SURVIVORS OF SHIPWRECK.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1921, Page 5

SURVIVORS OF SHIPWRECK.

LONG JOURNEY IN OPEN BOAT. HARDSHIP AND ENDURANCE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Seven members of the crew of the Columbia River, a five-masted wooden schooner, which was wrecked on Sunday Island on September 8, at 4 a.m., while bound from Auckland to Portland, arrived by the Niagara to-day. A story of hardship and endurance was told by the captain and the men who made the trip from Sunday Island to Suva, a distance of 750 miles, in 14 days in the ship's lifeboat. Leaving the wrecked vessel on September 11 by means of sail and oars they set out, and after 24 hours the captain decided on making for Tonga. Shortly after, they were compelled to heave t© for the best part of three days, owing to a north-east to north gale, and the position was so serious that two sea anchors had to be used to keep the boat from drifting and oil was poured into the sea. No sooner had the gale subsided than two days’ calm set in. Sails were then of no value and the men took turns at the oars, whirfli proved of little avail, owing to the lumpy sea. When they reached latitude 22 deg. 30 min. south they ran into south-east

trade winds and then went along under sail to Suva, which was reached on Sunday afternoon, September 25.