THE ONLY SURVIVOR.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 266, 13 April 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE ONLY SURVIVOR.

SOME SURPRISING INSTANCES WHERE BUT 0-\E PERSON ESCAPED A TERRIBLE DEATH.

When tliat ili-tatjd steamer, the Connemara, went down a lew weeks ago in the Irish Soa alter colliding with Uie toil er, Retncwr, it may bo remembered that the only man saved from the passengers and trews of both vessels was the lucky James Boyle, a teaman. Considering the severe deathroll, the tcrriblj gale raging at the time, an J tiie fact that help was almost out ot the question altogether, James Uoyle may regard himseli as fortunate But Boyle is only the latest of several other similar very lucky folk who have had the wonderous experience of surviving shocking disasters wherein nearly i very other person present (indeed we may in most cases say all!) except themselves was lost. You may remember that famous Academy picture showing the celebrated Dr Brydone, hardly able to sit his horse from hunger, fatigue, and strain, riding back to Jelalabad on the retreat from Cabul. Brydono was the only survivor of a force of 3.489 soldiers and 12,000 camp-followers, all the rest having been massacred by Afghans in 1842. The picture of the returning medical man was painted by a famous artist, and was, if 1 recollect rightly, given this very title. In the great less ot life caused by the collision mentioned above between tho Connemara and Retriever, when Boyle alone escaped with iiis life, there is a remarkable resemblance to the collision that place in 1870 wherein the Cambria was lost. For in this catastrophe of October that year there was also a big gale raging; the event occured olf tho north coast of Ireland, too; in this instance also the disaster was first observed by a man in a light--houso near; and there was but one survivor in each case; he was one of the crew, and in both instances was saved by a small boat! Then many readers may recall that that well-known stirring poem byProfessor W. E.Ayrton, of Edinburgh, which depicted the return of Randolph Murray from Floddcn to the Scottish capital, with the alarming and disastous news that everybody in the city's trainbands had been slain except himself during the terrible battle! Well does Professor Ayrton describe the striking scene, the anxiety, the rush out of doors by the whola populace to so tho only survivor, and to hear his dismal but thrilling story of how ail Edinbourgn's gallant troops fell galantly fighting, 'still with courage still unbeaten, still with faces to the foe!'' It must have been a wondrous scene indeed that day in tho Scottish Capital when "the only survivor " rode wearly down the Canongate, whilst people asked in uuslied accents. "What! Can that be Randolph Murray. Captain of the City band?" Then wo have the wreak of the French mail steamer, General Chanzy, in IDOy, on the rocky coast of Minorca in the Mediterreanean. This vessel caried l" s passengers and crew, and of all her large party but ons man was saved. His name was Marcel Badez, and lie only escaped after such a buffeting and hammering by the heavy waves as would have sufficed to knock ttie life clean out of nine hundred and ninety-nine folk in every thousand His compatriots made much of him when he returned to France again, as surely they were entitled to do after the awful suffering he had had. A strange experence befell Mr James Johnson whilst sailing in the ill-fated ship Dunbar to Sydney, N.S.W., in 1856. This vessel's helmsman somehow or other, in the darkness, mistook an opening called The Gap, only a few yards away from the real entrance itself, with the result that the Dunbar ran clean into the precipitous cliffs there, cliffs about 300 feet high, and was literally battered to pieces She was full of Australian colonists, more or less well known, who were returning to their own shores trom England.

The whole of these, together with fill the crew of the Dunbar, were lost except James Johnson. He was a young Irishman, about nineteen years of age, but lie was so badly hurt and underwent such a strain that for three days it was not thougnt he would come round, even after ha had been rescued. But eventually he regained his former health, and ten years afterwards he had himself another curious experience which must have recalled that disaster of his younger days. For he had been appointed keeper ol the lighthouse at Newcastle, New South Wales, and was on duty there when tho steamship Cawarra was wrecked on the rocks close by. With the Cawarra went down a|l her passengers and crow except one man, whom Johnson himself was luckily able to rescue fiom the watery grave and insidious rocks tnat had destroyed every body else in the unfortunate ship.

We may also mention here the case (in L902)0f the negro prisoner who some -how escaped a terrible death when the eruption of Mont l'"lee took place on St. I'ierre Island. He must surely be the most unique instance ot all amongst those of "th ' only survivor,"' for he was confined in ;i cell undoi ground whilst over 40.(10!' inhabitants or th." island perished around him! It was undoubtedly that very fact of being :n a dungeon below groimd which saved this negro's life and gave lnm a distinction practically unparalleled in any oth.T such case.

Nor may it be out of plnc.« to say M word hero, in clo.-ing with respect to the astonishing and almost incredible luck of one or two of our U.S. heroes. There is the ease of Seaman Charles Dunn, who was on each of tour I anions ships when they were lost, and yet managed to be amongst the few who wero saved in each instance. Dun »'.'i<; !'■ si ue,! from the wrecks cf the Titanic. Knipross of Ireland, Lusitania, i>nd Florizan! And hardly l?ss remarkable is the strange experience ol Jenkins, ;i first-class stoker, who was on the Ampbion. th." Majestic, and the Tndetntigab'i' when each of these went down, « w the greater proportion ol all hiscf mrades drowned, and yet found lrmsolf snvol time niter time! Kvidentlv S?nmnn Dunn and Stoker Jenkins wore "not l>oru to be drowned I'