A Remarkable Dream.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 February 1911, Page 4

A Remarkable Dream.

DREAMER ABANDONED

"WARATAH

AND SAVES HIS LTFE.

Mr Claude Sawyer, of Hammersmith, told the following extraordinary story at the Decem'ber enquiry into the fate of the lost steamer, Waratah:

I had almost forgotten my intention to leave the boat at Durban. But one dav when some three or

four clays' sai Ifrom Durban, I was twitching from tihe 'hurricane deck the ship ploughing through the waves, I made a calculation that if

the sea broke over 'her, and the forward got well full of water, there would be about 500,000 tons of water—l do not know if tJiatls right —and tliab she- would never recover.

In the early morning I Jiad tin's strange dteam. I saw a man, dressed in a very peculiar dress which I had never seen 'before, with a long sword in Iris right hand, which ho seemed to be holding between us. In his other 'he had a rag covered with Wood. I saw that three times in rapid succession during the same morning. The second time it apI was very annoyed. On the third occasion so clearly did 1 see it that I could even now draw the design on the sword, the dress of the man—in fact every detail of the vision. At 'breakfast I spoke about it to a Miss Bay, 'wiho remarked "how horrid."

Did you tell anyone else —Yes, and I asked Mr Ebsworth what a sword meant. He said l "it is a warning." I began to think it must be so, and I remembered my intentionto leave the ship at Durban. Would you have left the Waratah without this dream?— Well, I was not so keen. I had got settled down, but this dream reminded me of my intention t , \o*?,\ .it !■ run ■Mr Sawyer had explained previously that at Adelaide the third and fourth officers had expressed! the opinion that the ship was ".top (heavy , "

Mr Sawyer next told how lie got off at Durban, and sent this cable gram to his wife:

"Booked Capetown. Thought Warataih. top heavy, so landed- Dnr'ban."

"After I landed I had another dream, , Mr Sawyer continued. "I dreamed I saw the ship in a (heavy sea and one big roller came over her bow and she rolled over on her stairboardi side and disappeared:. My opinion is that the Waratah was 'top heavy," be continued de- ? ISI u ely, c " "Wtetaier this was the fault of the ship or the loading however, I cannot say." "There, were other passengers whoi were unhappy 'about proceeding on the Waratah/ '(he said, in ans" wer to Mr Pringle, counsel for relatives of some of the missing passengers, and tfhen the man who had, dreamed right turned to leave the witness box.

"I Ih'ave no question .to ask yon, " {*„+ t,ie Magistrate, tfut I heartily congraiukte you on