The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-02-15
.A Remarkable RESCUE
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF A
YOUNG SAILOR.
Unable to Swim He Was Washed Over
board at Night and Rescued After an
Hours Search.

A tale of adventure and rescue that
is like a leaf from the most exciting
pages of the nautical noYelists is told
by those on board the British Glennes-
slim, which has just arrived from New
castle. Last Sunday morning at about
o'clock, William Adamson, one of the
sailors, was washed overheard from the
bow anchor chains Though it was
pitch dark at the time and the vessel
was making nine knots in a stormy
sea, and though Adamson cannot swim
a stroke and was in the water for an
hour, he is now safe on the ship, none
the worse for his experience. His res
cue was due to the determination of
Captain Pritchard to make every pos
sible effort to save the man, and to the
brave work of a rescue crew of volun-
teers in the ships life boat. Captain
Pritchard gives the following account
of the accident:
"I had just gone to bed leaving the
mate in charge of the deck, when 1
heard the cry of Man overheard A
fresh wind was blowing, with nasty
head sea and we were making about
nine knots an hour. I rushed on the
poop and was told by the steersman
that he had thrown a life buoy, he
thought pretty near where the man
was l reduced sail and drove the
ship to the wind at once and in a very
short time, though it was night, 1 had
a life boat equipped and provisioned
| hanging to the daVits. l consulted the
! officers and some of the men and found
! that the lost sailor could not swim a
| stroke, and all surmised that he was
drowned. But was not going to leave
without an attempt to save him IL he
was still afoat So 1 wore ship and
sailed back to the place where he had
fallen over, as near as 1 could. 1 call
! ed for volunteers to man the life boat
and a crew came forward led by the
steward, William Griffin. set ali
hands to watch and listen for the miss
| ing man.
| The life boat was Immediately lost
sight of in the darkness, but from time
to time we could hear the voices of the
men till the sounds died away. A night
rescue is different from one in the day
There is something dreadful about
leaving ship at night, in a small boat
After an anxious wait I was rewarded
/ by hearing three faint cheers from the
direction in which the boat had gone
The sounds were heard by no one else
/ but soon the boat returned guided by
| rockets and blue lights which we were
sending up, and bringing the rescued
man. The volunteers deserve greai
credit for what they did, especially the
steward. We can imagine their feelings
/
sea and on a night of storm, but we
cannot imagine the feelings of the poor
fellow alone who struggled by himself
in the darkness, with only a bit of cork
between. him and eternity"
Adamson is a large and powerful
young man, but cannot swim at all
He says he does not know how he got
hold of the life buoy For an hour he
clung to 1t, just holding his head above
the water, except when waves dashed
over him, and shouting with all the
power of his lungs. 1t was this thai
saved him, as one of his frantic wells
was heard by Captain Pritchard. just
before the life boat left the ship, ant
the captain was thus able to send It il
the right direction. Adamson was
nearly exhausted and dispairing wher
he heard the welcome shouts of the
men who were rowing around in thf
darkness, on their seemingly hopeless
errand of mercy.