A DREADFUL EXPERIENCE.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1015, 30 March 1883, Page 3

A DREADFUL EXPERIENCE.

One of the most thrilling adventures in connection with the sinking of the City of ■Brussels was that undergone .by, the. boatswain’s boy, who .was rescued from the rigging three or four hours after the disaster occurred. All the hoats had returned to the Kirby Hall, when, about eleven o’clock, a sound was heardproceeding, from.the/direction of the sunken steamer,- On listening it whs found to be a voice for assistance. Instantly there was“quite a'rush of men to . the boat to go in search of the helpless one, whoever he might be. The fog had by Ibis. time 'greatly; cleared ; still the men were, only guided to the spot by the sound of the voice, as nothing could be seen. In a very short time the boat was alongside the sunken vessel in the tops of‘whose masts,.,which were visible above the water for several feet, was the poor boatswain’s lad. He was Very soon brought down and placed safely in the - boat, which again cruised round the vessel, in the hope of finding some others. This was, however, fruitless. The boy ; told his rescuers.pf the fate of tht lamp-trimmer, who, about 15 minutes before, was supporting himself in the mizzen rigging. Although both of them had been in the rigging of the vessel since she went down —one on one mast, however, and the other on another —not a word passed Between them, The lamp-trimmer' kept his Bold until shortly before the boat came up, iwhen be became exhausted and fell down, below the water. Another ‘lncident, during,, the lad’s imprisonment occurred just after, the vessel 'sankV ‘He Was well up to the top of the rigging, and * looking down he beheld one of the quartermasters with his face about a foot below . the; water. He seemed to be looking up at the lad, but could,not get an inch further. The face was upturned, and the poor fellow had evidently been making for the top of the rigging, but the vessel disappearing suddenly just took him. beneath the waves. He seemed unable to go further, and either .been : suddenly smothered, or else his foot must have got fast in some .part ,of ..the/rigging. The boy looked at huh for a momeht, but bis attention was' - them "directed' ; to" his own safety. On looking down a fewrihinutes afterwards the quartermaster had gone, and was never afterwards seen by the boy.