THE WRECK OF THE NILE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 79, 7 April 1915, Page 6

THE WRECK OF THE NILE.

A WILD NIGHT IN THE INLAND SEA. The P. and 0. Nile struck a rock off Iwaijima, in the Inland Sea of Japan, early on Monday morning, January 11, and foundered. The seventeen gers are the crew were picked up by the Japanese collier Fukuyu Main, and taken to Kobe. j Captain Powell said that the Nile left Moji at 10 o’clock on Sunday! night, January 10. It was then raining hard, and the sea was wild. There' was a pilot on board. All went wellj until 2.32 on Monday morning, when the vessel struck the southern extremity of Iwaijima, a small island on the nort hside of the Inland Sea, juid the first of the numerous islands which arc passed on the way up from Shimouoseki after the wide open stretch of water known as the Suwo Nada has' been crossed. The engines were at once stopped, but the steamer was evidently so firmly fixed on the rocks that it was impossible to move her off with-' out great risk. The forward hold was at once sounded, and, found to be filling somewhat rapidly with water. Captain Powell thereupon decided that it was necessary to order all the passengers! to take to the boats. TAKING TO THE BOATS. The crew promptly took up their stations, and all the boats were swung out. On account of the high sea which* was running ,no little skill was reqnir-j fed to bring the boats round to the gangway, which had been lowered, but, ! happily, no accident occurred. The women and children were put into the first boat, which was in charge of the second officer, Mr Burge. The male passengers took their places in ( the second boat, which was in command of the third officer, Mr Bates. The third boat took off the purser, stewards, and others of the European crew, and was in charge of Mr Grimsditch, the fourth officer. The fourth boat contained the engineers and firemen, and was under the orders of Mr Vincent, tbe third en-

giueer. The fifth boat also took off members of the native crew. The captain, the chief officer (Mr F. S. Murray), the chief engineer (Mr H. U. Sharp), and the pilot, together with six members of the crew, remained on board until the third boat returned for them from the Fukuyu Mam. From the moment the steamer struck wireless calls were sent out calling for assistance, the well-known S.O.S. being used, but there \vas no response until 4 o’clock, when the Kure Station answered that destroyers were being sent to her aid. Rockets wore also sent up continually, while colored lights, were flared from the ship’s deck. Happily, these brilliant signals were seen by te collier Kukuyu Main, owned by Kodera, of Kobe, and she at once stood by to render assistance. The Kukuyu Maru kept about a mile away from the wreck, but despatched a boat to offer laid. The Nile, however;'had sufficient boats to take off everybody. The third boat returned from tlio Fukuyu Maru in time to rescue the ten persons still on board the Nile, the captain being the last to leave. By this time the liner was' settling down by the head, and the water was already up to the bridge. Those in the boat had to pull very hard in order to get away from the vortex caused by the final disappearance of the steamer beneath the waves. THE FINAL PLUNGE. At twenty minutes past four the Nile began to slip off the ledge of rock on which she had rested, and to •sink deeper and deeper by the head. In a few minutes she was towering almost perpendicularly out of the water, the stern being far above those in the boats—almost as high, it seemed, as -the lofty pinnacle of rook on which they had been wrecked. One electric masthead light was still burning, but this grew dimmer as the vessel sank down deeper. Suddenly, with a‘ fcerru fic roar, the Nile took her final plunge into the water, and by four there was not a trace of her to bo seen. -• 7>r. A soli or,son, of Kobe, a passenger, paid* a tribute to the ; excellent manner in which the work of disembarkation was conducted." There was absolutely no panic on the Nile when she struck the rook, the passengers being reassured by the calm demeanor of the officers and crew. Dr. Asfcberson and his fellow-passengers have signed a testimonial expressing their appreciation of the great efficiency, courage and courtesy shown by all on board in the hour of danger. Captain Powell was also very gratified with the conduct of the officers and men under him.

A passenger said that the lasoars behaved splendidly, standing patiently at their stations awaiting orders, and not oven attempting a dash below to save their scanty belongings. The whole business of transferring the ship’s company to the other steamer was performed as methodically and calmly as though it were a part of the ordinary day’s programme.