INCIDENT OF THE VOLTURNO

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 2 December 1913, Page 7

INCIDENT OF THE VOLTURNO

GALLANT NEW ZEALANPER

AN ACT OF HEROISM

(New Zealand iieral 1 Correspondent ) LONDON, Oct; 15,.,

A seaman of the Ounard liner Oarniania, a New Zealander by birth, distinguished himself in the rescue of survivors from the burning emigrant ship Volturno in the. Atlantic. ' Night had fallen, leaving the frenzied passengers stjll clinging to the stern of the burning ship. All attempts to launch boats and approach this Volturno had failed owing to the high yea running, and there was nothing for it Jmt to lie to and. wait for the storm to moderate. From time to time lolid cries of anguish from the despairing emigrants were wafted 'across the water, but it'was out of the question to do anything for,them just then. At. last mit of the darkness was distinguishable one faint cry which ooiikl only proceed from oiie of the holder emigrants who had decided to jump into the sea and chance reaching the rescuing ships. The Carmanfa's searchlight played all round on tho surface of the sea in the endeavour to discover the swimmer. One after another the floating buoys were examined, but they were all vacant, and still the cries continued. At last half a mile away, was seen the figure of n -nan being tossed up on the crest /of the .waves. Gradually he fought his way towards tho Camania until he was-'sa dose that rapes, were flung to him. But he was now too weak to catch them, and those on hoard the Ca.rmania. were dismayed to ■ see tho swimmer carried gradually past them and away from help. % - Amongst those who were watching frotiKi the Carmania was an A.8., EdTvard John Hoighway, a native of New Zealand, who hag been nine years in the service of the Cunard, line, and has crossed with the Carmania on every voyage. Heighway was watching tho searchlight, when he caught sight of the swimmer drifting, down towards them, and occasionally making his own efforts to reach safety.

. Heiglway thus told what he did — "Somebody said, 'Lower a boat and him up,' but that would have been .simply,absurd. -'lsn't anyone going to go for this,chap?' I asked. I had my guernsey on, «nfl was on a deck 20ft above the water-line. I sa'wi the searchlight fixed on. the poor fellow, so I said 'Here goes/ and went .'flown for "him. He was still drifting about, and bye-and-bye, a. big wave lifted him right up towards me, and 1 grabbed him. • As I held on io the Tppe whirh had been thrown to mo tc-'huih round the man, a high wave seemed to wash .us high aip, and then J was able to drag him along, and we were hauled out by the other men, who were on the pilot ladder helping ■me"

Tins is put quite baldly. A witness of t'ho incident says he regarded it a-s an act of heroism, which impressed him more than anything: else "lie -saw. The man was washed away from the ship at least ten times, and when Heigh way reached him with the they were 30 yards away from the ship. They must have "Keen holding to the line together for fully Iwon'y ..ininutftt hetVr'p they were pulled <m Wud tne't/rt' mania. The-pas'seasers wafting ft on: the deck, raised i Lv-Kt cheer «hen the rescue was effeitod.^.

Another man froim tlie Carman-a, wont- into the water with Heighivay'; and assisted him <>ub. Thi rcsc-neti ! man was a Ger-.iiau -emigrant, Walter ■ Trintepohl, who .stated that he ixinip- ' l-«tl overboard from 1 tlie burning ?lnp in company with the only_ English pas- • sender and one other. ' J When Heighway was haule*! on , 'hoard again, he was offered a whisky, ' hut ho only replied: ■'"No-thanks; - giro me- a -handful of fruit." An American Rhode.'; scholar, who was on hoard, said that ha wan afterwards very reluctant if> take the purse which was wubscribod'by the passengers for 'him.