THE LOCH FINALAS WRECK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 237, 30 September 1908, Page 2

THE LOCH FINALAS WRECK.

A (iKAt'UIIJ iNAKKAXIVJi. llobart, Sejiteiiiuer 29. the curvivors ol Hie wreck of the Loch l'iiilus tell a thrilling story. '•I lie bar.jue left Aoelaiuc ou Uie loth llenvy wea uier was e\perieii c eu, ~n j vessel hove-to several times. Early on Saturday morning, „j, | e Uie snip was running orders were given to keep away. A strong wind wis blowing fjoin me west und a moderate sea was running. The lirst intimation that uuythiug was wrong was given by a heavy bumpThe cfijitniii wan below, und the ohief mate in ciiarge. Orders were given to yot till! bouts out, ' Tile carpenter reported that there was a lot of water in tire ilold. ijomv of tile crew became excited. The mates told them not to hurry, but to take tilings quietly. Two boats were got out, but both were smashed in tin; breaker*. Several men were thrown into the sea by the lurching of the vessel. One boat, with nine men in it, including the second mate, a t length got clear. The captain, who looked out of the companion way ufier the baV<|ue liad struck, went below again. The bo'sim asked him to come with the boat. H<s replied: ''No, I'm going to stop here."' That was the last the crew saw of him. The first mate, while engaged iu laundung the port lifeboat, injured himself. The survivors saw him gubie* fluently in the rigging. He must havu gone under with the ship. |?o did the .cook and steward.

The vessel disappeared about half an hour after the time of .vli'iking. Tile narrators continued their story thus: '

"Our boat, which had no oars, cupsized. We clung to it and drifted away. Wo saw on,. man, Sevensen, in the ship's gig and another on a floating plank. These two passed towards Swan Island with the current, We drifted along the coast. Several times ■me were wasOied off the upturned lwut. "One by one our number decreased, though we succeeded 111 getting one or two back. The second mate became delirious.

"We drifted about throughout the day, honing against liope to readh land. 'We had great difficulty with tlid •second mate. He twice got a way, but one of us brought him lack. I'owardn nightt'all lie became dangerous, and, dipping out of tlie lifebuoy, threw up "his hands and disappeared. "Some hours later, when only four of the nine were left clinging to the boat, it drifted into the breakers. Will great trouble we managed to land, all! severely bruised, We huddled together on the beach till daylight. Then wo made our way along the coast to a fis'iicfnian's hut.

"We drifted fifteen hours. The boat could not have lasted much longer^" The men could not explain how the ship came to be so near to the coast. The names of the survivors are Carlsen, Reader, Alvagean and Braca. „Tlie search is being continued for possible survivors, One body has been washed ashore. "£IOOO had been spent on repairs to the Loch Finlas while she was lying at Melbourne,

The craw when she left Melbourne consisted of Lo-.men (captain), Logan Imate), Rogers (second mate), Petersen (stcwardl. Maher (cook), Cowan (flioatswain), Solberg. Svensen, Jerison, Saagoa, Kamiti, Petersen, Brown Leger and Philip (seamen), and Luslllngton, Parkesand Zaehilson (apprentices). the four survivors, and four others who are believed to have left the ves'el ut Adelaide. Captain Lonnen had stated his intention of making this his lart voyage and of settling down when he reached England.

REVISED CREW LIST. Adelaide, September 2!). Several changes were' made in the crew of the Loch Einlas when she was here. The seamen Svensen. Kanuti, Leger and Philip, and prolwibly one or two others, left and the following took their places:—Gustusen, Fiskari, Hogierbmd. Alil'gra, McCarvon, Cibilish and Neil.