A TRAGIC WRECK

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2554, 15 July 1909, Page 5

A TRAGIC WRECK

THE BARQU fc. ERROL. SIXTEEN DEATHS AND FEARFUL SUFFERINGS. TJNMI I’ur.KS ASSOCIATION -COPYK'OIIT SYDNEY, July 14. A dreadful shipwreck occurred on Middelton Reef at midnight on June IS. The Norwegian barque Errol, bound from west coast ports of America, was totally lost. The Tofuabrought fire, survivors. .She found them at the reef on the 12th inst. in the last stages of exhaustion. The captain’s wife and four children died four days prior to the Tofua’s arrival. Most of them perished through starvation. The survivors were immediately conveyed to' the Scandinavian 'Home. They wore in a shockingly emaciated condition. . 11 that could he done for the survivors aboard the Tofua, in their weak state,was done. (Received July 14, 5.5 p.m.) It was difficult to gain a connected story of the tragedy. The Errol struck the reef in fair weather, and went to pieces amidships. Only the forecastle head and poop were left on the reef. A raft was built. Five men went off to the reef in search of water during the building of the raft, which was constructed with great difficulty. The captain and second mato weie drowned. The captain perished within sight of his wife and children. "When the raft reached the reef, those on it found the wreck of the Annasona. They could find no food, and but little good water. The. men on the reef set about building a punt, living on shellfish. Rain fell, and they caught 80 gallons. A HORRIFYING EXPERIENCE. Fourteen days olapsed beforo they could board the wreck in their frail craft, taking water with them, but they found only ono man alive. His name was 'Lawrence. His experience , had been horrifying. He saw nine of his comrades dio. The first to go were the youngest children, a hoy and a girl, leaving tho two oldest girls. These did not live long, and were followed by the sail maker and an ordinary seaman. Lawrence kept himself alive by eating shellfish, which ho dived for. Ho also brought up two or three tins of condensed milk. These kept tho children alive for a time. Some of the men wanted to drink tlio blood of tho children, hut Jensen stopped them, and the bodies were put into tho sea. Shortly after the wreck the steamer Suva passed, but did not seo them. Had .she clone so tho woman and children would have been saved, and seven others. ( Captain Holford, of tho Tofua, states that when the wreck was sighted the weather was beautifully calm. He was surprised to* see that what ho took to he tho Annasona had shifted her position, and thought that a great gale must have swept tho reef. As bo got near he saw tho Annasona in her old place. They steamed eloso up to tho Errol, and saw a signal, consisting of a pair of underpants and a piece of red flannel flying. The Tofua lowered a boat and picked up fivo starving men oif the wreck. 1 The names of tho survivors are Oftdalc, Jensen, Johansen, Falmor, and Lawrence. The passengers and crow of the Tofua raised £lO5 for the survivors. HOW TH E WRECK HAPPENED. (Received July 14, 7.50 p.m.) ’Tho Errol was commanded by Captain Andreessen, and was bound to Newcastle for orders. Piecing together the survivors’ narratives, it is gathered that the Errol left Champoton, Mexico, on March 15, and made a Fairly good run to the vicinity of Lord Jlowo Island. Here boisterous weather sot in and, buffeted 113 severe squalls, the vessel was swept out of her course. The captain believed lie was hundreds of miles from tlio Middleton roof. She struck in the night. Though the weather was fair, a big sea was breaking, and the barque quickly commenced to go to pieces amidships. The chief mate was washed overboard and drowned shortly after " she struck. Two more of the crew disappeared, and three others suce.um--5 Hied aboard before the morning. When the midship section of the vessel collapsed, some of the castaways were imprisoned in the forepart. Others, including the captain and his wife and children, were in the after-end. Two days later the men in the forepart managed to get to the, after-part. No water or food was aboard, the storeroom being submerged. Some dajs elapsed beforo they were able, to got a raft- constructed. The captain and second mato were drowned while the work was in progress, the survivors meantime enduring great privations ■from lack of food and water, and exposure to the weather. Two days after the death of the captain the raft left •the wreck for the reef, carrying five men. Before proceeding far, one man was driven crazy by drinking sea water, jumped overboard, and was drowned. (Received July 14, 10. to p.m.) Besides being emaciated, the survivors were badly cut about, and were covered with sores. Their feet wore terribly swollen. Lawrence was severely out. on the head when diving into the hold to obtain food. Those on the wreek had abscesses in the ears from the same cause. !l will probably be seme days before the men are sufficiently recovered t 0 clearly detail their experiences-

CABLE NEWS.

A SURVIVOR’S PITIFUL STORY. Lawrence, who is a Sydney native, told an interviewer that, if he lived a century ho would bo unable to erase tho memory of the awful 14 days between tho departure and return of Palmer’s party (from the reef). He said: \ “Tho sight of tho poor little children, whose ages ranged from one to eight years, fading away before our eyes, and to know that we were powerless to do anything to save them. Before the children died one or two men, who had lost their reason, proposed to kill them and drink their blood. I took fine care that nothing like that happened. As they died, I threw the bodies overboard. There was a cat aboard. Ono of the children offered it a tiny drop of water. It refused to drink, looking pitifully in the child’s face as if it knew the babe should have it. One of the men picked up the cat, knocked its head against the rail* and cut its body with the intention of drinking its blood. I snatched it and threw it overboard. When all the others were dead I gave up hope. At tho eleventh hour Palmer returned. THE RESCUER’S NARRATIVE. Captain Holford', describing the rescue, said that on entering the lagoon of Middleton reef, a strange sight met tho eyes of the Tofua’s boat’s crew. In a roughly made punt were the five survivors, all showing signs of the terrible ordeal they had passed through. Tho punt was propelled by an old tarpaulin hoisted as a sail, and by two largo, roughy-fashioned paddles. The survivors eagerly swallowed the beef tea, brandy, and water taken by the Tofua s boat, into which they were carefully lifted. As the boat ranged alongside tho steamer tho passengers greeted it with ringing cheers. So- exhausted were three of tho castaways that they had to be carried up tho gangway. (Received July 14, 9.50 p.m ) The Errol’s raft consisted of planks lashed on barrels. It was two days battling about the waves before those on it landed on the reef where at low tido there was plenty of room. Palmer, who had charge of the party , told of their hitter disappointment when they failed to find food and only a scanty supply of water. Luckily rain fell for three days, otherwise tho party must have perished. r J heir hopes weie raised on the lourth day on the roof, when tho smoke of a steamer was seen, but she passed without noticing their signal, which was hoisted on one of tho spars of ths Annasona wreck. On returning to the Errol at tno end ol 14 days’ sojourn on the reef, it having taken that time to construct a punt from tho wreckage, Lawrence greeted them with agonising cries for water. In response to isgnalsLawrence jumped overboard. On learning that all aboard but ho were dead, tho punt returned to the Annasona wreck. When the raft first left tho Errol, Palmer tried to induce Laurence to accompany it, but he declined, saying tuat ho would stick to the captain’s wife and children. (Received July 15, J. 2.55 a.m.) The following is a list of those who perished:— Captain Andrcassen, wife and four children Olson, chief mate Elrickseri, nephew of the owner Edvardson, Anderson, Olsen, \.~- liams. Dettman, and three seamen known as John, German, and Scotty. The wreck oocurcd on the night of Juno 18th. It was pitch dark. Palmer states that for three days there waa no sun. Tho weather was foggy. The captain, was out of his reckoning, but told the men that rocks were not far away. FEARFUL SOFFERINGS. For the first ten days after the vessel struck they had no water. They drank salt water, and boils came out all over them. Their mouths were so dry that they had to prize their lips open. When they made the journey to tho Annasona, there were hundreds of sharks all round the raft. They had to wade the last 40 yards up to their necks. One seaman, a German, was so weak that he dropped. Tho others wore too weak to help him. and he was drowned. This was the man who, it was previously stated, went mad and jumped off the raft. When on the reef they saw lots of human bones. Describing the death of the captain, Palmer said, “We saw his legs washed up after he fell into the water, also his severed head. There were lots of sharks about, and they had oaten him.” Lawrence is partially delirious, gives varying versions of the events, and has apparently lost all idea of time. Tn opposition to Palmer’s acccount, he declares that the captain s wife and children were alive when Palmers party returned from the reef. Tie thinks the mother went mad. adding, “I think the ehilden were drowned by their mother. She was afraid they would he eaten by the survivors. One night- l tucked them in their blankets. The next- morning all were gone. They went' wonderfully brave kiddies, especially the baby. The mother saw it all, saw her husband drowned and hoi' | children die. She took it just as if i it wasn't.”