MDNEISUEVIC DISASTER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8807, 8 May 1907, Page 4

MDNEISUEVIC DISASTER.

fietaiisTof the wreck of the Suovic show that the passengers had an extremely narrow escape ; and that the praise of their behaviour expressed in the cable messages was not exaggerated. The vessel ran upon a hind of cradle. A couple of lengths away was an isolated rock, and had 1. 10 vessel run on this the chances arc fiat she would have broken* m two quickly and fallen back into ■ deep water. The sight of the rocks and ) the water boiling over them was too much for the nerves of some of the women when they came on dock, but they quickly rccovere their composure and gave the sailors no trouble. Every one had to ho lowered over the ship’s side with a rope round the shoulders, and as a heavy sea was running it was not a pleasant experience. The babies gave rise to the greatest anxiety, la order to save them the sailors had to cling to ropes and drop their precious hprdonr, a distance of three or four feet into the arms of men in i launches, as the boats were brought I sufficiently near by the swell. The I men showed magnificent courage i i and patience in carrying out this t n i .1 fndr . r P’hrmom i

| difficult and dangerous task, xnougn ; I the passengers expected to lose everything they kept their spirits up admirably, and their was eveu some humour about their experiences. The supply of clothing was scanty, and the scene at the Cadgwith Hotel when the passengers arrived was a I peculiar one. Two ladies came down i to breakfast in blankets, and there was great demand on tiro only available pocket-comb—owned Jby a man —tor “onr hair had got dreadfully untidy. ’ ’ Ladies arrived in London with rugs round their shoulders for warmth,’ and many of the passengers wers hatless and collarless. It is very satisfactory to ho able to record that it has been shown clearly that there was no truth whatever in the story that two Salvationists wont away in the first boat with the women.- There was a similar rumour about a clergyman of thd

Church of England, which was probably equally untrue. A curious coincidence is recorded by of the passengers. The night before the disaster an officer asked two of the passengers if they know where the life-belts wore kept, and indicated their position, remarking, “You never know what’s going to happen, and if you should want life-belts there they are.”