THRILLING STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9368, 10 February 1909, Page 6

THRILLING STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

A terrible tragedy of the sea, involving of the Leith steamship Dunbar, with fifty-one out of fifty-three hands, was described by William Phillips, a youth of nineteen, third officer of the ill-fated ship, on his arrival home at South Shields last mouth. The only other survivor beside Phillips was John London, fourth engineer.

The vessel was bound from Karatsue to Singapore. Two days after leaving port a typhoon burst upon them. On the third day the storm was raging at its height, and about 2.45 in the afternoon a fearful wave crashed on board, sweeping away the bridge, oharthonse, and lifeboats. The captain and second mate were on the bridge at the time, and went overboard with the wreckage. Phillips made his .way to the port alley-way, where a number of the crew were sheltering, and told them the vessel was heeling over. In a few moments they were compelled to scramble up the deck to prevent themselves being buried beneath it as the ship gradually went over. They reached the aide-of the ship as she lay over, but one after another was washed away. They numbered twenty altogether, out of the total of fifty-three, sixteen being lasoars, while the others were the second and fourth engineers (who had rushed out of the engine-room when the crash was heard), the quartermaster and Phillips. A large quantity of wreckage was floating about, and many of the helpless crew, after going overboard, managed to keep themselves afloat by this means. But one by one they sank. Phiillpe supported himself by means of two planks, one under each arm. A lasoar seaman hung on to the same planks in the same way. Phillips saw the fourth engineer and another lasoar holding themselves afloat by two other planks, so for some time tbe last four survivors kept together under the - lee of the ship, which was now keel upwards and slowly sinking. Certain death appeared to await them all. There was imminent risk of being sucked down by tbe fonudering vessel. They wera constantly lashed, too. by the heavy seas which broke over tbe sinking ship and burled the broken water over them. For more than an hour they faced the double danger, and then the wind beat them from tbe ship, and they drifted away and apart. Tbe two white men were in sight of each other until sunset, each having a lasoar as companion on tbe planks which bore them np. By this time the typhoon bad passed over them, but the early morning brought fresh terrors and tortures in blazing hot sun. The heat, said Phillips, drove the lasoar insane, *and he dived under the water and was drowned. The agonies of Phillips were prolonged till mid-day, by which time he had been twenty-four hours in the water. When he had almost given up hope he saw a passenger steamer, which proved to be tbe' Saikaio Marn, cruising among the wreckage. Twice the vessel passed round him, but on L tbe third occasion it came nearer. His faint cries for help were heard, and he was rescued more dead than alive. An hour afterwards tbe same ship picked up tbe fourth enigneer fully ten miles from the spot where Phillips was found. He, too, alone, the lasoar having stayed with him until near daybreak, * when his strength gave out, and he slipped from the planks and disappeared. The two rescued men rallied under medical treatment, and were landed at Moji, whence they were sent to England.