PICKED UP AT SEA

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12612, 24 November 1926, Page 6

PICKED UP AT SEA

CREW OF SCHOONER VESSEL CAPSIZES IN HURRICANE SURVIVORS LANDED AT COLON Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, November 23. A ship’s boat containing four men was picked up by the steamer Colac the day before she arrived at Colon on her voyage from Montreal to Auckland, which she completed to-day. The rescued men were the captain and three able-seaxnen of the small schooner Joseph Whitaker, which had capsized in a hurricane when bound from Colon to Bluefields. When taken on board the steamer the men reported that the mate and cook of the schooner had been drowned when she capsized. “I was on duty on the bridge on the night of October 20th,” said Mr T. M. Jarvis, third officer of the Colac. The night was fairly dark and there was a heavy sea running. The ship was one day’s steam from Colon and was making about ten knots. CRY IN THE NIGHT Suddenly, about 10.15 o’clock, I heard a cry on the port bow. but at first thought it was the sound of a sea bird. Again the cry came however, and tbis time the man on the look-out in the bow also heard it, and I then noticed a dark object on the port bow. We heard an answering hail and I then called the captain.' As soon as those on the Colac sighted the ship’s boat the steamer’s engines were stopped, and when she was again put under way she circled back to where the cries had been heard. No difficulty was experienced in locating the small boat, and the steamer was again stopped. When the small boat came within the glare of the lights from the steamer it was seen it contained four men, two coats and a piece of tarpaulin. It showed that the occupants of the boat had made some effort to get thbir little craft under sail. Once on board the Colac the survivors were given hot tea and foqd, for they were badly in need of nourishment. The rescued men were natives of Panama, hut were able to speak English fairly well.” According to the men’s story their ship, Joseph Whittaker, a 50-ton schooner, had left Colon several days previously bound for Bluefields with a general cargo, including machinery and farming implements. Stprmy weather had been encountered and on Saturday. October 18th. the wind had blown with almost hurricane force. Fearing the worst, the captain had the schooner’s boat provisioned, tend warned the mate and other members of the crew to remain on deck. DISREGARDED WARNING During the afternoon of the 20th the men's worst fears had been realised, the sbhooper having' capsized. The mate and cook, who had disregarded the master’s warning and had turned in had no chance of escaping, and were drowned before they could gain the deck. Fortunately for other members of the schooner’s crew the lifeboat which had been got ready. floated' off when the schooner capsized, and although all the provisions and drinking water were lost the men bad succeeded in righting the boat and scrambling aboard. From the afternoon of October 18th until the time they were picked up by the Cqlnc during the night of : October 20th. the survivors had had neither food' nor water, and were almost exhausted. Their efforts to make a sail with the captain’s tunic and a tqynaplin rigged oh two oars had been almost Useless, and the then had about given tm hope when the steatner’s lights were sighted. Once on hoard the steamer the men auicklv revived, and when the Colao strived at Colon on the following day the*' had almost refcovered. They were landed at Colon.