The Melbourne Heads disaster

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 27, 1 September 1891, Page 3

The Melbourne Heads disaster

i]^KR/ PNITBD^RESS Assbci AtlON. [ / : - . v>: : ! <^^p;-C^^J^B^otJßN;is,; August 29. ; 7 Bellj^onkkyrirari :Jof the; Gambier, had ii thriUiiig ; I expeiience.l; .Afte* describing ; ;^ thb launcliihgt:of;itb.e lifeboat, :1: S Jie ;says iisyfVAs^the i ; Gambii r sank, her V ;>idayits, :sinkin^|witnyheryV:caiaght a .boat k ■'■':. ifpre iand V&ft and" forced her arid its oc- \'\ v cupants; under % water * and when the boat C /"iree ft she; , v<wne; up considerably f ; lightened <)fvher human {load* but v there :{: still more 'on; board' than could be v carmdy2 w i^;is^tyi bo the lifeboat «aj^i£|<f torrid herself of 'a. few more, priri■■'i cj^aliylwomeni and children, who were ;tbo;feeble to clhig to the upturned keel, left behind dm the vessel, xy&a rip-tp-the 'Waist in water; for a time, .: and the steamer; was going down under ; his feck; Before he left: the ship, he looked over the side, and watched the «ddiea formed' under her by the force of auction. As Ke watched^ he saw a boy's iace upturn6d;and white; staring, out trom the centre vortex, though -already far below tne surface, then a wave, flowed over : the .spot, arid the closed. The -donkeyruan waited, no longer, but plunged in, and struck out for the Easby. Before j ; ho liad gone far, .someone clutched him r 'ioundvtheineckj and bore, him under a &th^om or so. :• He struggled, to the top again with difficulty once more, but was ■again ; J^^ ; second time ;agasr to the surface. I^dmg -.his : ficenzied fellow•BUfferer npt tbV beivreßsonable, he turned 'on his 1 bSctj., andyfor- dear life's sake let -out a couple*"'"pf kick^,. .which finally got * ' rid' of his uhfoifeinate shipmate. Swim•sriirig, on, ; he' came; tp; a women floating "with 1 her "back; Up : arid Tier head down tinder; the :;.waye's?i She was dead. He hatchway, and was half swimriiirig arid Tialf drifting with the •current, which was setting out of the Jieads, when he came across a woman, /yhb'was evidently proving a considerable' ; burden to a seaman who was supporting Jier. BelFplaced his piece of hatch under ier left arm and passed his right round . *he woman,, while the seaman arranged * fish basket, which he was using as a life buoy, to his righfc hand and put his left hand -under the woman's head. The and donkeyman then took turns Jto call for help, and tried to cheer up change; iwith .promises that a boat soon /reach ■them, but the woman / speechless and foam was oozing from • ier rriouth, while the men themselves were 'weaker, till at length a boat with "two riien arrived,: arid they were rescued. .'■•. -.'^Aj-iipathißtio:. story was that of Mr :TKorpe, : a passenger, who had only been -marrieii five ? months. • He states : — After patiently waiting round the boat being -lowered it was soon crowded with passengers, and as it looked as if she would -be swamped every minute, his wife and himself^ decided, not to. go in it. He -adds ' :--" Knowing the wife could swim, And- trying to 'comfort her, I said, ' Never mind, ißertha, give me your hand; we will jump overboard, and swim to yonder iboat." At that time I could see a boat some , 'distance away. The wife give rue her \hand and we jumped clear from the ship into the water and struck out for the boat. As it was not far away we soon .got rip to it, but found it nearly full of water. There were a lot of jpeople in it, ■andothers clinging to the sides, with feet •dangUngin the; water ; there mustha\e been fully 20 people either in the boat or . -clinging to it.- We were both taken in, lint through some means the boat knocked dp against a spar and capsized. All the •occupants, who were in their nightdres- .- vses, were pitched into the sea. Ti e boat jrighted itself and both the wife and myiiself were among those who got into it vSgjain. Twice more the iboat overturned, «nd-ior the third time I regained it. Each time itrrighted itself, however, the number regained .'it; was lessened. When I a seat thethird time I saw a lady -■struggling in the water near me and •close to the boat's side. She called to :me, "* Save mcl Save-me ! Gh, save me !' II pulled her into the boat,' thinkuig it •was, my wife whom il' had rescued. I j^aid, 'Bertha, : thank God you are here .again safe, 1 but on 'closer inspection I jfound my wife: was missing, and that the -lady I had saved was a Salvation Army ,lass. This Day. : Two steerage passengers named Miller -and Quinn, who were reported to be -■drowned in the Gambier, travelled by another .steamer. This reduces the list of .casualties to 21. - A passenger by the, Gambier controverts 'the i statement that the Eastby's people <vreve slow in coming to their rescue. He .alleges the lashings of the Gambier's boats ?iendered it impossible to lower them in £688 than ten .minutes.