1938-11-02 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 2, 1938.

Shanghai Briton's Nightmare Days And Nights In

TWO MEN DIE FROM EXPOSURE

Marooned on a tiny sand bar 35 miles off Taku Bar for three days and two nights in the teeth of a raging gale. Two men dead from exposure and no food and water during the whole time.

This was the story related to a reporter by Mr. W. A. Scott, a lighthouse engineer employed by the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, whose escape from death during this terrible period was only by the narrowest margin.

Equalling any breathless episode, rescuing the marooned men. in fiction in its graphic details of a Some indication of the tremen- desperate fight against the com-dous power of the waves was then bined onslaughts of wind, waves given by Mr. Scott, who related how and exposure, which claimed the the lifeboat was smashed before it lives of two members of the maroon-had barely touched the waters. All ed party, Mr. Scott's story clearly attempts at rescue then were aban- illustrated his superb leadership of doned and the tender put off with frightened Chinese women and how all speed for Taku Bar for another his actions definitely saved lifeboat.

their lives.

Meanwhile on the bar the

Mr. Scott, a native of Birming-marooned party were knee-deep in ham where, he was employed by a water and suffering terribly from firm of lighthouse builders, has the howling wind and

-BURIED- TREASURE

Escape Storm At Sea

On the Stock Exchange a fairy story is being told-and, like all fairy tales, it has a moral. Here it is:-

Dr. Schacht (President of Ger- many's Reichsbank) came over to London to try to raise a £50, 000,000 loan: He saw our Montagu Norman.

"But what security can you offer?" Norman asked.

"Our mineral wealth below the ground. And, collaterally,, our... Fuehrer above our land,” Schacht

d

"Well,"

,” said Norman, “I might consider it

if the securities

were reversed."

PONY AND RIDER TOPPLE OVER RAILS

(By “RAPIER”) Whilst taking out Tasma, new

MR. ELLIOTT CLEARS AWAY MISCONCEPTION

LONDON, TODAY. MISUNDERSTANDING IN REGARD ΤΟ THE RECENT SPEECH OF THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, MR. WALTER, ELLIOTT, WHICH SUGGESTED THAT A CUT IN SOCIAL SER VICES WAS INTENDED, WAS CORRECTED BY THE MINISTER LAST NIGHT.

He says his argument was that inroads upon Social Services would insure the very things. Government were fighting to preserve, and it was to prevent the possibility of such inroads that he urged support of the policy of appeasement. British Wireless.

SINGAPORE VOTES

been in China for 15 years, his head- fierce waves making their position Australian pony No. J.C.1.30, Mr. LARGE SUM FOR

SUDDEN GALE

:

run

on until nearing the 14-mile post, when it suddenly crashed the rails. Both jockey and pony fell over on to the grass track.

fell Fortunately, Mr. Li

clear and suffered no serious effects, though he was limping when walked back to the stables.

quarters being in Shanghai. His extremely dangerous. A realisation F. F. Li met with a somewhat story was related in his room at of their peril came when one of the unusual accident this morning.

After finishing the last quarter the Palace Hotel where be is stay-men-a Chinese-collapsed, while ing after his harrowing experiences. several of the others were on the gallop, the pony continued to

point of exhaustion. It was then On October 13, Mr. Scott related, decided to reach the small beacon a party of two foreigners, including and to shelter inside there until the himself, and some Chinese, were storm blew over or until rescue

situated came.' sent to repair a beacon about 35 miles off Taku Bar. One foreigner was left in charge of the lights, tender, which anchored near the beacon, while Mr. Scott and a party of Chinese proceeded to the sand bar, where the beacon stood, to effect repairs.

Suddenly a gale blew up and a boat put off from the strip towards the lights' tender carrying a party of Chinese. Later the boat was to

return to the bar to pick up the rest of the party, who were continuing

with the work.

CHINESE COLLAPSE The party, battling against the rising water, made their way with all possible speed towards the bea-

he

EMPIRE DEFENCE

Singapore, October 31.

A resolution calling for alloca- tion of 10,000,000 Straits Settle- ment dollars to the British Imperiat defence fund was voted to-day in the legislative council session.

The sum will be paid in five yearly instalmenta of 2,000,000 dollars each. It will be a contribu- tion coming from the colony'a aur-

con, but were handicapped when TRIBUTES TO Plus funds, entirely separate from another Chinese collapsed, through

exposure, followed, a few minutes LORDSTANLEY later, by another. One man had to be left owing to his condition, while the remainder pushed on.

London, To-day:

the regular payments for Empire.

defence.

1

At the beginning of the Commons Anti-Aircraft firing practice will "When we arrived at the bes-question time the Premier and the be carried out from the vicinity of con," went on Mr. Scott, "we found Opposition leaders paid tributes to Tai Wan Tau (near Clear Water that the heavy door was locked and, the late Lord Stanley-British Bay) between the hours of 9.00

a.m. and 6 p.m. to-day. armed with only a key and a stone, Wireless. The storm, however, increased in I worked in total darkness and the intensity and the tremendous seas bitter cold trying to break the bolts which were running at the time which held it in position. You can made it absolutely impossible for imagine my joy when, after some the small vessel to reach the tender. hours' work, the first bolt was In spite of gallant efforts by the broken, and my greater joy, a little Chinese crew the vessel was buffet-later, when the second one ed by the surf and eventually forced and the door opened. This thrown back on to the bar.

was

The

quickest way to get the best whisky

saved us from certain death," he

"Things then began to get too emphasised." dangerous for the tender to stay

water.

RESCUED

where she was," continued Mr. There the party spent two nights Scott, "and she pulled up anchors and one day, huddled together and and went to the south side of the suffering untold hardship from the small island, a few miles away from cold and from lack of food and the party. We anticipated that she would come as near as she could, but as we had changed our position in order to see the vessel, we were subjected to horrible exposure," he added.

Rubbing themselves down on Mr. Scott's instructions the Chinese be- came a little more cheerful but the lack of food told its tale and when one man suddenly became violent in a fit their spirita dampened again and everyone prayed for rescue. All this time the gale was blowing with extreme intensity and relief appear- ed a long way off.

men

BLOWN OUT TO SEA At the time, continued Mr. Scott, there was a tremendous tide run ning and some of the Chinese were not willing to make an attempt to reach the ship. After discussions On October 15, however, the the party decided to wait a little party, who had lost two while. In the meantime the lifeboat through exposure, and who were all which had tried to reach the tender in a pitiful plight, were rescued by and had been blown back, was in a tug from the Taku Tug and Light- great difficulties, but, luckily, a treer Co. and taken ashore, where they mendous gust of wind blew them received treatment and food after Mr. out to sea right in the path of the their horrible experiences. tender and they were picked up Scott, who suffered little damage without any casualties.

as the result of expossure of the in-

· On the bar, however, the situa- tense cold, attributed this to his be tion was becoming more and more ing a keen exponent of nature cure; fraught with danger, and realising "I am certain," he said, "that, had this, another lifeboat was lowered I not been a nature man I would be from the tender with the object of suffering to-day."

:

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