A BRAVE DEED

Temuka Leader, Issue 1907, 22 June 1889, Page 3

A BRAVE DEED

The rescue of the crew of the barque Einilie, from Geestemund, by the second officer and five seamen of the steamship Holland, belonging to the National line, is (remarks the Daily News) only the old tale of pluck and perseverance on the part of English seamen triumphantly pitted against the tremendous forces of winds and waves. The Holland, when she fell in with the waterlogged Emilie in midAtlantic\|was|in little condition herself for lending a hand to a brother in distress. For three days and nights the hurricane had swept over her, doing more or less damage to her rigging and cargo, and pouring deluges of water down her ventilators. It was still blowing half a gale, with frequent squalls equal to a whole gale, when a sight was obtained of the Emilie, only a quarter of a mile distant, waterlogged and dismasted, except her lower mainmast, on the rigging of which, the maintop being gone, they could discern the shivering forms of the shipwrecked crew of 11 men. For 15 hours they had with stood the fury of the gale without food or drink. As a mountainous sea was still breaking, it was at first de- i cided to stand by till the weather moderated; but after about five hours' waiting, it being then 2 in the afternoon of a March day, it was decided that the wind was likely even to increase before night, and that as the shipwrecked men could not possibly live till morning where they were an attempt at rescue should be made while daylight yet served. " I want a crew for that! " exclaimed the captain of the Holland, pointing to the lifeboat as the old ship was lying with her lee gunwale under water j and in a moment there was a scramble to get into her. Eight volunteered, but only six were needed. The choice fell on Mr Griffiths, the second officer, and A.B.'s Lemay, Eelsie, Lambert, Manthop, and Holmes. Each man, secured with a lifebelt under his arms, sat firm to his oars, as the boat, after miraculous escapes from being overwhelmed by the rolling of the ship got clear and began her contest with the waves. "At last," adds the writer of the narrative, who watched the exciting scene from the deck of the Holland, "we could see the boat stem on the wreck, and each man in his turn jump into the water, to be hauled into the boat wet and exhausted, the sea being much to rough to admit of going alongside. When the last man was seen to jump a cheer broke from the overcharged breasts of the spectators, and the wreck Was abandoned." Such is the simple, touching story,