THE LOST WIMMERA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 242, 1 July 1918, Page 8

THE LOST WIMMERA

GRAPHIC STORIES BY SURVIVORS A STEWARD'S THRILLING ESCAPE THE TRAGEDY OF NO. 4 BOAT (By Telegraph-Special Correspondent.) Auckland, June 30. A description of the scenes and occurrences in the saloon passengers' and stewards' quarters immediately after the explosion was given by Mr. H. Gallagher, a steward who was off duty and in his berth asleep when the roar and concussion which announced the explosion occurred. "1 and other stewards," he said, "were, thrown to the floor. AVo mado a rush for the door, not knowing what had happened. The lights went out immediately, although I found that in some oilier parts of tho ship they were not extinguished until nearly 5 minutes later. Eeaching the alleyway I met several ladies and children in their night attire. They all displayed admirable calmness. ■ They merely asked what had happened, but there was no panic. I guided them to the deck, and returned to make a'more thorough search of the cabins, to show the way to any who might be unable to iind their way to tlio deck in the darkness. A Perilous Tour, ''The alleyways were strewn with debris including broken glass from the lamps, mirrors, etc., which were shattered by the concussion-. I found no more passengers . about the alleyways, so groped my way in the direction of the stewards' quarters. Returning, I found my way blocked by the social hall stairs which had collapsed, and pijed up against the doorway through which I had passed. The eides of the staterooms wero tottering, and some had fallen, furthor blocking tho alleyway.. One of the walle collapsed while I passed, knocking out four of my teeth and gashing my head. I retreated tho other way towards a hatch in the deck through which stores wero received. Here I found two other stewards who were endeavouring to reach the deck ten feet above. One of my mates was of a heavy build, and it required the efforts of two of us to enable him to reach the deck. The two of us left could hear the \yater lapping against the alleyways. AVe decided to have an-, other look round before going, to seo' ii anybody was left. Going into a cabin, I found one of my mates, a steward, sitting on his bunk, evidently dazed by a fall. We dragged Him out, and, assisted by someone on the deck, succeeded in pnshing him up the hatch. Apparently he wandered away in the darkness by himself, and weut clown with the ship, for wo did not seo him again! lie is among the missing. Waist-high in Water.. ■ "By tins time we were up to our waists in water, which wus swirling and gurgling in the alloways: Wo shouted lor someone on deck to assist us upj but (here was no reply. I hoisted my mate up the hatch, and with his assistance from above by' a superhuman effort I managed to gain the deck. Looking I round I noticed that tho boat was settling down steadily aft. I made my way to a boat on the port side. It was No. 6. I -"noticed that Mr. Brookes, tho third officer,- was superintending its launching. He did magnificent work, nnd assisted in lowering all tho boats on the port sido. I was ordered to enter this boat, which was ■ lowered by Mr. Brookes and Mr. Benson, an A.8., both of whom are missing. There wore 20 persons altogether in No. 6 boat. Smith, an ordinary seaman, was in charge. Wo rowed for half an hour, and then hoisted a sail, reaching Tom Bowlino Bay at 12.40 p.m. AVe wero in sight of tho boatswain's boat, No. 5, all tho way. She landed first, about half an hour before we did. The women and children on our boat showed wonderful . spirit. Most of them were a little seasick. Our boat "was second away from the ship, which sank about 15 minutes after we ">-. '.l/i.» end vns nlainlv visible; just before the vessel plunged she took a list to port and -up-ended." The Tragedy of No. 4 Boat. The incidents surrounding the trogic fate of the occupants of the ill-fated Mo. 4 boat wore graphically described by Mr. D. Backstedt, tlonkeyman, the only one in that boat who was subsequently rescued. "I was asleep in my cabin in the forecastle when the explosion occurred," lie said. "It threw .me from my berth heavily on the floor. Slightly dased, I made my way to the deck. I had very little clothing, so returned and groped my way into a pair of trousers. While coming on deck again 1 heard the captain's voice: 'All hands, come along!' I went and took my station on the boatdeck on tho port side, and with other members of the crew assisted in the lowering of No. 4 boat under the supervision of the captain. I recollect noticing in tho boat before she was lowered three stewardesses, two female passengers, and two little children, the rest being male passengers and crew. Tho boat reached the water without mishap, and the captain then ordered me to board the boat. I slid down the falls and got safely into tho boat, and found they were having trouble in releasing it from the falls. Wo were on the weather side, and the waves and wind caused the boat to bump heavily against tho ship. At last tho ropes wero released from the stern, but in spite of tho most desperate efforts the bolt could not be drawn so as to release tin forward block. ■ The captain called down from the darkness overhead to cut away the fall with an axe. I commenced to do so, and had succeeded in cutting two of the four ropes of the fall when a cry was raised that tho hciijy- bumping against the. side of the ship had stove in the boat. "At this jnoment I was knocked off my feet by a lurch of the boat and fell into the sea. I fc;ind myself right underneath tho boat, and striking out ■reached tho surface a few yards away. I noticed that the boat was now swamped, its sides being awash, and it. was pounding heavily against the side of the ship. I am certain some of the occupants met their nVath by b'eing dashed by the boat against tho steamer, but most of them were drowned, and tho cries .of tho women and children struggling in the water were heartrending, but ■we were all helpless. I was swimming about for some time, and I tried to get as far away from the ship as possible to avoid tho suction, but I could not tell where 1 was going in the darkness. J owe my life to the fact that my leg struck a ropo while swimming. This proved to he attached to No. 2 boat. I caught hold of the rope, and, pulling myself along, reached the boat and was dragged aboard. It was occupied by six men, all members of the crew but one passenger. Wo drifted about in the vicinity for some time, but no more of the unfortunate occupants of No. t boat were picked up. The swamped boat was carried down by the ship when sho sank." OTHER ACCOUNTS SPLENDID COURAGE OF THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, June 29. The calm courago and heroism of the women made a deep impression on llr. D. Bradney, of Auckland, an officer on leave from the Union Steam Ship Company, who was on his way to Sydney. Mr. Bradney said that as far as he could make out the explosion occurred at 5.1(1 a.m. His bunk was directly over the explosion. He was wakeful and was reaching into the top bunk for a blanket when he heard the explosion and felt the shock. The ship seemed to stop dead, as later information showed she did. In the darkness ho ptronnd about for his gear, but failed to find it, and hurried on desk, passing' along the alleyway to

the saloon companiouway, where lie met several of the ladies coming out in perfect calmness. "They were bricks," ho said, and he could'talk for a month about them so horoio were they then, surpassing the men. He decided to return to his cabin to find an overcoat, but he was turned from this object through fumes, which threatened to suffoeato him. The Last of the Wimmera. Ho assisted in getting No. 5 lifeboat out, which was accomplished after great difficulty. A heavy eea was running, and when the boat left the steamer's side with a complement of 25 the water was just heginuing to lap tho main deck of the Wimmera, which was settling down heavily at tho stern. They got safely away from the ship's side and stood off about a quarter of a mile to be safe from suction. All the time the tide was taking them further away from the ship. At about 5.30 they saw her silhouetted against the moon, a beautiful sight, lying right down, and the yellow funnel showing out. against the moon. She seemed to right herself ''some few minutes later, and then took a heave by the stern, the bow stood right on end out of tho water, and the vessel went down in a shower of .sparks, presumably from tho fires. They hoisted their sail then, and with a fair wind headed towards Capo Maria van Diemon. It was about six o'clock or a little later when day broke. They had women and children in the boat, all very scantily clothed, some of the children having practically nothing on them only their nightdresses, and the seas were coming over them. They did what they'could to make tho children comfortable. Shortly after he Rot into the boat lie was practically overcome with the fumes he had encountered, and the cold and the movement of tho boat._ They eventually landed on Tom Bowline beach about 12.30, carried the women nnd children ashore, and rijral a tent with sails and gave theftn biscuits and water. Another boat came in two or three hour? later. Between that time and five p.m. there were four bonts on the beach, the last arriving ju=t about sunset. The second officer "left for assistance, and also a number of men went out scouting "Absolute Heroes." After two Maoris arrived on the scene the party set out for Munro's homestead. Just as they got off tho . beach night fell, and t icy had to go up what was practically the face of/a cliff through bush and scrub. Tho children and women were barefooted. Here Mr. Bradney interjected with the remark that the women and children were absolute heroes. They eventually got them to the top of tho chit. Some of the men, he srfid, were worthy of the greatest praise for α-rry-ing the children. They'lost their way on top of the hill, and as it was coming on to rain they built a fire and got the women and children into the scrub. About a qnarter of , an hour later (ley heard some Maoris, and Mr, Muuro (constituting a search party) calling out. The party had red flares from tho ship, and these they burnt, while others lower down the track did likewise, and tho party was located, and they oat on the walk to Munro's homestead in single •file. The women experienced great hardships all the way. Imprisoned in a Cabin. The second steward, E. Curtis, had an extremely-narrow escape, being imprisoned in his cabin, and he bears marks of the injuries sustained. He «ays he wiib thrown to the floor of the cabin in the after port of the ship, and, dazed by the first explosion, being brought to consciousness by feeling water flowing over . his head. The second explosion occurred immediately, and ho was prenrpiloted into an adjoining cabin, the partition of which had evidently been tmasljcd by I' the first explosion. The doors of tho . cabin were blocked, and he had to smash i th.j .skylight and scramblo thrown. By ' this time the water was knee : doip m.d was pouring down tho hatchway, but ho managed to reach a trapdoor leading to the saloon deck. In the struggle his pyjama suit was torn off, and lie secured some trousers in tho wireless jpen'ijr's room. Ho reached deck as the last bout U' : ;, but was taken aboard. When he was in the wireless room <ho tperator was trying to send a message, but tho steward said the wires were down. He did not eee the operator again, and thought ho had stayed at his post and had gone down. Officers Act Like Heroes. The absence of excitement was a feature that impressed Foro-"abin Steward W. S. Smeed. He said ten castaways were first seon by a Maori shepherd, who took'them to Mr. M.unro ; 3 homestead. John M'Farlane, A.8., was on look--out at the time of the explosion, wlvjch appeared to him to occur between Nos. 3 and -1 hatches. No. 4 collapsed immediately. Tho topmast stay carrioi away at a moment when he was standing with a leg on either side of it. Directly afterwards tho wiroless operator (A. Bomont), who is missing, ran out of his room exclaiming, "The wireless is busted." MTarlane was in the crew of the lastboat to leave,' and 6aw the captain busily superintending the placing of people on board. Immediately after easting off, Doiikeyman D. Backetedt, was found afloat, and was taken aboard. Captain Kells, tlio chief officer (Mr. Nichol), and the third officer (Mr Brookes;, says M'IVlane, acted like heroes in the final scene, thinking of nothing but their duty and responsibility. "Probably we were tjie last to see them alive, and it was Captain Kells who urged mo into the boat. Previously, I had seen him directing passengers to several boats. After he had done all possible on the starboard sido he came across to the port side, and helped us. There can be no doubt at all that he stood by the ship, and went down with her." Two Returned Soldiers, Mr. Oscar Fair relates that two returned soldiers were in the cabin with him. In a dozed and sleepy condition, they imagined they were back in the trenches, arid that the detonations were those of military, rather than naval activity. .Returning to the cabin after going on deck, he found them still sleeping, and one replied, in answer to endeavours to rouse him: "It's all right, old man, it's only a small attack," and turned over. Mr. Pair convinced him of the danger, and assisted him on deck. .Returning again, he found the second soldier still asleep, and ho had difficulty in arousing him. A. Swedish sailor in charge of No. 6 boat was described as a man with a perpetual smile, who kept his nerve and smile throughout. Mr. Wilson, the second officer, did the work of three men, helping the women and children into tho boats. Several survivors are of opinion that Colonel Graham stuck to the ship to tho last, for as thoy left they saw him in pyjamas with a lifebelt on, tho last remark heard from him being that he would ratlier see younger lives than his saved. Another man who was in the lust boat to leave the ship said that there were nine left aboard tho ship, including the captain, tho chief and third officers, one male passenger, a fireman, and seamen. The officors refused to leave the ship. The captain ordered: "Get away, and pick up anybody you can." The third officer evidently jumped, as ho was heard calling from the water, but could not bo located. Thomas Williams, engine-room store-, keeper, says he was just entering the shaft of the tunnel when (lie explosion occurred. He was not aclually in it, as staled elsewhere. The engineer went down and stopped the engines, and was seen there when tho engine-room was waist-dcop in water. The names of three of the saved, in addition to those already announced, are Sanvdo, San Pedro, and Gould, all passengers.