THRILLING STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 12, 8 February 1909, Page 4

THRILLING STORY OF SHIPWRECK.

■ OF A CREW OF FIFTY-THREE, TWO SURVIVORS OXLY. A terrible tragedy of the sea, involv.iag the loss of the Leith steamship Dunbar, with fifty-one ont of fifty-three hands, was described by William Phillips, a youth of nineteen, third ollieer of the ill-fated ship, on his. arrival home at South Shields last month. The only other survivor beside Phillips was John London, fourth engineer. The vessel was bound from Ivaratsue to Singapore. Two days after leaving port a typhoon burst upon them. On •the third day the storm was raging at its height, and about 2.4 a in the' afternoon a fearful wave crashed on board, sweeping away the bridge, charthou.se, and lifeboats. The captain and second mate were on the bridge at the time, and went overboard with the wreckage. Phillips made his way to the port alleyway, where a number of the crew were sheltering, and told them the vessel was heeling over. In a few moments they were compelled to scramble up the deck to prevent themselves being buried beneath it as the ship gradually went over. They reached the side of the ship as she lay over, but one after another was washed away. They numbered twenty altogether, out of the total of fiftythree, sixteen being lascars, while the otliere were the-second and fourth engineers (who had rushed out of the engine-room when the crash was heard), the quartermaster, and Phillips. A large quantity of wreckage was floating about, and many of the helpless crew, after going overboard, managed to keep themselves afloat by this means. But one by one they sank. Phillips sunported himself by means of two planks, one under each arm. A lasear seaman hung on to the same planks in the same -way. Phillips saw the fourth engineer anil another lascar holding themselves afloat by two other planks, so fo r some time the last four survivors kept together under the lee of the ship, which was now keel upwards and slowly sinking.

Certain death appeared to await them all. Thfcre was imminent risk of being sucked down by the foundering vessel. They were constantly lashed, too, by the heavy seas which broke over the pinking ship and hurled the broken water over them. For more than sin hour they faced the double danger, and then the wind beat them from the sh'p, and they drifted away and apart. Tlie two white men were in sight of each , other until sunset, cacli having a lascar j as companion on the planks which bore j them lip. By this time the typhoon had passed over them, but the early morning brought fresh terrors and tortures in blazing hot sun. The heat, said Phillips, drove the hispfr insane, and he dived under the water >'iid was drowned. The agonies of Thillins were prolonged till mid-day, by tvhifh time h* had been twenty-four hours in the water. "When he had almost given up hope he saw a passenger steamer, which proved to be the Saikaio Warn, cruising among the wreckage. Twice the vessel passed round him, but on the third occasion it came nearer. t His faint cries for help were heard, and he was rescued more dead than alive. Au hour afterwards the same ship nicked up the fourth engineer fully ten miles from the spot where Phillips was found. He. too, alone. the lascar having stayed with him until near daybreak, when his strength gave out, and he slipped from the planks and disappeared. The two rescued men rallied under medical treatment, and were landed at Moji, whence they were sent on to England.