MARINE CASUALTIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 140, 15 June 1893, Page 8

MARINE CASUALTIES.

The magisterial inquiry into the stranding of the barque Freetrader, ab Wanganui Heads, was concluded on May 24. Judgment was given against the captain and mate, and the former's certificate was suspended for six months, and the tatter's for two months, the captain to pay all costs. The email steamer Waitapu, Captain Westrupp, owned by Mr J. S. Cross, of Wellington, which left Wellington 'on June 7th for Patea, wenb ashore aboub 300 yards south oi the Patea breakwater. The Waitapu ia insured in the South British Insurance Company for £1,000. The Waitapu is a wooden steamer of the following dimensions : — Length, 75 feet; breadth, 15 feeb 2 inches; depth, 7 feet 1 inch ; tonnage, 64; horsepower, 16. She was built at Motupipu in 1887, and her port of registry is Nelson. A telegraphic message from Raglan stated .that the s.s. Glenelg, outward bound from Onehunga, sustained considerable damage in crossing the Manukau Bar on June 11. The signal was given for the steamer to bake the south channel, bub bho captain considered the bar was unfit. The steamer was two hours in crossing the bar, and shipped several tremendous seas, staving in the front of the saloon, flooding the cabin and the engine room, besides inflicting other damages. The steward was nearly washed overboard. He was carried under the steering gear, bruised all over, and received a deep cut in his knee joint, which will disable him him for a month or so. The Glenelg arrived at Raelan about five o'clock Sunday evening after a very rough passage of about 14 hours from the Manukau Bar. In a report made by Inspector Pender on the wreckage at Otaki Beach, Wellington, Constable O'Rourke says thab he picked up several pieces of kauri planking ranging from 2ffc to 10ft in length, and one piece 20ft. All the planking was Sin by 2in. From the curvature of a 20fb piece he coacludod that the wreckage is part oE a schooner about 50 tons, builb of kauri, copper bottomed, painted white abova copper line, with copper and white metal fastenings or bolts. One piece of board, aboub three feet in length, apparently, from Eta shape, belonged to the stern of the voasel, and baa upon ib the letter A and part of another resembling 15 or letter I. The lettering is in gold on black ground, and in front of the letter A, which the Constable says is undoubtedly tho first letter of a narco, there is a design of somesorb,whichhe!caunobmakeout,|in yellow and gold, also on black ground. Besides planking, there are a number of pieces of board, and also somebhing which looks as if it had formed part of a deck cabin or cookhouse, being painted green and white. A further search is being made along tbo beach, and the report has been forwarded to tho Collector of Customs. Our Rarotongancorreepondenbwrites thab tho schooner Goldfinch, owned by Donald and Eden borough, left the Island of Mangaia on the 2Sth April. She ought to have arrived at Rarotouga at the latest on the 30th, but is now 25 days out, and her non-arrival is causing a great deal of anxiety. She possibly sold her provisions ah Mangaia, as vessels uaually do when so close bo Rarotonga. The only hope is that sho has been disabled and gone to Samoa, Tonga, or any place which the wind will leb her reach. In that case they will require a good store of food, for they may be weeks getting to a refuge, and there many on board—Natives, and Europeans. Luckely her csirgo is copra, bo if they have not been obliged to take to the one boat sho had on board (a good new one as ib fortunately happens), they will not absolutely sbarvo. Copra sparingly eaten, will sustain life a considerable time; bub tho oil musb be taken out of ib or ib produces dyaenbry. Five Europeans were on board, viz., bhe captain (Geo. Short), Millar (lf.be captain of native schooner Omoha, of Penrhyn), Messrs Washbourne and Cecil, and a cooper named Barry, in Donald and Edonborough'a employ. How many natives were oa the boat'is not known, bub there are sure to have been a good many. The friends of bhe, people hero are naturally vory anxious, and we all hope to hear good news of them through Auckland. If safe you are likely to hear of them before we shall here.