A SEA MYSTERY

Shannon News, 18 March 1927, Page 4

A SEA MYSTERY

FOUNDERING OF GALAVA. STIRRING TALES .OF SURVIVORS ~, J m / 1 -*:♦! V-.SYDNEY, -February* 10. ,j mystery of the year is. the, 1 v fcflimering 'of the Collier- Galava. off, r * “between Newcastle' - and ' ds WdrisY; : oh" Tuesday night, the loss of tlffi'-'-Vessel 1 * being responsible for-.tho * *»-‘d'ffew’ tFiVe others, ■ including > thp *^ : iifaster, w i , ekched :! safety-aftet ' a- four, sw'itn through shark-infested •*• watferk - “One of them is still uncon* sHliffis 'in' hospital. * " ■' SutyivbrS are: James Charles Pearfc&K* master: Jame ß Flak, chief en--<rgine'er; William Campbell, second en- ' glheer; -> Antonio Dondero, ’ fireman; George’Jones, fireman. The bodies >*r6cpveredrr arc: Charles Norton Lan-♦--caster,- mate; James Christie, cook; 'Lquis-Wilson, A.B. Those still missing’ ♦ Silks; A.Bi; Alfred Brown, Ti A.B.; Peter Spagnola, fireman:- Jameg Hansen, A.B. : - - *At an impromptu inquest at the - - Gifest ' House, near the beach, the plain: Story of the tragedy was told by* Captain Pearson. ’ ■( . : : - Charles t LahcaSter, the rnate, had 1 informed 1 him about 1 am; on Wedr ♦ nesday' that the vessel- was listing; - • dangerously, and he thought she was going over. He did not know what. '• - * ■ .--t fiti^hed’’on-; deck? and-ordli lifeboats tO-be lO’drSrediT but '■* riUrifito r a*iid h-halfnitke “■‘ Collier Heeled’tight- over? arid '* fbhnilfeWd. ,i; ©bfoi*© the sank fhef ct&wlwere called on deck and: gtve'h - ; ' 1 k' i r •; 10-'* M . “With’ 'th‘e K others, '•^hhh'-! ttrrncidjttfirtltf; 5 '&WeeiiiefcFto Slides - down h'er side' ’ ‘fetch; up ! on- Her A keel/' Said Gapthlifr PearsOn;* ‘‘WhSfi - Acavd chief engineer's- voice iri the darkness. ThOn I saw GrdwA,’ ' the sailot.', V^h- . . out a difebelt,' hlrn • ininj|.' ‘ -1- then - swam to a floating ; Hatch - 'and ? on ',lbuntil} - I was washed ' - ashore near *Torrigal. -The Galava ♦ well* foundAandf seawforthy. and •r- only - recently .underwent repairs at -ar-caost of : ! - f. -f Firem en ijqnes - and • Dcfndero told *how'*five of -them'. -includiAg Lancaa-“'tfet';''engineer-Caitnpbelh-ahd' seamanWilson " hadit dtept «• - company- all ‘‘'’ through "the night, until some time -Aftor* dayttreSkWiK' - ! r ' • innl ipdndero fer some-time dung to the ’ ♦ -ifime log as that to which Lancaster J ’ v ''anf : - Wllsb# ’ were? clinging.' * On r *lghiihg v the-Shore'in the darlyrnioi-ri* trig Dofidero and Jones decided' to fo'r it.' Altogether it was ' iv *nfearly four-miles front viherfiT they ' "’/ were/ 7 Lancaster, when I asked- if : ”‘he would come too, said that lie- was '‘‘finished 1 / "Good • hick,” ’ ? the mitt shou'tba as a ; parting trijuiiction; '*’ t* ? 'r-'-Fifdift.an''; :i Jdhcs,'' on' landing, several < hoilrg’ idter, J made ho ; complaint; ex?' ceptini that it was cold when he got', out’ of the water.' J 7 Engiitbery Caltipbell's ■ jbody ‘ was observed across £t gsratirig witli ~a- lifebelt clutched in his hand. He was conscious, and whs able to 1 clamber; up the side of the tug St.. , Olaves, i which had been * sent out - from Sydney as soo» as | news wasT sent through from the nearest light- ■ * '‘house---to the scene of thle disaster. ♦ While : the St.- Olavcs, Which had * y druised*round:for hours Without finding anyone excepting Campbell and ■ Flakv was> on’its; way bdek to -Syd- ♦ ’riey,'Flak collapsed, .arid* was still • ; : imt:bn9'ciouß when she bej-thed. _ H^ - T v. r &B - riished ■ to 1 Sydncjt Hosiptal. Campbell Aid not • wait for the ’'ves- ' • sel to berth -properly befeiro he made ■'f “for ?Shore to reach his wife and reas-

■' subVher.''" 1 ' ‘ 1 -n Jones and Dondero, as well as Captain Pearson, were ’still stung severely by “bluebottles”} on their * way'-to the shore. But i their most ■ *■ -harrowing experience, according to - • Captain’ Pairson, vras the passing'of a ' 'Passenger stekuier after! they had been 4n the watef for halt an hour. ; •'‘Though she passed quite close and slowed down &)ffikwhat, Jas though she had sighted us,” said Captain . Pearson, ”our hoarse yolia were of no ~ avail, as she passed on hdr way with- - out rendering any assistance.” It - ls coilsidefed, however, that the pasIng steamer could not have heard the : ' cries for . lielp.; . * ; ? Nope of the men reseded can give - the : slightest ’clue to tp reason for ! the collier foundering so-; swiftly, and - with'such little /yarnihg. If she ' strudlf soifiething that j fact would haVe been noticed? surely, while if she Sprang a lekk - the water must / haVe gained so' swiftly ala to over- - -whelm the ship inside ail hour. More probable sttii .is the thebry that her ; coal, cargo .slipped suddenly and threw the collier off her keel.