FIGHTING THE SEA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 4, 30 December 1912, Page 2

FIGHTING THE SEA.

THE VOYAGE OF THE NARRUNG. THRILLING EXPERIENCES. \By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, December 28. The Naming arrived at Gravesend at six o’clock on Saturday morning. Her bulwarks were considerably damaged, her foredeck a mass of wreckage, and her hatches stove. She had a heavy list to starboard. Captain Bid well left the bridge for the first time since Thursday. The gale commenced after they passed the Channel Islands on Christmas evening, and increased in fury until seven in the morning, when they were off Ushant. The steamer was shipping water heavily. Her speed was put dead slow, and the captain kept her head to the gale arid'llove-to. So she remained all the morning, with the waves breaking over her right up to the bridge. The captain says that he never saw 7 such a gale or such tremendous seas in thirty years’ experience. In the afternoon a mountainous wave swamped the -whole of the ship, burying her forward, and wrecking all the tackle in front of the mast. It flooded all the passenger accommodation, smashed the wihches, and burst through into the hold and flooded the cabins. The waves tore up the iron deck, turning it l back like brown paper. It was impossible to proceed, and the stfeamer was turned round to prevent another such sea striking her. Had she taken another it would have been all up. Turning in the teeth of the gale they had a very anxious time, hence the request for assistance. The turning occupied eighty minutes. “We y r ere running four or five hours before we came out of danger,” added the captain. Chief Officer Postle estimated that the wave that struck the steamer was seventy feet high. One seaman was washed down and had three ribs broken. It was impossible for some lime to remove the women and children from the wrecked cabins.

The captain declined to take food while there was any danger. The, debris imprisqnied five men in the cabins for ten hours. Tiro, male passengers exhibited great coolness while baling out the kneedeep cabins. The women and children suffered considerably, many being helpleiss through sickness. Passengers narrate that at the moment i the greatr 7 Wave struqk the steamer Captain fcdwell shouted to the crew, “Nowy boys, it’s-, -life or death: don’t troiilile about anything else.”* The order and discipliij£i vfere splendid throughout.'The stewards' did everything possible, but were unable to maintain supplies of food. Many passengers went fortyeight! hours except for tea and biscuits.

The wireless operator (Reynolds) water, The coal was sivept out of the bunkers.

The seamen on Friday night gave up their bunks to the vvorgen and children. ; ‘

Lloyds estimate that the cargo of the steamer is worth. £IOO,OOO.

THE FORCE OF A BLOW. TOSSED ABOUT LIKE CORKS. (Received 8.30 a.nr.) London, December 29. Further details regarding the Narrung; show that two monster waves rose Up suddenly. The Naming rode over the first, then plunged into the trough, instead of rising to the second wave. The vessel went down to it, and the wave swept clean over the whole vessel.

All the damage was done at one blow. The saloon and deck cabin doors were torn off, the foremast broken in. three places; winches were torn adrift and tossed about like corks. There was four feet of water in the starbioard bilge and engineroom, causing a list of ten degrees. Wireless touch was maintained with several steamers until the Narrung was lighted and able to dispense with assistance.

Eight lifeboats were made ready, although they could not have lived in such a sea.

One woman was cauglft in the sea and washed to and fro on deck, despite her frantic struggles, until she was nearly drowned. Almost all her clothing was torn off her. Others were washed about like corks.

TWO MEN IN A BOAT. FOUNDERING OP A STEAMER. (Received 8 a.m.) London. December 29. The Danish' steamer Volner foundered. 1 The Kuptiiiii and;a sailor were pinked up off'The ' Li/ami.-; after two .lavs’ a'.ijli ring, in au open boat. Ihir teen were drowned. THE MOLDAVIA IN TROUBLE. The Moldavia has sent a wireless telegram that she was damaged by the storm. One Lascar was drowned. SENSATIONAL PASSAGE. HISTORIC RELIC DESTROYED. London, December 28. The steamer Duchess of Cornwall has reached Falmouth. Tremendous seas tore away her funnel and smashed all the boats. It put out the fires. Two men were drowned. ‘The stokers and engineers worked up to their knees in water, and their heroism saved the ship. The storm destroyer! the Sallyport at old Portsmouth, whence Nelsouaud other heroo« ■""'barked.

A BARQUE IN DISTRESS. London, December 29. The four-masted barque Mary Ann Iplleadbody, of Glasgow, with Australian wheat for Limerick, is in distress off Galway. Her sails are destroyed, and she has a heavy list to starboard.