WRECKED IN THE HARBOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 172, 20 July 1907, Page 5

WRECKED IN THE HARBOUR.

GUTTER FIOBA FOUftDEftS.

TWO LIVES LOST.

VESSEL SINKS NEAR THE

BEACH.

WITHIN 100 YARDS OF SHALLOW WATER.

Wild shrieks heard through a howling gale by a constable and a night watchman on the Devonport wharf at an early hour this morning, announced the fact that another grim tragedy of the sea was in progress, and that the crew of some helpless vessel was struggling against Fate. Presently the cries ceased, and it was evident to the watchers on the wharf that the crew had perished. Later it was ascertained that the sunken vessel was the well known harbour trading cutter Flora, owned by Mr J. J. Craig, and carrying a crew consisting of Richard Sullivan, skipper, and Thomas Clark, seaman. There may possibly have been a third man aboard; if so, he was a casual hand taken on by the skipper. The Flora, being under 25 tons register, is not required to sign on her crew at the shipping office, hence the uncertainty as to the number aboard. Mr McDonald, bootmaker, of Devonport, who formerly sailed in the Flora, states that she then only carried two, and he is confident that she would only have two aboard on her last trip.

A heavy north-easterly gale, accompanied by fierce squalls, was blowing at the time of the casualty, "and though there was a dingey aboard, it could not live in the heavy sea which was raging at the time. The sea raised by the gale was rendered much worse by the fact that there was a strong ebb tide against it, the tips being blown off the waves. It was thus impossible for a small dingey, however skilfully handled, to live even for the short distance -which would take the crew to safety.

How short that distance was was proved this morning, when the topmast of the ill-fated cutter was seen above the wateiiine, within a half a mile of the shore, and not more than a "couple of hundred yards off the sandbank which runs out to the northward of the Victoria Wharf, .and which is bare at low water. Thus, had the vessel sailed a couple of hundred yards further on before foundering, she would have grounded on the bank, with her deck above water, leaving ithe crew in absolute safety.

i The first indication of the tragedy was i received by Constable Berry, of Devon- ! port, who was ou night duty, and who wai> standing on the wharf talking to Mr Robert Hamilton, nightwatchman for the Devonport Ferry Company, at about a quarter-past three. Out of the darkness, jorne by the gale, came a sudden cry. The constable heard it first and drew the attention of Mr Hamilton to it. They went on to the deck of the steamer Kestrel, which was berthed beside the wharf, and listened. Again cries were heard, and two distinct voices could be heard. They knew that it was an appeal for help, that out in the harbour the lives of at least two people were imperilled, but no word of the shrieks could be distinguished. The night was inky black, and only the direction of the cries could be distinguished. They knew that they came from •windward and from some little distance out in the harbour. There was no "light on the vessel to indicate her exact whereabouts. The first thought of the constable and night-watchman was to launch a boat, but a fierce squall was then in progress, and they recognised that such an effort in the face of the heavy sea would be worse than futile. The steamer Rnru, engaged on the night trade between Auckland and Devonport, was then on the other side of the harbour, and no help could come from her. At Constable Berry's suggestion the night-watchman procured a lantern from below, and swung it over the side of the Kestrel to let the men know that their plight was observed. The flashing of the light drew forth more cries ior assistance, and the watchers on the wharf, unable to go to their aid, suffered agonies of mind.

Constable Berry went up to the Police Station, and roused Constable Eccles, senior constable at Devonport. On the way he could still hear the shrieks of the cutter's crew, but when he came out of the station again there was a silence.

It was about twenty-five minutes to four when the cries ceased, the cutter having then evidently settled, leaving her crew swimming in the. sea until the end came.

When the Ruru came across the harbour at half-past four o'clock her captain, Mr. Clark, was notified of the occurrence, and he steamed out in the direction whence the cries had been heard, the police accompanying him. The gale was still raging, and a heavy sea was experienced. A short distance from the wharf the topmast of the Flora was seen sticking three or four feet above the waterline. The vessel steamed round up and down on either side of the wreck, those on board calling out meanwhile in case any of the crew were clinging £o the wreckage. Nothing was seen, however, and no response was made to the cries. After cruising round till there was no further hope of discovering anybody alive, the Ruru returned to the wharf. This morning the Harbour Board's launch Kuaka and the s-s. Durham steamed up to the wreck and definitely identified her as the Flora. No sign of bodies or of the dingey could be seen. They may have been carried out to sea by the ebb 'Jde, or up the harbour by the strong wind.

The Flora left Auckland a week ago for Waiheke to bring up a cargo of shingle. She was expected to get back yesterday, but was evidently delayed, and the skipper of the cutter Gannett, sailing down to Waiheke, passed her at about two o'clock this morning in the vicinity of Bean Rock, running up to Auckland. As she now lies on the bottom, the Flora has the mainsail, jib, and flying jib set, and must have sunk soon after arriving off Devonport. She had evidently sprung a leak on the trip up, and had gradually settled untdl she became; trrnnaTrageaMe. «sd coald not be-

sailed the short distance which -wxaild have taken her crew to safety. The two hatches , drifted up the -harbour, and were found off the Queen-street wharf. The wreck was identified by Captain Campbell, ship's husband for Mr J J Craig, and Mr Sharp, ship's carpenter. Captain Brown has been in charge of the Flora for some time, but, owino- to illness, he did not make the run on"her last trip, Captain Sullivan takino- his place for the trip. Clark was a single man, and had a sister living at EUerslie.

CRIES HEARD BY RESIDENTS,

A STRONG MAN'S LAST APPEAL.

OH! MOTHER, HELP ME.

Mr. H. Grubb, who resides at Devonport within a few hundred yards of the scene of the disaster, informed a representative of this paper this morning, that he was awakened from his sleep°about twenty past three, by hearing cries. He listened and heard a man's voice calling out, "Oh, mother, help mc." He became somewhat alarmed, but thought that it was someone in the house calling out in his sleep. He then went round to various rooms, but found everyone peacefully sleeping. Afterwards he woke his younger brother up and both peered through an open window, but by that time oil was silence. "It was an awful night," concluded Mr. Grubb, "thy wind was blowing a gale and the sea was very heavy."

THE NIGHT-WATCHMAN'S STORY.

PIERCING SHRIEKS AND THEN SILENCE. Mr. Robert Hamilton, who was acting as night watchman for the Devonport Ferry Company at Devonport last night, when interrogated by a "Star" reporter this morning, said he was walking about on the wharf with Constable Berry about twenty minutes past three this morning when the latter drew his attention to an unusual sound. Mr. Hamilton thought at first that it was a whistle, but after listening a few moments he could distinctly hear two separate, well defined human voices shouting, though what they were saying he could not make out. "Later," he said, "I heard some piercing shrieks and then silence."

Continuing his narrative Mr. Hamilton said that he at once got out a lamp from the Kestrel and swung it over the upper deck of that vessel to give anyone who might be in the vicinity an opportunity of making for safety. In the meantime Constable Berry had gone for Constable Eccles, and both returned to the Kestrel. Mr. Hamilton said he strained his eyes to try and discover the whereabouts of the owners of the voices, but the night was pitch dark and nothing could be seen. There was a heavy north-easterly squall at the time and a heavy sea, making it quite impossible to launch one of the Kestrel's small boats. A little after four o'clock the Ruru came across and Constable Berry went aboard. The Ruru then went in search, and almost immediately brushed past a spar. "She then turned about and searched for signs of anyone floating about, but without success. Mr. Hamilton then kept up a search about the wharf until a quarter to six this morning, but could not see a sign of anything except the top of.-.* mast above The water. ■.

CONSTABLE ECCLES' STORY.

Constables Eceles was awakened about 3.30 o'clock this morning by Constable Berry, who informed him that the night watchman at the Devonport Ferry tee had heard cries for assistance. Constable Eceles at once went with Constable Berry to the end of the tee, and waved a light about, but could not hear anything. A heavy gale was blowing at the time. As there is no police launch at the Auckland wharf, and no direct telephone communication, the police could do nothing further until the Ruru arrived. Constable Eceles walked round the foreshore to the North Head and back to see if there were any signs of people in trouble. When the Ruru arrived, she at once went out again, and soon picked up where the boat was lying, but no dingey could be seen, or any sign of the craw. Constable Eceles' impression is that the man left the boat in the dingey, which swamped owing to the heavy gale. The police watched the beaches until daylight, and about 8 aon. got the Harbour Board launca and went off to the Flora.