The Nightingale Disaster.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 143, 22 May 1885, Page 2

The Nightingale Di saster.

FURTHER PARTICULARS^ , (UNITED. ?RK|S jlSSpcjiAtlON). J AndKiJ^p, "Wet^i'sday. The following li^dsi%jsl particulars or the naw^iyiii.pf the paijty m the bv^at ot the atw^onedi^ss^| Nightingale who were re^cugd^iy-llle barque Reimjio:— "Our boat rleffc tiie wreck with a lugsail hooted. .^Qur * provisions consisted only of b^ead^and water. After g^ing about two miles,? five of the crew , considered the boat two dfeep and crowded to be safe, and asked t&b£ put back. We threw overboard a large quantity of our clothing to lighten the. frail craft, but without accomplishing thfr desired end. As a matter of fact the men were frightened, and, yre were compelled to re.turn: We-, landed l -tlioW' who were afraid to venture m. the boat of the brigaritihe, and /agdiff sfiovtfd* off/ - Oft/ party then consisted of Sort, ..Hastings. Denipsey, -Scott; *J6e, sinfr the c66k.- I knew Averill liad some knowledge of navigation; and on my recomuienaatiori he was, ftppoioted ,to ; tak« .charge, *of .tlie^ wrecks The statement made by one J of of the ? crew,;and. pub]ishe«iia;=the>3ydney Morning Herald, is m many respects incorrect.. In iteiboatgwte'chiwe? retained was a half, bag of biscuits and* Avfo -kegs ,-, ,of water: 'We had m : burter'a^-al'.- l During the first day we made between 90 and a 100 miles, but after that we kept constantly at the oars, m. the hope of picking up some vessel "going into, or coming from Syduey. We. ftifd. no idea how long wejinight be m the boat, so it was decided tUat all. hands should go on "short allowance — namely, two- biscuits and a pannikin of. , water each per day. The only change we.hadw.as Avivcn we caught a- shark on the- third day^^nd^' made a good meal off him.. The weather cotitinued'fair'uht.a^l^^feih, at s when a sail hove- 'in sight. This 'proved to be the, jbarque Remnip.jn, cl»fge of Captiin Howard fromSlewcastfe/ fbr San Francisco. We made signals of distress, and sopri had the satisfaction of ' knowing w« ha^ been phseryed.; The r vessel hove 'down towards : \is 'and -we were all taken onboard, „We were treated most kiudly by everyone on the barque, where' we remained : sixteen days. Captain Howard cpqsentecVto landjUs at-Fiji, and we Were put ashbfeat Levuka ; on'the 11th inst. 'From there v? 6 proceeded to Suva m the cutter Rosa, and then canie back here by. the steamer Arawata." i Captain Short. ; has lost Ids quadrant and ah his charts, and with the exception of the mate, the party : haye only the .eiothes, m which they 'stand: Cfabtain ' Slibrl' say* :— " Before the" Nighfingale was abandoned, she pa§s~ed several Vessels wliieh did ; not ; appear inclined to ' render^ assistance, although signals of distress were- hoisted to attract, attention." The crew had beeu ov6r four days m the bo - l - t . t ,y lie n they .\rtie picked,^ up by the Remijio, and at^ithe sum^tttufe the ship City of Benares was flli}y;fo%-nules off. Ou tlieday^^rtheyv^ rescued, very heavy weatheiset inr,:^n<ts K'jvas evident that they hatl a-very nij|r^oSv ea^pe from being exposed tojtg^l ury. ' : t?