SAVING THE WAITOTARA'S CREW.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1917, Page 1

SAVING THE WAITOTARA'S CREW.

'perilous ordeal oe the [ , CREW. “A. living volcano !” Such is f the description of the burning Waiitotara, given sby Captain Gharvin, Who was in charge of the relief ship Which went to the rescue of the •crew of the doomed vessel. “During the years I have been navigating in. the Pacific,’’ he said, “I have seen two most, terrible and •impressive sights—one was the eruption of a volcano at- Ambrim Islaiid; in the,New Hebrides ; the other was the Waitotara. as I saw "her on the evening of the day I .picked-lip the crew. By that, time the plates of. the ship had become blazing- red with the heat of the filames, and* at night these shone ’out against the pitch black of the -water, whilst great gusts of flame burst forth from the sides and middle of the ship. Aliy sight .more errie or wonderful could hardly be imagined than this seetliingjnass of living flame, seen- in a desolate waste of ocean. We were ; able to sight the ship from a distance of 45 miles.”

Captain Gharvin first received word of the distress of the crew of the Waitotara, from the Governor, *M. Repicquet, on his arrival in .Noumea on Sunday. The Waitotara had, it appears, sent out another S.O.S. signal to catch a boat which- the captain knew to be in that vicinity, returning to Sydney : but the captain of this boat, fearing it to be a trap prepared by the enemy, decided to ignore it and get straight back to Sydney. Captain Charvin, however, did not question the message, but left Noumea at once, and next day reached the Waitotara, which lay about 200 miles away. At the request of Captain Ritchie, of the Waitotara, he waited near the wreck the whole day, while a wireless message was sent to Captain Ritchie’s agents asking, for orders. As none arrived by this time. Captain Ritchie decided to get to Noumea. The.relief ship then circled close round the Waitotara, and took a last farewell before .sailingoff. The members of the crew were in a sorry plight, having nothing but the clothes they, were’ wearing at the time of the disaster, so Captain Charvin fitted them out from his own wardrobe. As well ’as being practical, Captain Cliar■vin, who is French, is also emoaional.

: “Do you know,” he said, “ what affected me most in the whole 'affair? It w.is. to see, when we reached' the ship’s boats, one of the crew hugging under his coat a cage, in .which there was a pet When, I spoke to this man about his pet he replied, with tears in his 'voice, that his one regret was that lie had not been able to save the ..ship’s cat and the cockatoo.” After lauding the crew in Noumea Captain Charvin -went to New Hebrides, returning in ten days to pick them up and bring them onto Sydney with him. In recognition of his services, on this occasion ,Captain Charvin received from M. ; Repieq.uet a telegram, thanking •him ou behalf of the French Government.