SHIPPING CASUALTIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 128, 1 June 1903, Page 2

SHIPPING CASUALTIES.

WSKCK OV THK OAKLAND. FURTHER PARTIOULIKS. PUB JPBBBS ABBOOIATIOH. Sydney, May 30. The Oakland's bo>t had be;n bea'iog about at the mercy of an angry s°a forj six hours when the Bellinger came to her rescue. The waves were constantly' sweeping over her, and, as she lay low in the water, the holes knocked in her I when she was being launched rendered i bailing impossible. i Four tiovs the boat cap iz d, but the i gradually diminishing number of sur- < vivors maniged to crawl back. After t the death of the capt tin hope was re- t vived oa sighting a stsaraer, but the t efforts to attract attention failed. i | At this stage - the second engineer! i Steele, who was sitting in the bow tf ( the boat, suddenly su'd " Good-bye t boys" and leaped overboard and was 1 not again aien. if A seaman named Johnson was the i last to go, succumbing to exhaustion I and cold an hour before help arrived. j < The Bellinger had praviousjy passed ( within sight of the boat, when running < for shelter to Long Island. When re-, < turning attention was attracted by a | handkerchief hoisted on an oar. In the, excitement; cf the prospect of be'eg ' rescue J, the survivors forgot to steer j the boat, and made their fourth capsize, j! The boat was eight hours at sea. As < only the bow and stern were not always j submerged, four only could get into the boat a ifely. The others bad to cling to the life lines, and as those in the boat succumbed or were washed off others crawled into their places. A seaman nimid Olson, who showed the most vita'ity of any of the survivors, wai outside the whole tim», Thoie *'oro plenty of l/febslts as the second engineer brought an armful into the boat, but there was no food or water. Steel wont mad before j'imping into the son. A oibin boy also lost his reason, and j ast before he died ha said, ; " Ifm't this lonely," and buried his face . in the w iter. , Omn% to the heavy sea, the Bellin£6!- hid . 1 fli ult in reacting the , survivois. Just as she oame alongside l the boat cap-iz d, but all in her managed to ding to the life line?, and the r siuors were able to lift th«m aboard the steamer without lauechiog a boat, All were terribly exhausttd. After effecting the rescue, the Bellinger etsam<:d under the lee of B roughton Island, a-;d remained there till yesterday morciog sheltering. Some idea cf the state of the sea may be i gathored from the fact that al.hough' , the Bellinger had two anchors down, ' she had to kesp her engines gonig all - the time to maintain her position, and i even then sometimes the atchore - dragged. 1 The actual cause of the disaster is i doubtful. Some of the survivors are I of opinion that she sprung a leak, ' The O.tkland was insured for £4OOO, i the South British Company holding the ) prime policy. Riineiyanoes wera ef- < fectcd in several local offices.

'1 WRECK OF THB EDITH. i Cooktown, May 29. The schooner Pearl has arrived from New Guinea, bringing most of the shipwrecked craw of the Gsrman baque Edith. Tne chief officer, Mr Krager, states the vessel left Pug't Sound on January 28 th for Port Pirie with a cargo of timber. All went well till March 19th when the struck on the Nercus shoal, New Caledonia, and became a total wreck in an hour.

Captain Aerterl and ten men took one boat and the chief officer and seven man tok another. They kept together till eight, but next morning ther.t was no sign of the ciptain's b:at. Each had threo weeks' provisions and water, The chief officer's boat was picket up by a German b .rque on March 26, three miles from the coast of Nev Guinea. Tin men wera landed a< Port Moresby mis-ion 8 a'.ion and thence came on to O'jtk'own. Ths captain's boat U still missing. Brisbane, May 29. The yacht Stella from Sydney reported that Captain Rabartion, who with two brothers named Crawford were voyaging to N w Guinea, fell overboard whils a heavy sm wis running and was drownel. Ri'ier.sjn formerly r.sid-d in New Zealand. ENCOUNTERING A TIDAL WAVE. Received 1, 1.3 am. Sidnbt, May 31. Tito sbip TorrMoa bouad from Por* Pirie to Aatwe-p put io for repairs. She encount rel something in the shape of a tidal wave south of Tasmania, which smash-d ler bulwarks and boat?, aad slightly injure! severa of the crew. The barque Shakespeare bound from South America to M lb;uine put in tonight, b.iog partially dismasted. A THRILLING EXPERIENCE. Received 1, 1.5 a.m. Newcastle, May 31. The Desmom, in ballast from South Afiioa, had a thrilling time during the gale. Thirteen miles off the coast the balks': shifted and tin vessel was thrown on her beam cn^s. Thj enptaiu and two of the crew wer j washed over the side, but otutchsd lli3 fora braces and regained the deck. The v, ss 1 drifted shorewards, the main yards being buried in the sea. Toe craw worked desperately to trim the ballast. The gtle abated in the evening and the vessel righted. i