THE PATIKI DISASTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2047, 6 April 1907, Page 1

THE PATIKI DISASTER.

THE SURVIVOR’S NARRATIVE Press Association.

AUCKLAND, yesterday. Pilkington, sour., interviewed by a, Star reporter, said McAnony struck out for the shore soon after the accident. “I don’t know what became

of him. I beard him singing out, and then there was silence. I think bo went down. He must have, or ho would have been heard of before this. The rest of us clung to the boat, lotting go and getting bold again as she turned over, which she did three or four times. She was full of water, and the gunwale was only about six inches abovo the surface of the water. Lionel Skinner

and my son Fred were drowned perhaps a couple of hours after the accident. I heard Lionel say, ‘lt’s no use hanging on here,’ and next timo she turned over he disappeared, and was seen no more. Fred, disappeared soon after, and I found his body next morning under the deck of the boat. She .had evidently turned over on toj) of him, and thus he was drowned. My son Harry, the youngest of the party, was not very strong, and 1 did everything 1 cOuld to keep him hanging on to the boat. There was not much of a sea on, but the buffeting about ho got when the boat turned over and while hanging on was too much for him, and after a while ho lost unconsciousness. I hung on to him, but ho gradually ceased breathing, and at about 5 o’clock in the evening died, and I alone was left alive. I kept him in the boat until the following night, when I was obliged to cast his body adrift, and also that of Lionel Skinner. After Harry’s death I set about trying to right the boat. While 1 was thus engaged a motor launch passed mo, just about dusk. I did not see her until she was just passing me. I then shouted to her crew, but they did not hear me, nor did they see me, for there was practicnlly only my head and six inches of the boat out of the water, and that hope of safety passed. With great difficulty I managed to get the mast unshipped, although I coidd not free it from the rigging. .1 cut the sails adrift and threw out anything I could get hold of, in order to lighten the boat. She then floated somewhat more evenly, one side being about 18 inches out of the water and the other just awash. There was an iron rudder weighing 20 or 301bs. This made it. difficult for me to keep on. for first one end and then the other went up and down, so that I had to change my position to keep afloat. I managed to get the rudder adrift, and then she floated more easily, and I was able to keep in the one position on the deck, about up to my waist in water. I was unable, with unaided hands, to get the centreboard adrift. She would have floated much better had I been able to do so. 1 drifted out toward the open sea from the time of the accident. I passed close to the end of jMotuihi. but could not risk an attempt to swim ashore, not being a good swimmer. Then 1 drifted out through tho KoisipS and on out info the Gulf, past Tiri. . A vessel passed within five or six miles of me, but

they were unablp tq spp flip, |is J offered a very small mark, being nearly level with the surface of the water. At daybreak in the nm ni iim I sighted the scow Eva. and slighted out to her. She was lying 1 icin' me, almost becalmed. The crew heard my cries and shouted back in response. They could hear what I said, but I could not hear them because my voice was going with the wind, while theirs was against it. The scow put about, Jower.-jd a boat and picked me up. I had then been forty-two hours in the water, and was pretty well exhausted.”