Captain Williams' Ill-Luck. Captain Williams, the master of the ill-fated steamer Orianda, who leaves a widow, was captain of the steamer Clarissa Radcliffe, of Cardiff, when she was lost some years ago. He was a brother to Captain Williams, of the steamship Porthcawl, and another brother was Mr. R. T. Williams, an assistant-master at the council school, Cadoxton-Barry, who died last year.

"Can't You Help Me?" Captain Williams' Last Pathetic Appeal. Nothing could be more dramatic, more thrilling, or more pathetic (writes another of our representatives) than the experience of Mr. Robert Aitken, the chief engineer, at the moment he saw the captain fighting for his life in that angry sea, and heard him making his last appeal, Can't you help me, Aitken?" Thoroughly exhausted and almost half-dead, Aitken had but one answer. "No, I am too done up." Mr. Aitken, who lives at 19, Blaenclydach-street, returned home at 2.30 on Sunday afternoon, and a touching scene was that of his wife rushing out of the house immediately she saw the cab being driven up to the front door and embracing him when he stepped on the pavement.

One of our representatives went aboard the Ebba, in Barry Dock, and there had a long chat with Mr. Aitken, who gave a graphic narrative of the disaster. "We left Cardiff," he said, at 9.30 on Saturday night with a cargo of coal for Spezzia. We had a crew of nineteen all told, and all went well with us until about halt an hour after midnight. At that time the captain and mate were on the bridge, and I was down below. Suddenly I felt a terrific crash just below the bridge, and the plates seemed to be torn clean out of the vessel. I rushed up to the deck, where I found everything in confusion."

A terrible experience, Mr. Aitken."

"Yes, it was awful. After what seemed to me a couple of hours the lifeboat, which had skidded off the chocks, drifted towards me full of water. I let go my hold of the hatch and struck out for the lifeboat. I managed, after an almost superhuman effort, to get alongside, and one of the men who were in the boat hauled me into her, but not without great difficulty. The boat was full of water, but we managed to keep her afloat. While we were drifting about we shouted for help as loudly as we could in our weak, exhausted condition. The seas were washing right over us. Our cries were heard by Mr. Sparkes, who was in his pilot-cutter. He made several gallant attempts to set alongside our boat, tacking no fewer than seven times without success. In the end, however, he was able to take three of us on board."

" Did you see the Ebba at all?"

"Oh, yes; the captain of the Ebba heard our cries for help, and after the steamer had drifted alongside an effort was made to launch a boat. This was found impracticable, as the boat was quickly swamped. Showing great bravery and daring, the captain of the Ebba jumped into our water-logged craft with a rope fastened round him. Then, tying another rope round our waists, we were hauled up, one after the other. We were half dead, and I became unconscious immediately after reaching the deck of the Ebba.

I cannot speak too highly of the kind way we were treated by the captain, officers, &c., of the Ebba., which steamed up Channel to Barry, docking safely at that port this morning." Immediately Mr. Aitken reached his home he again lapsed into a state of unconsciousness, but came round in about an hour, and was able to converse with his wife and family On Board the Heliopolis.

All above photographs :

Cardiff Times [019] [361] 23rd February 1907.