TRAGEDY OF THE SEA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 144, 15 July 1909, Page 2

TRAGEDY OF THE SEA

WRECK OF A FOREIGN BARQUE. STARVED TO DEATH. ONLY FIVE SURVIVORS. A TERRIBLE STORY. By Cahle.—Press Association.—Copyright Sydney, July 14. A dreadful shipwreck utcurreu ou ilie Middle ton Keel at uudmgiit oil Ju:ie 18, when the Norweigun o.iruuc lirroi, bouud from the west coast pons oi America, was totally wrecked. The Tofua brought live survivors uei:. She found them on the reel on the 12t)i inst. in the last stages of exhaustion. The captain's wile and four children died four days prior to the Tofua's arrival. There were 22 souls on boarl, and most of them perished by starvatisa Received July 14, 5.5. p.m. Sydney, July 14. It was difficult to gain a connected story of the tragedy. Tne Errol struck the reef in lair weather, aud went to pieces amidshin, only the forecastle head aud the yuop being left ou the reef, A rait was built, and live men went off to a reef in search of water. During the building of the rait, winch was constructed after great dimcUlty, the captain and second mate were

drowned. The captain perished witum sight of his wife and children. AVhen the raft readied the reef, tu-2 : wreck of the Aimasona was found. No food was found, but a little water was J secured. J The men 011 the reef set about building a punt, living on shell iish. Kahi tell, and they caught So gallons. ■ fourteen days elapsed oeiore w<y , could board the wruc l -' ui their frail craft, taking water witii tliem, but only one man was then alive. His name was Lawrence, and his experience was horrifying. He saw nine of his comrades die. The first to go were the youngest eltildreu, a boy and a girl; then the captain'* wife died, leaving the two eldest gins. These did not live long, and werfollowed by the sailmaker and an ordinary seaman. Lawrence kept himself alive by snellfish, which he divided. He also brought up two or three tins of condensed milk. These kept the children alive for a tini2. Some ot the men wanted to drink tiic blood of the children, but Jensen stopped theili, and the bodies were pui m«o the sea. Shortly after the wreck tie steamer Suva passed, but did not see them. Had she done so, the women and children would have been saved, and seven others.

Captain Holford states that when he sighted the wreck it was beautifully] calm, and he was surprised that what he took to he the Annasona liad shifted her position, and tliought a great gale must have swept the reef. As he got near, he saw the Annasona in her old place. He then steamed close up to | -tha Errol, and saw a signal consisting of a pair of under-pants and a piece of red flannel flying. He lowered a boat and picked up live starving men oil the wreck. The names of the survivors are Oftdale, Jensen, Johansen, Palmer and Lawrence. The passengers and crew of the TofilP raised £1(15 for the survivors. The survivors Were immediately conveyed to the Scandinavian home. They were in a shocking and emaciated condition. Captain Holford did all that could he done for them aboard the Tofui in their weak state. SURVIVORS' NARRATIVE. VESSEL SWEPT OUT OF HER COURSE GREAT PRIVATIONS. THE CAPTAIN'S FATE. " SAILORS DRIVEN CRAZY. Received July 14, 7.50 p.m. Sydney, July 14. The Errol was commanded by Captaii Andrcasen and bound to Newcastle foi erdwi. Piecing together the survivors' rmr ratives, it is gathered that the Erro ■ left Champote on Jlarcli 15, and mad) a fairly good run to the vicinity of Lori 11 owe Island. Here boisterous weathe: I aet is. The vessel was buil'ettcd by the se

vere squalls and swept out of her wane. The captain believed he was hundreds of miles from the iliddleton Reef, which was struck in the night. Though the weather was fair, a big sea was breaking. The vessel quickly commenced to go to pieces amidships. The chief male was washed overboard anil drowned shortly after she si ruck. Two inoie of the crew disappeared and others succumbed aboard

j When the section collapsed some of the castaways were imprisoned in the fore purl, and others, including the captain, his wile and children, in the after end. They were were 101 two days. Later the men in the fore-part managed to get to tlie after-part. There was no water or food aboard the storeroom being submerged. Some ' days elapsed before they were able to get a rait constructed. The captain and second mate were ' drowned while the work was in progress, the survivors meantime enduring great privations from lack of food and water and exposure to the weather. Two days after the death of the captain the raft left the wreck for the reef, carrying five men. Before proceeding far one of tlioie aboard was driven crazy by drinking sea water, and jumped overboard and perished. | AN IMPROVISED HAFT. BATTLING ABOUT THE WAVES. ; DELUSIVE HOPES. ; STICKING TO A WOMAN AND HEU CHILDREN. Received July 14, 9.5 p.m. 1 Sydney, July 14. 1 The Errol's raft consisted ot pmnk; [ lashed to barrels. It was two days ' battling about the waves before it laud 1 ed on the reef, when the tide was low and there was plenty of room. , Palmer, who was in charge of tin . party, told of their bitter disappoint . uient when they failed to find food. 'There was a scanty supply of water but, luckily, rain foil for three days otherwise tlic party must have peri'ilied Hopes were raised on the fourth da,\ on the reef when the smoke of a steanie] was seen, but it passed without notif i ing the signal hoisted oa one of tin , spars of the Aiinasoniu wreck. : ' The party returned to the En'ol ill the end of their fourteen days' sojoun • on the reef, having taken that time ti • construct the punt from the wreckage Lawrence greeted them with agonis ing cries for water. In response to sig nals a sailor jumped overboard, leavi.i; all aboard, but he was dead by tin time the punt returned to the Anna sonia wreck. When the raft first left the Errol Palmer tried to induce Lawrence to ac company him, but he declined, sayinii lie would stick to the captain's wili and children. 'iilJi SURVIVORS' CONDIfI'IOX. Received July 14, 111.45 p.m. Sydney, July 14. Besides their emaciation, the survivi ors were badly cut about and covered with sores. Their feet were terribly 1 swollen. Lawrence' was severely cut in lie head, sustained through diving into the hold to obtain food for those on the ' wreck. He is suffering from abscesses on the ears from tile same cause. It will probably be some days before the men arc sufficiently recovered to clearly detail their, experiences. A PITIFUL SCENE. DEATH 01' THE CHILDREN. A OAXNIISAUSTIC PLAN FRUSTRATED.- - SURVIVORS,' AWFUL SUFFKIiINGS. Received July 14, 10.45 p.m. Sydney, Last Night. Lawrence, who is a Sydney native, told an interviewer that if lie lived for a | century lie would be unable to erase from his memory the awful fourteen days between tile departure and return of' Palmer's parly. It was pitiful to see the poor little children, their ages ranging from one to eight years,, fade oway, and know he was powerless to do anything to save them. Before the children died, one or two of the men, wild bad lost their reason, proposed to kill them and drink their blood. '•1 took line cure that nothing like that "happened," he said. "As they died I threw the bodies overboard. There was a cat aboard. One of the elilWien offered it a tiny drop of water,

but the cat refused to drink, looking pitifully into tlie child's face, as if it I knew the babe should have it. One I man picked up the cat and knocked its head against the rail, aaid cut up us body with the intention of drinking its blood, i was afraid of the nic-r going mad, and so I snatched it and threw it overboard. When all the other* were B dead I gave up hope. At the eleventh hour Palmer returned." THE RESCUE DESCRIBED. d | n Captain Holfurd, describing the rescue, c said: " Entering the lagoon of the u Middleton reef a strange sight met the c eyes of the Tofua boat's crew. In a „ rou"hly-made punt were the live surnv- s ill showing signs of their terrible or- l den'].' The punt was propelled by an , old tarpaulin hoisted as a sail, aim two | large roughly-fashioned paddles. Ihe < survivors eagerly swallowed some beef ( tea and brandy and water taken by , the Tofua's boat, into whicn they were . carefully lifted. Ranging alongside the , steamer, the passengers greeted them with ringing cheers. So "*"*&& were three of the castaways that they had to be carried up the gangway." LIST OF THE DROWNED. Received 15, 0.55 a.m. \ Sydney, July U. The list of the drowned is as fol-

"captain Andreasen, his wife and four >]iililren. Olson (chief mate). Elrictaen (nephew of the owner. Edwai'dscn, Andersen, Olsen, Williams and Dcttnian and three other seamen known as "John," "German,- and "Scotty." ' ■ 11. „« The wreck occurred on the night ot June 18th in pitch darkness. Palmer, in his 'statement, states that for three days they had no sun, it being foggy. The captain had got out of his reckoning. For the first ten clays after the vessel

struck no water was drunk but salt | water. Boils came out all over them. Their mouths were so dry that they had to prize their lips) open. When they made their journey to the Annasona wrek HUNDREDS OF SHARKS were all round the raft. They had to watlc for the last 40 yards up to their necks. One seaman, the German, was so weak that he dropped. The others were too weak to help him. He was drowned. This, was the man whom ; t was previously stated went mad and jumped off the Taft when on the reef. They saw lots of human bones. Defer Lbing THE DEATH OF THE CAPTAIN, Palmer said: "We saw his legs washed up after lie fell into the water, also his severed head. There wore lo's of sharks a'bcv.it. They had eaten him." Lawrence, who is partially delirious, gives vary ins versions of the events and apparently icis'i .ill idea of the time. THE WOiP"''' DREADFUL EXJ. iiIUISNCE. AFRAID OF HER CHILDREN BEING

EATEN. In opposition to Palmer's account, he declares that the captain's wife and children were alive when Palmer's party returned from the reef. H( thinks the mother went mad, adding; "1 think the children were drowned by tin mother. She was afraid they would b< eaten by the survivors. One night ' tucked them in blankets. Next niorniii: they were all gone. They were won derfully brave kiddies, especially tb baby. ' The mother *W it all.' Sh saw her husband drowned and her child ren die. She took it just as if i wasn't so."