THE BARQUE MESSENGER.

Press, Volume XXXII, Issue 4416, 25 September 1879, Page 3

THE BARQUE MESSENGER.

fißr Tiiwm*H.J : NBLSON, September 24.

The steamer Lady Berkley arrived at midnight with the Messenger's crew, whe had been at the Lighthouse since Friday night. It appeared the vessel missed stays and went ashore, and, owing to the heavy sea, the crew had to leave.

Captain Wills reports:—The Messenger was a barque of 925 tons, owned by C. W. Turner, Cnrutcihurch, and insured in the New Zealand office for £3000. She left Lyttelton for Newcastle in ballast on the llth_ instant, and was knocking about the straits, with northerly winds until Thursday last, when she stood down towards the Spit. At 6 p.m. tacked and stood to northward : at ten tacked and stood to westward, the light then bearing S. W., twelve miles distant, and wind northerly; at 8 aja. the lighthouse was S. by E.; stood on a short tack, heading west, wind NJT.W.; called all hands about ship at 9 a.m., but she missed stays, and made a long sternboard towards the Spit; then tried to wear her, but when she got her head towards the Spit, she hung and would go no farther round ; let go an anchor, and rignalled to a passing steamer for assistance, but was not noticed. She then swung round and dragged and stuck on the beach, and continue to drag and bump heavily. Being afraid the masts would go by the side I slipped the chain and let her go broad-side on. These» was breaking heavily over the vessel, so I ordered tho boats to be lowered to leeward, and all hands got into them, and we pulled round to the lighthouse, from which she was distant six miles. The next morning, at daylight, started to walk down to the ship, and found her broken across the deck, and at the main hatch, and half of the keel lying on the beach a quarter of a mile distant, j and the spars over the side, the vessel being embedded nine or ten f»et in the sand. ]