1
Enclosure 1.
400
40730°
COPY.
Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
Royal Mail Steamship Line.
Trans-Pacific Service.
Rece
Capt. C. W. Beckwith, R.N.,
Harbour liaster,
Dear Sir,
Hongkong.
REC 23 DEC 121
R. M. S. "Empress of Japan"
Hongkong, September 10th., 1912.
On Saturday night September 7th. at 11.15 Patrick Dela- -ney an A.B. on H. M. S."Newcastle" found S. Lenard a young A.B. of the ship helplessly stupified by drink on shore and brought him off to this ship in a sampan. After Delaney had got him on to the gangway he broke from Delaney 's hold and fell into the water striking heavily on the side of the sampan as he fell. It was very dark and there was a strong tide running but Delaney immediately jumped in after him and with considerable difficulty held him up. They were swept some hundred feet or so from the gangway before the sampan could let go from the ship
get and d to their assistance. They then were towed back to the gangway and were got safely on board Lenard being still stupified and having to be practically carried up the gangway. There was a lifebuoy handy but the men were carried away and the sampan had shoved off after them before the night watchmen who was tending the gangway (the port forard one) but was standing some distance on board, realized that it was needed. The Quartermaster of the watch was tending the starboard main gangway. I consider that Lenard would in all probability have been drowned had it not been for Delaney's prompt action. Delaney's whole behaviour was extremely creditable and I should be pleased if you would bring the matter to the notice of the proper authorities so that if they think fit, it could be suitable recognised. The only people who saw the first part of the occurrence were the Chinese sampan people from whom the particulars were gathered. The second officer saw the two men struggling in the water just before the sampan got to them, and I saw them being taken back to the gangway. Delaney did not appear to wish to take any credit his sole idea being to recover his cap which had drifted off