WRECK OF THE ELLEN.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2970, 28 July 1891, Page 2

WRECK OF THE ELLEN.

AN UNSEAWORTHY HULK. THE SURVIVOR'S STORY. (BY KLECTItIC TELKGIIAI'H.—OOI'YRIOHT.) Syo.nky. July 25. Thhkk of the soamon belonging to the barque Kllen went mad within three days through drinking salt water. Their meat lasted till the 20th, and a little rain water was caught, but it was brackish owing to the spray which c;une on board. The signalman at the Seal Rocks lighthouse endeavoured to signal tho men not to land owing to thu surf, but could not make them understand. July 27. Petersen, the soln survivor of the barque Kllen, is now convalescent. Hβ gives a harrowing description of the sufferings endured by tho men in the boat. On the sixth day after leaving the barque tho captain became mad, and moved about talking deliriously and laughing. Ho thought ho was in command of a nteamiir. Next day the steward became ill. aud later on he and the captain lay down in tho boat and died. They did not know the time when tho poor fellows expired, but some one went to look at them and found them dead, and they hove the bodies overboard. Two old seamen offered up prayers over the dead as well as thny could, with their throats in such a parchod coniliti.n. On the eighth day a heavy sea struck the boat, and nearly enpsizod her, and two men were washer] out. One sank immediately, but the other swam after the boat and called to us to save him. Wo could do nothing, for the wind and soa drove us away. After we lost sicht of him struggling with tho waves wo heard a last despairing shriek from the drowning man. That left only four men in the boat, and of these, as already related, threo were drowned when they had almost reached safety, According to Petersen, the vessel w.is an old hulk, and many of the men had misgivings about her seaworthiness.