NAVAL HEROES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 15 September 1911, Page 3

NAVAL HEROES

BRAVE DEEDS AFTER .FATAL EXl'UttiO-N. London, July 2fl. A story of wonderful heroism in the rescue of the stokehold stall' of the destroyer Kangaroo after the explosion of a steam pipe on Friday was related yesterday at the inquest at llaslar .Hospital on the two men who were killed—Chief Stoker Henry llutlield and First-class Stoker Ernest William Fryer. Members of the erew, the commander included, descended with towels round their heads into the inferno of steam to endeavor to rescue the sufferers. There were seven men in the stokehold, and the evidence of Staff-Surgeon Mason was to the effect that Hutficld and Fryer must have been killed instantaneously from asphyxia by the scalding steam. The scene within the stokehold was doscrihed by Stoker Alfred Hadlcy. "While the vessel was going at full speed," he said, "I heard a report, and, ' .believing it was a tube or boiler burst, I dropped to the plates of the stokehold, and secured the draught plate over the furnace. A second later someone fell on. me, followed by another, in their scramble to get underneath the fan. I eased the safety valve to give warning on deck." Evidence of the gallant efforts at rescue was given by several witnesses. A* soon as it was possible to open the hatches, E. 11 A. Remington, with a towel round his head, descended into the stokehold, and, groping round, found Fryer and Rapkins. Fryer was in the far corner of the stokehold, and Remington dragged him to the foot of the ladder. Then, returning to the deck to get a rope, he was exhausted, hut went down again. The commander, after several attempts, also went down, nutfield was seen on a grating with the steam pouring over his head and chest He could .not be reached until later.

The pipe that burst was a bent branch pipe, which had been straightened out by the pressure of the steam. The coroner commented on the great bravery displayed, and adjourned the inquest until August 0 for the attendance of expert witnesses.