tho surf to tho forward part of tho vessel, which was washed on to the outlying rocks, and obtained canned provisions. No water could bo obtained. ; Next day tho crew left tho island on ' a hazafdous' attempt to. reach Samoa, j Olio boat contained tho captain and i his wifo and child, the second mate, I three seamen, and tho cabin boy. In ( the other boat wero tho mato and five seamen. Tho .boats kept company till noon on tho second day,- wlion it was agreed that tho captain, having tho faster boat, should push ahead with all speed, as it might mean tho safety of - all hands. On the seventh and eighth day out tho mate's boat encountered heavy rain, which filled tho water casks and prob- ' auly saved tho lives of the crew. Apia was reached just in time, both provisions and water having given out. The captain's boat had a similar experience and reached Pago Pago tho same day. Tho captain's son, 18 » months old, stood tho. voyago bettor than anyone, and Mrs. Noilson. tho captain's wife, came through the ordeal remarkably well.