BARQUE WOOLLAHRA ASHORE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 167, 15 July 1907, Page 5

BARQUE WOOLLAHRA ASHORE.

CHEW'S PERILOUS EXPERT- - ENCE. SUPPOSES LOSS OP LIFE. CAPTAIN DECLINES TO LEAVE THE SKIP. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Woollahra, which left Wellington for Sydney, via Kaipara, is ashore near Terawhiti.

She struck the rocks about 300 yards off shore at. midnight, during a heavy rainstorm.

The lifeboat was swung out, but it was smashed by a falling mast. On the advice of Captain Anderson, the officers and crew stuck to the ship for some time, and at the end of four hours all on board, with the exception, of the captain and two able seamen, named McNaughton and King, had left the ship in a dingey, which came to grief on a rock about 100 yards off the beach.

Some of the men swam from there to the shore, taking with them a rope, by means of which the others were hauled ashore.

Subsequently, King and McNaughton jumped overboard, and started to swim to the beach. King landed safely, but McNaughton stopped on a rock halfway, and he has not been seen since.

The captain declined to leave the vessel, but it is not yet known whether he is still alive.

The Marine Department sent the steam tug Duco to the scene of the wreck at noon with food and clothing for the shipwrecked men.

A supply of provisions has also been sent by a pack-horse in case the Duco cannot effect a landing.

The Woollahra was an iron barque of 940 tons, and was owned by the Woollahra Shipping Company, Ltd, of Sydney. Formerly she was engaged in the trade between Sydney and the American coast, and for the last twelve months has been carrying coals from Newcastle and Kaipara, and thence timber back to Sydney. Quite recently this vessel was reported to be ashore near the Kaipaxa. The report proved a canard,_ and the barque arrived safely at Wellington, about a week later.