THE KATE TATHAM DISASTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8873, 6 November 1907, Page 5

THE KATE TATHAM DISASTER.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. GALLANT RESCUE WORK. Received November 5, 9.44 a.m. SYDNEY, November 2. Within ten minutes of the capsize of the Kate Tatham, ship's boats arrived on the scene from the German ship Hans, which was lying a few hundred yards away at North Stockton. The watchman on the Hans noticed the disaster, and gave the alarm. With commendable alacrity the crew turned out in their night-garments, lowered a boat, and pulled to the par-tially-submerged barquentine. The officers and crew of the Kate Tatham passed into the boat, and a thorough search was then made for the missin? sailor. The crew wore taken to the ship Hans, where they were fitted out with clothes, and subsequently conveyed to the Sailor's Home. When Reff's horrifying position was discovered, there was no time to lose, as the tide was almost at its full height, there being only about a foot of the vessel above water, leaving but little air for the distressed sailor. The axes went to work with a w ill, and in a few minutes an oblong opening had been cut in the deck just below the Bulwarks, Reffs was some distance |rom the aperture, but on being called just managed, with his wasted strength, to creep along to the opening. Strong arms then pulled him through the hole, and the crowd of onlookers gave encouraging cheers. The sailor, with his face blanched from his two hours' imprisonment in the noisome air, collapsed upon reaching the open air, but made a good recovery! (The Kate Tatham >vas capsized in Newcastle Harbour by a sudden squall which caught her.)