THE DISASTER DESCRIBED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9431, 31 January 1921, Page 5

THE DISASTER DESCRIBED.

LIGHTHOUSEKEEPER'S STORY

' BRAVE STRUGGLE FOR'LIFE. WELLINGTON, January 30..' Mr T. B. Smith (principal keeper at Pencarrow Lighthouse) gave m simple -language a most graphic and pathetic story of the accident, and of the brave struggle for life of a number of the men on the ill-fated schooner. "Whilst extinguishing the lights at 4.45 this morning," he said, "I noticed the schooner Omaka making into the harbor under foresail and jib. Her mainsail was not set. Lighthousekeeper Hussey went downstairs. When "he went outside he saw the vessel capsize. A strong southerly gale was blowing at the time, and the vessel was running before the wind. Suddenly she broached to, a big wave struck her at the same time, and over went. I could make out the forms of at least j. two sailors hanging on to the wreck- "' "i age, and .."1 immediately, rushed and communicated with Wellington and kept my two assistants, Hussey and Cocker, on the beach to light fires opposite these men, with the double object of showing them where to land and letting them know assistance was available and there was somebody to receive them if they came ashore. They were, however, drifting up the harbour. I could then make out three men amongst the wreckage. One was clinging to a tank, but becoming exhausted, he was swept away. 1 saw him throw up his arms and disappear. It was then ten minutes past six. The ' ' other twov men were clinging to a long plank, one at each end. In the meantime, about twenty minutes past fire, the ateamer Wairau appeared, entering i the harbour, and passed some three hundred yards away, but apparently •did not see either wreckage or the v men struggling m the water. By;-this time the wreck had^bieen blown -m - - r<., shore considerably, and had^ strtiek'half 1 &"niile further on^ where she ijttbse 1, . 5 • quently broke up. Later the Baden .1.%' Powell- came m and passed the men, about (it seemed to me) one hundred yards away.' They; .again made 1 frantic ;. ' efforie"to attract the attention of those ton board:, but without ajail:. The man who was on the tank haa, disappeared'borne time before, but I kept the dtoher two men m view. all the time uritiL '*■ Vl!theV had nearly gone out of sight. ' ' ':* ''There was about a mile of wreck4tge m all, benzine tanks, fodder, timber, etc.. floating with the wind and current faster .than one could walk. I .then look niy .telescope and ran as hard as I could to the point, where I saw one of .the men throw up his hands •and.go.down. . . "As 4ihe second steamer passed I distinctly jsaw the men make a supreme effort io draw themselves on to the l>lank and attract the attention of vthos* on the passing steamer. They vdrew themselves up almost m a kneeling position on the plank, but apparently they were not seen nor their cries heard.. Before this, when the man on the tank passed the men v on the plank I saw the two men on tHte plank ware .encouragingly to and apparently cheer ithe other. ■ „, "Vessels came from Wellington. Ine •gale was blowing so hard that the pro'eresß of the vessels was retarded to such an extent that when they reached the wreckage it was two and half hours after the accident, and the' men l had disappeared. The assistant kg^ouse . ,keeier followed up along the beach the drift of the men on the plank, and .about half an hour after he started he saw one man swept from his hold and disappear. Then following on, as far as Gotland's Bay, he sa^ the second man .on the plank also disappear '"The schooner had completely bro- . ken up and disappeared. The huU waß. smashed to matchwood,-and only a mass of spars and debris is lelt. the man on watch came down ;to me he stated that he distinctly^aw one man, probably the sweet overboard as the schoonei TbroThed to, and he was clambenng^p the aide again when she capsized My ' .Tn also sa g w a man seated m the ship's -dinghy after the vessel capsized but a ,|« wive overwhelmed the dinghy All Sw the men on the plank makingfrantic efforts to tear off their clothes, so that they could swim better and ft torn sweater was afterwards found on the beach, showing that they had partly succeeded." . , The body of Weekes was found right

inside 'deckhouse which was but a galjej, when it shoaled on Petone beach-v , A ropa^ stretched round part of the deckhouse made it appear that one of the crew had endeavoured to lash- himself to it. A second body, not yet identified has been washed ashore on Petone beach.