THRILLING WRECK STORY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 219, 24 December 1910, Page 8

THRILLING WRECK STORY

BRAVERY ON SHIP THAT SANK IN NINE MINUTES. J 61 LIVES SAVED. London, October 26, A thrilling story of the «ea relating to the loss of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company's mail steamer Chiriqui in Panama Bay lias been sent to the Imperial Merchant Service Guild by one of their members, the captain of a large steamer. The Chiriqui sank in nine minutes after an iexplosion, the cause of which is unknown. "When the explosion happened," the captain writes, "the steamer was carrying 27 passengers, and, in addition to the captain, there were 34 officers, engineers andi crew, making a total of 62 persons. To think that all these people; were away clear of the ship in the four ship's boats before she actually disap-J peared, which was less than nine minutes, j speaks wonderfully well for the cool and efficient way in which Captain W. H. ' Morgan and the officers acted so promptly and maintained discipline, thus saving so many valuable lives. "The first to be placed in the boats were nine lady passengers'and three little children under the age of two years. Upon getting away from the scene of the disaster they pulled to the north-east-ward, taking a rest for a-few hours only in the night-time, and after being in #he boat three days and two nights they eventually landed at' Garachine Point. During the whole of the time that the passengers and crew were in the boats their food consisted of the smallest possible portion of bread per day, raw potatoes, and just sufficient water to keep their mouths wet, the little children only being supplied with ample water and a few eggs that fortunately had been put into one of the boats.

• "When the passengers and crew took to the boats the nearest land was some 60 miles distant, but in order to land, in an inhabited part of the coast the gallant crew of the ship's boats pulled ovei 100 miles, with the fierce tropical sun beating down upon them, and thus saved 61 lives."