WREAK OF THE GAZELLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 40, 15 February 1894, Page 2

WREAK OF THE GAZELLE.

A FEARFUL GALE. -

SEVERAL AUCKLANDERS

DROWNED.

THE SURVIVORS STATEMENTS.

Full particulars of the wreck of tbo barqu* Gazelle, by which several well-known Auok» landers were drowned, are published in tha Dunedin "Star" of Friday last.*: Joseph Atkins Quintal: I am a native of Norfolk Island and have-been a pearl diver. X shipped on board" the -barque Gazelle at> Thursday Island on the 2nd of January &a an ordinary geamad, and Mr Albert Vikjujj, who was also a resident of Norfolk Island, shipped at the same time as mate. On tha day following—a Wednesday—Ye sailed foe' Lytteltoo. We did not sight the land before Friday, night. It was. my watch below, and I do not' know whether any lights were, seen, bub all hand 3 were called on deck, about nine o'clock. A fearful sale was blowing, and the seas were coming-over, the deck, making it very difficult togeti about. It was' also cldudy and thick. Land .bad been.fleeu,. but 1 was ...n.o.t..pJL.tho lookout and cannot say much about it. All the sails were blown out of the boltr ropes, excepu the flying jib, which was tattered, and they tried to keep the ship away from the land, but she had no sail on, you see. I did nob know where we were. I cannot say exactly the time'we1/' struck, but it seemed to me that she struck about 100 yards from the Bhore. All the boats were smashed, so they could, not be used, but we all had lifebelts on. As soon as she struck the spars began coming down, and I thought it better to get out of the way of them, so I jumped over the weather side, thinking the vessel might, lurch upon me if I went to leeward. When I got into the water I just kept myself afloat till day broke—perhaps it was a couple of hours—and then I got ashore. I was not hurt much, but my shoulder is sore. I then climbed up the hills, and all day Saturday was looking about to find some water, when I came on some sheep. I thought someone must live near, so I followed the sheep and on Sunday came to Mr Wells's house ab Waikawa Bay, where I found the boatswain. DAVIDSON'S STATEMENT. William Davidson : I am a native of Finland, but I shipped on board the Gazelle at Auckland, where I have some friends. No, lam nob a family man. The cook and steward also shipped at Auckland, where he is known. He was an Englishman, but I cannot tell his name. We went to Rocky Island for guano; it is about a hundred miles to the northward of Thursday Island. Ab Thursday Island Captain Syenson died, and the chief mate, Mr Rogers, became* captain, and later on Mr Albert Viking, a Norwegian, was shipped as first mate, I acting as second mate and boatswain. On Friday last we made land at D'Urville'B Isl&nd. It wa3 about 9.30 when we sighted land, and it was about half-past three or a quarter to four when we struck. Inthemeantime we were doing everything we could: to beat to windward, but we carried away everything, and did not know what to do. No, we did not know exactly where we were. After she first struck it was about half an hour before she went down. Sho struck three times, and the third time blio broke in two and disappeared in deep water. - Somo of those on board jumped aB Boon as t she struck, while others waited till,the seas were washing over her. I stood cm the forecastle head with the mate till eha struck the third time. She struck on the et'trboarrd quarter, right against a high bluff. After I was in the water some time I got hold of the coamings of a hatch, and was washed up. on the boach at 'Waikiwu Bay, at Mr WelU'- They were very good. No, I don't feel myßelf; my chest is sore, and I am skinned pretty well all over* apds my limbs are swollen. I had a bad buffeting about amongst the driftwood and that. SCENE OF THE CASUALTY.. Captain Scully, of the s.s. Lilly: The exact, place whore the Gazelle struck ia, about half way between Teapot Bay and Waikawa Bay—about a mile on the Nelson side of the latter, right opposite the Beef Barrels almost. Constable Phair and I went in a boat and saw the place where shs struck the cliff—a piece of rock had been carried away. There was a lot of wreckage there, but the ship itself could not be seen. She must have gone down right alongside the cliffs in deep water. The barque mußt jußb have missed the Beef Barrels. I don't know how she did it. llad she struck thero not a soul could have been saved. In the bays I have mentioned there are sandy beaches, but she struck just halfway between them. Asfaraslcan judgefromthe men, when they first saw land they thought it was Cape Egmont, and they stood on tha port tack till they saw land all about them, but all their sails ware blown away, and they went ashore with, only their flying jib. It must have been blowing fearfully, for halfway up the high mountain we saw bits of canvas. I look on it as remarkable that Davidson and the corpses of the tour men should all have been carried towards the French Pass for a mile, and then carried into Waikawa Bay, and washed up together in front of Mr Wells'a boatshed—it shows the trend of the current. Mr Wells did everything that was possible. They not only looked ' after Davidson, but the deceased were not uncared for. Some of their bodies were considerably injured by the rocks, and three coffins were put together with all haste. In one large one two bodieß were placed, and one in each of the obhers, the poor fellows being buried near the beach. As an inquest was to be held, however, we had to disinter the remains; and I never want to bo associated in such a sad task again.