TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1930, Page 2

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES

LAND CRABS AND RATS. LONDON, February 13. A story comes from tlie “Daily Express” correspondent at Barry, of the terrible experiences of a ship's crew who were wrecked on a coral reel In a fierce storm. The episode was described by Captain Dan Hamer, master of tlie steamer Norwich City. This vessel was hound from Sydney to Honolulu. Captain Hamer said that while tlie men were preparing to launch the lifeboats by the glare of vivid lightning a great wave struck the ship, sweeping him from the bridge into the sea.

I bit the water forty feet below and swam fifty yards clear of the ship,” he said. The current carried me through th(' surf and landed me on the reef. I. could see the island two hundred yards away, when dawn broke, and I made for it. I gave no thought to tlie sharks, and 1 landed safely, but exhausted. The crew thought me drowned. They left the ship at dawn. The lifeboats wore thrown into a tremendous surf and capsized. It was then that the eleven men lost their lives, “The survivors reached safety, cut and bruised about the body, having discarded their clothes in their struggle for their lives. The steward, Mr J. Jones, of Penarth, collapsed just before he readied the shore. Tlie crew were amazed to see me, and I heard one say : ‘Good heavens, what is that’ pointing to me.. Another replied, ‘lt cannot be tlie old man, lie is lost.’

“We were five days on tlie island exposed to tlie wind and weather. Our rations consisted of one biscuit covered with corned beef, and half a tin of milk and water a day. Huge land crabs and rats entered our camp, and we had no sleep.

HUNDREDS OF SHARKS. “There were hundreds of sharks in the lagoon and whenever we went near the shore the sharks congregated around the spot as if they were hungrily waiting to devour us. We had a desperate light to ward of land crabs and rats. The mate went to sleep one night, and was awakened by a bite from a great crab. Others had tried to sleep, but after this adventure we were content to keep awake until dawn.

“At last,” said Captain Hamer, “we saw two ships approaching the island one from the north and the other from the south. They were the Trongate, of London, and the Lincoln Ellsworth, of Oslo.

“We saw them lowering boats, and in one of them there- were six Ellice Island natives, which Administrator Allen, of Apia, had recruited. They were men of wonderful physique and handled a small surf boat in masterly fashion. We were rescued, three men at a time, in the surf boat, and taken safely to the Trongate, waiting outside the reef.”