Evening star., 1942-03-16

line and the commanding ofdcer
signaled the 3-inch line to be re-
leased from the beach. During this
interval a man on the beach ran to
a nearby mine camp for aid.
"The gig was lowered in the water,
but it was smashed badly and sank.
At about $3.50 $3.50 am the seas,
having become increasingly violent.
began breaking the ship in two in
the after engine room. AL hands
were now either on the forecastle,
bridge, well deck or on the galley
deck-house. Ship began listing to
starboard and continued at steady
rate until she was 4on her side at
about 1900 (t2 nooi1). The heavy
list of ship prevented any further
work on the forecastle handling
lines. Boilers and generators were
secured and all machinery spaces
abandoned when water began en-
tering the forward engine room and
forward hreroom at great rate
Help Was on Way.
1.-TWO more RATS were now manned
and a total of about nine more men
padded to the beach. The COM
nanding officer passed the word that
any one desiring to swim for the
beach might try 1t. The signalman
on beach signaled that help in the
form of men, trucks and horses was
on its way. About 100 men appeared
on the cliffs shortly and began help
ng survivors to the top. An air
plane appeared and circled the ship.
Ship had now listed to starboard
so far that the men were driven
from the galley deck house and well
deck to the side of the bridge struc-
ture and the forecastle port life line.
Men were cautioned to keep their
h.-lds and feet moving to prevent
them from freezing. The after part
of the ship was now completely
broken of, and the two parts ap-
peared to be separating, Empty
ammunition boxes were thrown over
the side in hopes that they might
aid people carried into the water
by the sea.
Breaks Up at Stack.
"By 1900 (l2 noon) the ship was
well over on its starboard side and
breaking up again at No. 3 stack.
Waves washing over the ship now
began carrying men into the sea.
The majority of those people started
swimming for the nearest point OF
land about so yards on the port
beam, but the sea and wind carried
them rapidly parallel to the shore, so
that they made for a point about 200
yards from the ship and more to the
eastward. The sheerness of the cliff
at this point made it practically i'm
possible to gain a hold. A heavy.
thick, oil covering on the surface of
the water, extending about so feet
out from the shore, made progress
there exceedingly difficult. Most of
the people in the water were caught
in this tar-like covering and swal-
lowed much of it, and this, COM
bined with the paralyzing cold of
the water, the difficult landing point,
the strong backwash from the shore
and their general condition of ex-
haustion, accounted for so few peo-
pie making the beach in this man
ner. To the right of this point was
the small beach where the RATS had
landed previously and here some of
the swimmers were able to make a
landing. 1t was reported that sew
eral persons were carried out to sea.
From 1900 (12 noon on, heavy
waves continued carrying men off
the ship. until at 1880 (2:30 PM
there were only three men left
clinging to the side of the hull. They
were taken off in a dory brought
overland from st. Lawrence. BY
1880 Q:30 pm.) the ship was in
three pieces and the forward section
seemed to have moved q little closer
to the beach.
Survivors reaching the beach
were dragged ashore by men from
st. Lawrence and hoisted to the
top of the cliffs. These men often
went into the water up to their
shoulders in aiding survivors. From
there they were taken by sled to
some mine buildings, where men,
women an dchildren had stoves,
dry clothing, warm soup, coffee and
medical supplies waiting for them.
It was this prompt and eficient
attention on their part that saved
many Of the men who were badly