HEROIC SEAMEN.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2773, 6 January 1872, Page 2

HEROIC SEAMEN.

At-a Itftaiaeeting of the London Shipwreck and Humane Society, its gold medal and a vote of thanks was awarded to Capt. Williams, late master of the ship Sam Cearns, and late chief officer of the ship Blue Jacket, for his great humanity in remaining by the ship Knight Errant, when the latter vessel was in a disabled and sinking state in a heavy gale off Cape Horn, on June 22nd last. Captain Williams is well known in Otago, and his account of the event for which he received this reward appears in full in the Lyttelton Times. We make the following extract from it, feeling sure it will be read with interest by his friends in this Province : I rounded Statenland all right on June 20, and was blazing away round the Horn, thinking luck had turned. So it had with a vengeance. On the 22nd, at noon, I sighted a large ship to leev ard, the wind at S, strong gale ; she looked very strange and had no sail set, but a large flag at the main. I concluded he wanted help, and therefore put my helm up, and ran down to him ; he ran up the signal “ We want to quit the ship, our boats are all gone—ship founder-. ing.” I at once shortened sail, and ran my ship close past his stern. I then saw he was in a very bad way, his decks completely swept, bulwarks, boats, deck-houses, and poop ; his wheel goue, and all his lower and topsail yards. I hailed him, saying, “Allright old man, I will stand by you, audsendmy lifeboat for you.” There was a very heavy sea running, and as it was a very dangerous and difficult job, I asked for volunteers ; five men and the mate jumped out, and all hands set to work to get the life-boat off the skids and over the side. You can fancy the sea that was running when I tell you that as the boat was being run up to the main-yard a s« a broke aboard, although the ship was hove-to with two lower top-sails, and smashed her all to pieces, and washed all hands aft. It was now dark and snowing hard; however, I would not give it up, but turned up anothi r boat, and hoisted her up from the skids to the main-yard, the crew that were going in her coming down the tackle from the yard to the boat. I then watched a good time, lowered her quick, and cut away everything, and they got her clear of the ship safely. The other ship, the Knight Errant was her name, had by this time drifted a long way, and I had to wear ship. You may think he w anxious I felt for the safety of my boat and men. The wind had now increased to a furious gale, and I at one time never thougl t to see the boat again, hut after two auxiovs hours wejheard them|hail, and saw theKnigl t Errant looming through the snow, and the boat soon came alongside with seven men from the other ship. I had now to make sail to get away, as the two ships were drawing together. My mate said he would return again, and he did so, bringing off seven more, this he repeated three times, fetching off, 24 men and officers. I do ncj: believe such a thing has ever been done before. He had now one more trip to make to bring all on board my ship. He went again, and came alongside safely, bringing the captain of the Knight Errant; k the boat rose high on the top of the sea and fell heavily as she rose again the captain thought she would founder, and made a jump out of her to catch the fore brace ; he missed it and fell overboard, the boat sheered to, at the same time the ship made a heavy roll to leeward right on to the boat, smashing her to pieces, killing and drowning seven out of the eleven that were in her. My poor mate being one of the killed, and the captain of the other ship. We could only save four, and in the darkness with the sea and wind it was almost a miracle these were saved. I had now only one more boat; we hove everything Over tire side that was possible, thinking that perhaps some one might get hold and float until the other boat could be got out. She had to be patched with lead, having been broken by the sea. Yon may fancy how everyone workedjto get this dong, although everyone rpas alrjrost fagged out. In about two hours she wag hoisted over the side, and. onge more went on a journey that was almost too much to expect anyone to go. I did not like to leave the place while a hope, remaiued'of finding anyone. They pulled all round the ship in every direction for miles, but without success. One poor fellow was found laying across a piece of wood dead; that was all werever saw of our poor shipmates, who risked ard lost their lives in . saving brother sailors ; they saved 2<|, On the return of the boat we had a job to get thorn on board, and had to cut the boat adrift; I could do no more, and proceeded on my voyage with a heavy heart; I could neither sleep nor rest. The weather now was fearful, sweeping the decks fore and aft of everything, and washing both pompasses off the poop in a, fupioug squall, the like of which I never saw, Th| cargo again fetched array, although I had only two lower topsails and main spencer set; the ship went over until the lee rail was under. It wasnow a case of wear ship orfounder, I had to make sail to do this The foresail was loosed and partly set, and I can tell you I was thankful I was brought up under so good a seaman as White. I got her round without much loss, letting the foresail go. The ship had now a list to windward ; another job of trimnrng a foresail tq be beufj and ryajiy things to do tq nqaSe the ship saw onoe more. All this tjme, from the 2()th of June, I never saw the sun or horizon'; my men were done up, and I had to let the ship go as she was for a time, and trust to Providence. I got her partly trimmed, and was going to wear ship and try her once more on the other tack, when she came up to her course, and the land loomed up close under the foreyard, and before the helm could be hove up the ship struck, with a crash that I thought would be the last sound I should ever hear; but God willed it otherwise. We took to the rigging, you may think, Without waiting to get much in tjre of gear; hpweyer, J got Some ipatphes, and blueligiits and tobacco. She soon fetched the bottom and the longboat was only just covered, leaving us a chance to get ashore on about aa desolate a looking spot as a man could imagine — nothing but snow. In about two hours our clothes were frozen, and jf wo bad not been lucky enough to start a fire, we would soon have been goue men. 1 he first pight was a lively one for me, I can tell you —no shelter and nothing to eat. The next day I got off to the wreck and unbent one cf the top-sails, the carpenter in the meantime knocking np a rough sort of a shanty over which i had the sail spread, some hands gathering dim net a and kelp for tucker. We now raised a fire at the door of the house, and did .much better, being, able to keep out the->snow and wind; wa spent fourteen miserable.days in this*-man-ner, and I had started to rg up the long -boat - and put,to sea in her to look for something, when one morning I saw a schoonek

standing round the point; you can think it did not take long to .get our boat in the water and manned ; lie did not like the look of it at first until he saw the wreck. He then hove to, and I boai ded him, and found that he was wrecking vessel on the look out for what he could find. His captain was up the coast about 20 miles, and after waiting until better weather set in, I went up to him and made arrangements with him to take us all to the Falkland Islands, where we landed rfter a week’s passage. As you will see I have received the gold medal of the Humane Society, and a vote of thanks, and also a handsome present from the Board of Trade, and a full clearance of all blame as to the loss of the ship. lam now trying to get into the Pacific Steam Navigation Co. I am tired of “wind jamming”—there is better pay there, and also a better life of it. I must start as 2nd, but will not be long working up to the top again.