IMPRISONED UNDER A WRECK.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 190, 20 April 1915, Page 2

IMPRISONED UNDER A WRECK.

A Tll RILLING. RESCHE. A thrilling rescue under extra ordinary circumstances was effected last month during a fierce hurricane which had raged all through the night on the north-east coast of Great Britain. The Hull salvage vessel No. 1 had taken refuge behind the breakwater of Peterhead Harbour, on the Aberdeen coast, and shortly befort eight o’clwk the crow started to shift her position, probably with the intention of getting her to a place where she would be barter protected from the fury of the gate. Unhappily, this was found to he impossible. The force of the wind drove the vessel across the bay, a mountainous sea overwhelmed her. and she was thing ashore at the brickworks, where she lay bottom awards. ■ Naturally, all hope for the safety of | her crew had been given up. but am!- j donly the onlookers were shocked by j seeing the band of a man waving from ; on a of the port-holes of the capsized I ship. Tt was evident that someone was imprisoned in the overturned huh. am’ instantly preparations were made for a rescue if possible. There was only one possible wa>- < getting the man out—to cut through the steel plates of tlie ship. At great personal risk, a boilermaker named McfVobio managed o get an oxy-hydro-gon blowpipe to work, and after a tre- ! mendons struggle succeeded in enlarg- ] mg the porthole sufficiently to allow a. !

man to pass through. The imprisoned sailor was thus enable*] to escape from his appalling situation. ami ho was safely brought ashore bv Mc('rohie. He proved to be John 'Ritchie, the cook of the salvage vessel." lie belongs to Yarmouth. • All the other members of the crew, which numbered seven, were drowned. Ritchie, when brought out, was unconscious, but he soon recovered. ‘‘.l had a wonderful o;.u*u]_;(?, ’ ’ lie said, in an Interview. ‘'‘Tvhdrfthe vessel was s*vfj»npH the eugi.aemau and i were down below, 'file' 'them were on deep at 1 ! '; time, and mast have been wash-' el Co .reheard. I was gin os t surfaentcfi, hut I kept |he vebflsator open and pat rev ha ml thvonghrtlie porthole and v.a.',c-.l for help. ~,, C,.?-: . that mac' over -1 here] ‘ “ sa.’nl the m - .;'.- i'; the tramcar, pointing to a wanfr.ee ! fallow -traveller-, "..young yet bent r:• O' ! -YaYo. V,I woo like • 1 ,.;t to i" r :y a —bv at vii witli Rhr e oahY! witli Iwiavlcr. or; ! ■' at vo-- ■'’■■’ :ct a I; a;-.- f the -1 ; Aw *' . :;: ■■■ • .. : ’ : ;• ; .r.;;; p ■ \ P P * | \V ' i ■or.;.,’ yon. Thao testify to toowoe;;' poh:P, p; : Vs ;-P- RlYd fire it remove.-: tor-v P::--? ror. ■■ i’-u*. -troublo; il-V-lvr the nric ;;Ahi- ; ; i- o;ip I--:. -- ■ hpPf'o.- ;p: -hop.' P rVf nil •o : vo;-;; L-pOrOS, ■ o-f ;• :i ’;d h /(i.