The Scotsman - Monday, 6th January 1919, page 4

WRECKEDJOLAIRE. GRIEF m LEWIS WLLAGES. MESSAGE OP SYMPATHY FROM THE KING AND QUEEN. J- ' - PEMASD FOB'AN INQTjpiT: ,. :¦ ' - - - . . - ' /-.- , - , : " ' "•• " '- ' " [;¦ - ¦ r ¦ . : Thb appalling catastrophe at;Stornoway sti monopolises all thoughts in the island. -The vi lages of Lewis are like places of the dead.. No on goes about except.on duties that cannot be lei undone.. The homes of. the island are full o lamentation—jrrief that cannot: be cornfortec Carts in little processions of twos and throes ' eacl aearinj} its cioffin from the mortuary, pass throiigl tll6 StrfiCt3 Of StonWffay on their way to someTiiro rillajre, and-all heads-are 'bared us they pass Scarcely a (smily has escaped the loss of some nca jlood relation. Many ' have had sorrow heaped oi iorrow. Messages of sympathy and offers of wha lelp is possible continuo to 7 pour in from al luartersi ~ - - ' . . ' ' -The following telegram"has been received fron he King.and Queen, through the. Admiralty ;—"For the Rear-Admiral, officers, ratings, anc relatives of thosq who lost their live? in H.M.Y Iolaire,—Their Majesties the King' and Queer were ^ shocked to hear of the disaster which has overtaken the naval leave boat returning tc Stornoway, and send their deepest sympathy tc all bereaved families.'.', - ¦ . [Tae -following reply was seilt: —. / 41 Request following may tic communicated tc His.. Majesty tbe iilr.g:—lie Sear-Admiral, officers, ratings, and relatives beg to thank Theii Majesties for their gracious message of sympathy, Ifllicll will greatly a66Jst Ihbsp who.are boreaved to bear-their grief." Statements oi survivors.as to tho. primary caiiBO [.the disaster, and tho allegations made by them ro causing deep unrest ' in tho minds o£ ihe ereavea. . . . ' At 8 epecial meeting of Stornoway Town Couoci on Friday night Provost M'Loan referred to th< tragic -happening, and a resolution, -was unani mously passed deploring tho disaster, expressing sympathy,-with dependants and relatives, and de manding of the responsible authorities the strictesi investigation into all the circumstances attending tha. catastrophe and thn responsibility attaching thereto. The-" To-wn-Qlerk,-was instructed to communical * Ike rWulioil ' 16 -Ul6 Adlllil'flllj. . An informal gathering, " attended by a number of the leading citizens, waa held in tho Parish Church Hall ' on Saturday light, when ' it was uaaiiimously resolved :o request Iho Lewis District Committeo and \ho Slornowoy Town Council to convene a public meeting of the inhabitants 1 to voice th© feelings of illO community, and to demand a full and impartial inquiry, free from all red tape and gold lace, 'into ho ¦wholo 'circumstanccs before, during, and after ;he disaster, less than -which, it was asserted, -would iot ' allay the rumours in, circulation nor satisfy the rablic conscience. - - - . VILLAGE LOSSES. Definite' v 'iiiformatioii has been received ns fo till lO6SGB ami cimHrpftances of the dependants Iiivth< villages on the- island. - % .' Suawbost district, with a population of 913; bai lost 9, men out of 12; on board tho lolairo, namely: — , . ¦ John Smith, Shawbost; loaves a widow ahc three children, all under school age. Pohald Martin, South Shawbost-; leaTcs a irido-n and three children. Donald Nicokon, Carnan; leaves a "widow and seven children. ,. " Angus Macleod, South Shawbost. Roderick Murray,. Soulh ShawboEt. Ponild 3Iacleod,Soutli Shawbost. . Donald Gillies, South Shawbost. Donald ilaclcod (Peter's son), North Shawbost. Malcolm Macleod (Murdo ' s brothor,) Th' o three men saved were: — . JIurdo Morrison (Roderick), North Shawbost. Mutdo Macleod (Peter), South Shawbost. Peter A. Morrison (John), North Shawbost. From Bahvas district, the only man on. board—) onald Macleod, only son of Mrs Macleod, 20 — — . « Lower Barvas—has been lost. . ¦ f - From IiAXAY district, ,,pf 5 mon on board , ¦) wen lost, namely:— *' ' - " - John Macleod, 25 Laxay. / ¦ AngusiMa 'ckinnon, 4 CaverBtay. ,,'¦' Alexander Macleod, 1 Garyvard. ' ' . Angus, Montgomery, 2 Gary-yard. . IJeadin^ Seaman. .^IVtco^Jm fMaelcod, 16-.Lasay, was sa . vec/. ' 1 ' *' Three men were lost from Lestbeway, which has a. population of 559,. namely:- , ' , David Macinnes and his cousin. Malcolm Macinnes , both residing at No. 2 Lomrcway; and Murdo Ferguson, 3 Lemreway, who leaves a widow and young family. . Tlie tbwnsliip of Geavie lost one marh—Donald Nicolson, -whose brother waa also on board, but a-as saved. ' . Shades (Barv&s), which has a. population o£ 510, ost five men, namely:— Angus Macleay, 53 Lowes' Shader; leaves - a widow and four children. ' . • Norman Martin, 8 ¦ Lower Shader; leaves a widow, and. three children. John Macdonald, Lower Shader. ' Angus Morrison, 31 Upper Shader. Malcolm Matheson, 10 Upper Shader. The last mentioned was a gunner on Hi Majesty's trawler Iceland, which b.rough down two Zeppelins in the North Sea. The village of Bohve lost one man—Murdo Mac donald, 15 Bofvo, a lad who was going home oi his first- leavo p t,fiinco enlistment. ' ' ¦ . .Beeaxish, with-a population of 175,'lost tw< young Ms who had enlisted, recently and vrergoing home on their first leave, namely.:— Georgo Morrison, son of John Morrison, and Murdo Mackinnon, son of Cain Maclcinnon. ¦ Aknol, with a population of 335, lost four men, jamely:— ' T - , , Angus Maciver,, 45 Arnol. Norman Macleod (Nbrrnan.) , . Kenneth Macphail (Malcolm.) - .-Donald Macleod (Donald.) •' It is worthy, of iiriro that Macplmil in Ootobci 1817 had a m arvellous escape with his life. H> vas tho sole survivor of a merchantman, on jvliic! le. was a gunnel', and which was torpedoed in tht ilediterranean. He was washed up on tho coast it Algeria after being '36 hours in the sea. He vas a man of exceptionally fine physiqne ' , and lespite his terrible experience was able to make ho final effort to swim ' near tho shore, where ho pas found and cared for by English missionaries. The township of RaEBNJSH (population 468) lost ive men, and other five were saved. The lost were:— John Macleod, No. 31; loaves a widow and foil young children. , , ... Alexander Macleod, No. 21; leaves a -widow anc three children. ' , . ' ¦ Donald Maedonald, Xo. 23.. .. . . ¦ . -. Donald Macaulay,-No. 41. - ^ ..-Malcolm Nicolson, No. |2O, tho last thico bein^ unmarried. " " ! Malcolm Nicolson took iparfc in ihe action toytghi it ' the, beginning of, tho war between II.M.S Sarmania and the German ' criiiser Ca.p Trafalgar, in wliieh the latter, was sunk. The saved"me ' r wo:— ' ¦ - ... ¦ ' . ' ' John Mavkinnoiii No. 15. ' ¦ Colin Macdonald, No. 3. , Donald Macrae, No. 35. . Roderick- Nicolson, No. 36. . . Jqhn Moiitgomery, No. 36. " '. ¦ CaossBosi (population 312) hud four men on joard, of-wjiom only Murdo ' Mackenzie, No. 18, vas saved. The drowned wore :— Donald Macleod, No. 2 (leaves a widow.) . Malcolm UacJeod, No. 2; nephew ,of Donald Maclcod and John Alaoleod, No. 18. ' -