EXCITING INCIDENT AT SEA.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3003, 10 November 1882, Page 2

EXCITING INCIDENT AT SEA.

A correspondent who was a passenger by the steamship Dacca, which left Madras for London, sends an interesting account of an exciting scene which he witnessed during a storm in the Indian ocean. The vessel encountered the monsoon a few days after leaving Colombo, and the gale became so violent that canvas had to be taken in, and things made as snug as possible. The correspondent describes what followed :—“I came on deck at 6 a.m. it was blowing fiercely and the spray coming over in sheets. . . There were three of us on deck when the bell struck —a Miss, a Mr, and myself. We were holding on to our chairs, which were firmly lashed to the inner cabin skylight, under the lee of the ladies’ saloon. Part of the crew were working hard to get the starboard lifeboat inboard, when a bigger roll to windward warned us of what was coming, ‘ Hold on !’ someone shouted. Wo held on. The chairs rushed forward on their lashings. The deck stood upright. In came the sea, over the gunwale, over the t’affrail, up to our waists, lifted the lifeboat out of its shackles, carried it overboard, smashing away stanchions and davits, and out to sea. Then came the horrid cry of ‘ Man overboard !’ The helm was put down, the engines reversed, and back we went on a search—all the more so as sharks had been seen round the ship earlier in the morning. The boat was presently seen some two hundred yards off, keel uppermost. Soon after, the two men were observed clinging on to it. Then came an exciting two hours, during which we steamed after the boat, which was drifting rapidly towards the east. But turning a ship like the Dacca is a very slow business, and as she bung in the wind’s eye a jib was hoisted to bring her round. By the time this was done the boat, with its pitifullooking crew, was away two miles and more to leeward, and we were rolling heavily and unmanageable. At last the captain decided to lower a boat, and the order was given, ‘ Stand by the boat,’ and soon after, ‘Lower,’ ‘Who is going in her ?’ he shouted. The first officer, Mr Ingram,sprang over the side, caught hold of the davit ropes and slipped down, but just as he got near her a great roll of the ship lifted him clear of the boat twenty feet in the air. As he came down again the boat had drifted for ward, and he was plunged down in the boiling sea for five or six seconds. Up he came again as the ship heeled over, still'hanging on, and missed by an ace having his skull smashed against the small boat’s side. It was really a terrible sight, and we shuddered as we looked on, the boat all the while being lashed up and down by the violence of the waves. But at last his opportunity came, and he dropped into the stern. At once I)® was followed by the boatswain, two firemen, and two European sailors, the native crew hanging shamefully back. One of the passengers—a young English officer Lieutenant Wolff of the Seventh Eusiliers, a son of Sir Drummond Wolff—volunteered at once. But the officer in ehargo would not accept a passenger’s services while men of the crew could be got. At last the boat shoved off and the oars were got out, and in a terrible sea they sot out for the missing boat. Directed by the motions of a man aloft, they got alongside her and took the men aboard. Then began a hard row back. We lost sight of her again and again, wondering how she could live in such a sea. But still she held on and got at last under our lee. By the help of a case of oil scattered over the waves, they were comparatively stilled, a ladder was let down, and when the lost man stepped aboard such a cheer greeted him as told him what we thought of his pluck and that of the gallant fellows with him. Captain Burkitt was perfectly cool the whole time, and managed his ship with great skill. When the first officer got a change of clothes and came down to the cabin he received all kinds of congratulations, and his health was drunk in bumpers of champagne..