SAVED BY A WATERPROOF COAT.

Evening Star, Issue 4249, 9 October 1876, Page 3

SAVED BY A WATERPROOF COAT.

The story of young Samuel Golding, one of the survivors of the complement of passengers taken from Melbourne by the steamer Dandenong, is published by the ‘ Geelong Advertiser.’ Golding owes the preservation of his life to his macintosh, one of the Goodie’s patent life-saving coats, which, singularly enough, was recommended to him as a good investment. His account of the hurricane does not differ in any material manner from the accounts already furnished, buthisstatementshowsthatwhen the last boat from the steamer reached the. barque Albert William it was nearly dark. On seeing the first boat smashed against the Albert William, and all but three of her living freight swept away, the people on board the steamer refused to leave that vessel for a long time, and it was only under great pressure from the brave captain that a few persons ventured into the second boat, and two successful trips were made in her. Golding, having put on the coat referred to, left in the third boat, and this, on reaching the barque, was tumbled by the seas on to the second, lying alongside the Albert William, causing both to founder. All managed to cling to the rope running along the side of the vessel, but a confused struggle taking place, Golding was knocked off the rope by some men; he sank, but on trusting a little to the buoyancy of his mackintosh he, with presence of mind, refrained from struggling, and very quickly found himself on the surface again. The next mountainous wave threw him against the iron side of the barque, and he again got hold of the rope. Three times he was washed off by the waves, but having secured another grasp of the rope he felt himself immediately hauled on board, and for three-quarters of an hour afterwards remained in an unconscious state on the deck of the vessel. The poor fellow finds it a difficult matter to explain the. sensations experienced by him when sinking for the third time, as he had been unable to prevent swallowing water, and, on being seized with a dizziness, he clung to the rope with the suprising tenacity only to be expected from a drowning man. Golding lost all his clothing, some money, and a valuable sheep dog by the wreck. He is suffering very much from pains in the pit of the stomach and bruises about the body, the latter being caused by knocks he received against the side of the barque which saved him. In concluding his narrative the poor young fellow stated that the captain of the Albert William offered his boats to any volunteers who would put off to the rescue of those on board the steamer, but no one would venture to brave the sea when darkness came on.