GAME BEFORE DEATH.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8845, 22 June 1907, Page 4

GAME BEFORE DEATH.

After drifting about in mid-Atlantic for a week with her deck awash and her crew suffering severe privations, the oil tank steamer Lucifer, 2473 tons, belonging to ibe Bear Creek Oil and Shipping Company, Liverpool, sank. Her crew of' 33JJall told, and three .cats, were saved, and have been 1 landed at Falmouth. The Lucifer felt New York for Dublin ou April 5, and four days afterwards it '.was discovered that there was a leak under the stokehold. Steam pumps were set to work, and coped with the inflow, and Captain Wilson was confident; that his men could discover the leak and stop it.' On April 12 an American liner was sighted, and Captain Wilson signalled, asking his condition to be reported, but declining assistance. That night he had reason to lament his independence, for a heavy gale came on, the leak increased, filbag j stokehold and engine-room, putting out i fires, and rendering the vessel hope- | less. Fortunately the |ta m pumj# , were kept going by means of a donkey boiler ou deck, but Ibe water gained so rapidly that the crew had to assist by bailing out' with buckets. Over 800 tons of oil were pumped into the sea, and by this means ibe Lucifer was lightened, though seas swept her deck, and the plight of the crow was pitiable in the extreme. Signals of distress were flowu by day, and flares burnt by nigbt, andjtwo vessels passed . without apparently noticing (be signals. All the boats were made ] ready for launching and provisioned for 12 days, but as the mountainous seas continued Captain Wilson realised that it would bo imprudent to launch the boats except at the last extremity. While the vessel was being buffered about two steamers hove in sight. Rockets were fired, but both steamed away without attempting to offer assistance. 'On the night of April 16, seven days after the Lucifer had sprung the leak, the steamer Sagami made her_welcome appearance. The seas were still too boisterous to attempt a rescue Ur a and Captain Wilson siguaßeu |P t he thought he "ould keep his vessel afloat till <. ,/break if the Sagami would stand by. This the •aplain of the Sagami consented to ' o, and at daybreak called for volun<rs to go to the rescue of the distressed crew.

Third Officer Wallace and five seaman responded. That a boat would live in such a sea was doubted, but the gallant fellows never hesitated and those on board the Lucifer, anxiously watching their would-bo rescuers, were momentarily dismayed as they lost sight 0.. the boat. But it came up again on the crest of the wave. The work of getting alongside was hazardous, for it was feared that the little craft would be smashed against the partly-sunken steamer, over whose decks waves were sweeping. A boatload of the Lucifer’s crew was safely transferred to the Sagami, and a second . trip was made, again successfully, amid the cheer of their shipmates. One of the Lucifer’s lifeboats took off the remainder of the crew, the captain being the best to leave. Though the men lost all their belongings, they remembered the dumb creatures and brought' oft three of the ship’s cats. Before leaving steps were taken to ensure the sinking of the Lucifer, and the vessel was seen to go dovin stern first. With his normal crew of 42 increased to 75 the captain of the Sagami found his slores seriously taxed, and short rations were ordered. In Ibis predicament he signalled to the captain of the passing Holland-American liner Potsdam, asking him to take off the Lucifer’s crew. He declined, staling that he already had a full complement of passengers. The Sagami proceeded, and off the Cornish coast transferred the rescued crew to a pilot cutter, which landed them at Falmouth, where they were hospitably provided for at the lloyal Cornwall Sailors’ Home. A press representative found among the survivors a Cornishman, who told a romantic story. “ I am a native of Holston” he said, “and my people live there now, but I shall never go there again.’’ There was a sigh and a moment’s silence. “ Yon see,” he wont on, “I ran away 22 years ago, and I have never been home since, and never shall. I go by the name of Smith, but my proper name is —and he mentioned that of a rich Helston family. ‘I took my first ship at Fal mouth, and this is the first lime I nave b.en back in the port all the time. I have been shipwrecked tlr’ee times, and have been in some tight corners, but I never had braver males than those of the Lucifer. We never had our clothes off or a wink of sleep] for a whole week, and when we had a bit of leisure lime we played cards on deck to keep up our spirits, though it was a hard job to shuffle and deal cards as they Wfcre wet. One of the bravest was a youth who had never been to sea before, and he played cards though we all believed the ship was sinking beneath us at the same time. We all look’d upen Mr Wallace, of the Sagami, as a hero, for only (hose who saw the seas mn< ning can realise what risk he ran in launching a boat." Win’t yon go to Helston and see your people? They are certain (o welcome you home again after 22 years.” “ No ; I shall never go there again. I But—but when you go to Helston next , time you might call and tell mother yoii have seen Will, and (hat he is all right.” Then this wandering Cornish- ! man turned away with tears in his i eyes. ' |