THE KIA ORA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 142, 15 June 1907, Page 3

THE KIA ORA.

Continued from Page 5. STOBXES OF SURVTVOBS. A BOUGH EXPERIENCE. "A quite rough enough experience for mc, thank you," said the cook to a :; Star' reporter on the Oneaunga wharf. "The first crash threw mc out of my ! bunk, and, realising what had happened, I slipped on some of my clothes and went into the saloon. The water was already rushing into the saloon, and I went back to my cabin and got fully dressed. I went up on deck then, and already the boat was sinking fast. After the first shock she rolled about on the top of the reef, and tore great holes in her sides, through which the water rushed. A thick fog and misty rain obscured the land, and -we did not know where we were. Everybody rnshed on deck, bnt there was no sign of panic, all behaving splendidly. The big lifeboat was first swung out, but there was a big rock below her. and she could not be lowered. Then sho swung inwards on the davits, and. crashing against the side of the steamer, was splintered, her side being crushed in. Then the captain gave the order to swing out the smaller lifeboat. In this the women and children were pUced. I noticed that the stewardess was only half clad, and vrent back to my cabin and got an overcoat, which I threw to her. In twenty minutes the vessel sank, and 1 then got into the small boat, and, after daylight nest morning, clambered on the beach. We went northwards through the bush, a terrible march over rough mountainous country, ridge after ridge, but we eventually got to a bay, where we were taken off by the Rarawa's boat. We had no difficulty in getting out through the surf, Mr Baird, the chief officer of the Rarawa, being, a fine boatman, and taking us out in grand style."

CHIEF OFFICER'S ACCOCXT.

The Chief Officer of the Rarawa, Mr. W. Bark, who went off to the beach in charge of the rescuing lifeboat, was very modest as to his part in the rescue when approached by a pressman this morning, although several eyewitnesses spoken to declare that had it not been for his I coolness and able handling, the boat would never have got through the surf with the survivors. "There was a fair sea,*' he remarked, "but we £ot through the surf right enough. In fact, it was straight ahead work, and we had a nice sandy beach to land upon." Upon being questioned, however, he admitted that the. boat swamped in going through the surf, while it required quick work to get them out of reach of the water. Several of the survivors were standing in the water waiting for them, and assisted the crew to pull her up. -They looked pretty right when we reached them.*' said Mr. Barks,*' but they had been supplied with food and clothincr by the settlers, and were beginning toget over the worst. "Dr. Wylie went off with mc, and as soon as we landed he did yeoman's work attending to tne injured'folk amongst the castaways. In fact, he was a real brick, right trough. We had no 'trouble in getting back, and reached the vessel about, -a couple of hours after putting off. In speaking of the run down the coast, Mr. Bark said they ran close in shore and saw the brats a~d rafts at the spot of landing, but no sign of ihe people. So that went northward under slow I steam, steaming right inside the reef lot Puritaki, upon which the Kia Ora struck. The survivors were discoverec lin Nukuharaki Bay.

OX THE FO'CSLE* D. Forbes (A.8.), who was one of a j party of four xm the forecastle, told j his experiences to a "Star"' reporter:—j '•When the steamer struck the rocks the j first time she bumped just a little bit. I There was no shock, and at first I thought a Vtijr sea bad struck her. The vessel then started rocking as though feeling- for a resting-place. This rolling continued for about, five or sis minutes. The captain immediately gave orders to put the starboard boat out, but aa it was discovered there \fas a big rock immediately beneath her she was left alone, and the other boat was got out. In this boat the women and children were placed and the boat put off in charge of the chief officer. Attention was then again directed to tne starboard boat. No sooner had her launching been commenced than the steamer again began to roll, and in no time the life-boat —the better of the two —was smashed on the rocks. I CLINGING TO THE STERN.

Seeing that all the boats had now left - the steamer I went below to secure a lifebelt. The steamer was then settling down aft, but there seemed to he. no immediate occasion for alarm. However, when I returned to the deck the. water encroached considerably on the deck, and four of us—Dunning, two passengers, one of whom was Forbes, and myself, climbed on to tbe forecastle head. We were unable to go aft as the water was in the alleyway. The vessel was now settling down fast. We all clambered on to the stem of the vessel, where we remained for about ten minutes, the hull assuming a perpeendicular position all the time. The two passengers got washed off, and one of them, Forbes, was drowned. Dunning jumped off the anchor, and I remained where I was until the boat went down under mc I was picked up by the chief officer's boat. " '"'After landing." continued Forbes, "we hauled the boat and the raft up on to the beach, and made a shelter for all hands.*'

THE SKIPPER'S DEATH.

W. Svrnes described The final scenes of the wreck and the skippers death. Hr said: "The captain. Hodgson, and 1 were clinging To the funnel when the Kia Ora took the final plunge. We all let go together, the skipper bidding us goodbye. There was very little suction, and we all got clear of the wreck. I knowthat the skipper was not drowned for some time after the wreck, for I heard his voice for fully a quarter of an hour later. He was calling out to t,he Chief Officer (Mr. De Wolfe) to come to him with the boat. Before we were washed from the steamer I gave the captain a lifebuoy, but I think he must have discarded "or lost this when lie got into the water. I could not see him, but judging by his voice I imagined tie was swimming about somewhere; about fifteen minutes of the sinking of the steamei the captain ceased calling out, and I think that must have been about the time of his dea-th. He was not picked up by any of the paxtles. and he wa« lever seen again." snKBTT MESTOTES LN THE WATER In the course of his narrative Symei aid: "I was about an hour and a-half it he water hefore. I was taken on boaic ke boat. Mtegfesmg vrwhai from tie

— : —— ~ : : -..-. -- -. .- steamer I picked _p -a piece of fore and _ft planking from.' one of the hatches, and to this 1 dung. . Some -five minutes later I sighted the pantry-boy, -who had a lifebelt on and -was -brimming towards mc. . I hurried to him lest he might become ejshausted, and he took his place on the plank. Then -we spent an apxious time in the water, and after about an hour came alongside the mate's boat. I managed to get the boy aboard, but it was fully half-an-hour later before I could get in myself, as the boat was then carrying more than her complement, and she had to be trimmed up very gingerly to make room for mc. You want to know how I injured my arm. Well, when the steamer first struck 1 was at one of the ladders, and the lurch brought it down on mc, badly bruising my arm, besides straining it."

THE OVERIA-TD TRIP.

Thomas Chambers, describing the trip overland, said: "About daylight on the morning after the wreck we got ready to start for the Maori settlement of Marakopa. The majority of the men. and some of the women were without boots, and they covered their feet with canvas. We procured horses for a- man who had broken his leg. aud for Mrs. Cos, of Raglan, who was ill. The journey across the mountain was very trying, and the party soon began to spread out. The women felt the fatigue oi the journey very much, and frequently had to stop from sheer exhaustion. To add to our trials it rained heavily all the time, and the road—well, it was muddy and slippery, and full oi boles. The distance was about five miles but it seemed like thirty. The first batch arrived at the village at 11.30 o'clock and it was abont two o'clock before th< stragglers came in. The Rarawa wa: then off the beach. A boat came ashore and after considerable difficalty succeedet in getting through the surf, although ii swamped just as the keel touched the beach. Only the strong members of thi crew were taken on board the Rarawa and the others were left behind. This ii my second shipwreck. In 189S I wa' wrecked near Sydney, in the vessel Her ward."