HOPE FOR ALL HANDS

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1922, Page 5

HOPE FOR ALL HANDS

RESCUE WMiK AT WRECKED WILTSHIRE

SEVERAL OF THE CREW LANDED

SPLENDID WORK BY THE SHORE PARTIES.

THE PHiLOMjEL'S MEN NOW ON THE SCENE.

ALL EXPECTED OFF BY THIS AFTERNOON

After the gloomy news that came through all yesterday frfbm the wrecked Wiltshire, which seemed to be doomed,, the good news of to-day will cause all the greater relief. The tragic fate of the big cargo boat has caused a wonderful wave of sympathy right through the Dominion, and in Auckland the emotion was profound. Owing to the storm-swept character of the spot where she went asfeore on the southern end of the Great Barrier, and owing to the fact that the easterly gale showed no signs of abiding, the outlook for the crew of 103 officers and men aboard was of the blackest.

At first it was reported that the wreck lay only fifty yards from the shore, and the chance of getting connection with the land looked good, but it now turns out that she is about 300 yards off, with a boiling sea between hqr and the iron-bound shore.

In spi|e of the almost superhuman difficulties communication, was established with the settlers and sailors from the Katoa, who had gathered on the shore by means of a line, which was floated ashore through the turbulent sea.

After several hours' work four men were pulled ashore, ar«d then the night put a stop to any further rescue wock. In the meantime, the men from H.M.s. Philomel, who took down complete gear, including breeches' E>uoys, landed at Tryphena from the Moeraki, and, lost r#a time in organising a third relief party—two others having already been sent overland by the Katoa.

The Tiluejackets reached the scene of the wreck this morning, got into communication with the wreck, and several more of the crew of the Wiltshire have been brought ashore. The weather is said to be moderating, and the rescuers expect to have all the people off the wreck by this afternoon.

HOW SHIPWRECKED MEN WERE SAVED

A LIFE LINE FLOATED TO THE SHORE.

STRENUOUS WORK BY THE LAND PARTIES.

Very few people imagined that any living soul would get ashore from the trreck of the big Federal Company's 12,000-ton Home cargo steamer Wiltshire, which ran ashore at Rosalie Bay at the south end of the Groat Barrier. The news yesterday was so gloomy, especially after the -waves battered the after end of the, vessel until she broke in two, just aft of the bridge; the crew of over ninety men being left to cling to the bow, which fortunately had driven hard up on a ledge of rook, and held fast in spite of the terrific seas which, without interruption, swept over the ship's decks, which being of the type known as flush offered not the slightest shelter. It was therefore with feelings of surprise as well as pleasure that Auckland, in fact one may say Xew Zealand, for the telegrams show that the terrible fate of the big cargo boat just on the last sixty miles of her long journey has excited intensr- interest throughout the Dominion, learned that the apparently impossible task of establishing communication between the remnants of the once splendid ship and the shore had been accomplished, and that four men had been saved late yesterday afternoon. This news did not come through -until shortly after eight last night, the delay being accounted for by the rugged nflture of the country between Rosalie Bay, where the wreck lice, and Port Tryphena, on the south-west end of the island, which is the nearest place on the telephone which crosses to Cape Colville by a short cable. THE DIFFICULTIES OF RESCUE WORK. TllP "Star's" special reporter who went down to the wreck on the Harbour Board's tug Te Awbina, and subsequently landed at Port Tryphena, where the rescue parties from the Union Company's Katoa were put ashore, as being the nearest sheltered place to the scene of the wreck, telephoned this morning at seven o'clock that there was terrible disappointment ashore last night when the work of rescue bad to be abandoned owing to the awful state of the sea and the coming on of the swift winter night. • The first people ashore who tried to get into touch with the wreck were settlers and the first party landed from the Katoa. For a long time they could do nothing but watch the great bow of the ship, lying with a steep list to starboard, and pity the drenched sailors clinging to the rigging or any part of the vessel that offered a safe hold. From time to time cries from the apparently doomed men could be heard above the raging of the storm, and the watchers ashore felt maddeningly helpless. COMMUNICATION ESTABLISHED WITH SHORE. Communication was eventually established in what seems a very simple manner, but was not so simple as it sounds, for though a terrible sea was pounding in it frequently happens that anything cast into such a turmoil is tossed about fur hours Ix-fore it eventually reaches the shore. At first it was reported that the wreck was only fifty yards from the shore, but Mr. George Todd. the settler who lives nearest to the wreck, and was the first man to reach the cliffs above the wreck and hail the shipwrecked people, says that be estimates the wreck is 300 yards from the shore. One of the sailors on the Wiltshire had pluckily tried to swim ashore with a line, but the feat was beyond human skill, and after he had been buffeted about by the cruel sea that tumbled against the ship and rushed shoreward, those on board hauled their brave companion back again. Then' an attempt was made to float a line from the ship to the shore. After repeated efforts the sailors had the joy of seeing the buoy to which the line was attached reach the shore, and there it was secured by the watchers on the shore. '

A cheer went up, and hope rose for the first time after hours of the blackest despair. Xot only to the men aboard the ship, but to the helpless people ashore, who had to wait hour after hour looking down ■» one of the mo«i ippaUing Eeenes it is possible to iinasi"^

THE FIRST MAN ASHORE. When this'slight line -was secured by the shore party it was used to send to the ship an endless rope, the ends of which could be worked from the shore, as the men on the wreck had quite enough to do in clinging on, and doing whatever was necessary to secure the bight of the rope that was sent from shore. After what seemed ages, for this work was of the most difficult nature, owing to the boiling sea. that was sent thundering in before the storm, the first man was hauled through the sea alive and reached the shore. This fortunate person was followed at intervals by three others. NIGHT INTERRUPTS RESCUE WORK. All this time the precious daylight was waning fast, and when the black winter night fell swiftly with only four men saved out of 103, the shore party were plunged into despair at having to abandon the rescue work. With such a sea raging it was impossible to do anything in the dark, and they wore compelled to pass the night in a helpless manner, but still watching. The rescued men were taken over the rough bush track of some four miles, which is the only communication between Rosalie Bay and Trypbena, and there they were splendidly looked after by the settlers. The ninety-nine men who were left clinging to the wreck must have passed an awful night, and their suffering must have been almost beyond endurance. MORE EFFORTS TO RENDER HELP. At seven o'clock this morning another rescue party was landed from the Katoa. All travelled light, says our special reporter, owing to the nature of the track, and the necessity for speed. They set out under the guidance of local settlers, and had a rough time before they reached Rosalie Bay. Yesterday the gale was so violent that the Te Awhina, although she was within 250 yards of the wreck, a feat which means powerful engines and perfect seamanship on the part of the skipper, hadn't the slightest chance of establißhing connection with her, and returned to Tryphena, This morning at 10.38 the Te Awhina made another attempt to see if anything could be done from seaward. Taking food and water and a coil of Manila rope, she put out from the shelter of Tryphena and steamed round to the wreck. It was again hopeless, however, as a heavy sea was still running and a hard galo blowing. Finding it was useless tossing about there any longer, the tug went back to Tryphena, and sent word to the Harbour Master (Captain H. H. Sergeant) that nothing could be done from the eea. In the meanwhile the party of bluejackets from H.M.s. Philomel, under an officer, who were landed yesterday afternoon from the Jioeraki, which called in at the island on her way to Sydney, had been busy, and lost no time in organising relief. This party consisted of an officer and 16 men, fully trained in the work of rescue, stretcher-bearers, etc., and is equipped with two sets of breeches-buoy gear •— one from the Cable Co.'s steamer Iris and the other from H.M.s. Philomel.

The breeches buoy In use at the wreck is operated in <hp rollowlnp way:— A rocket with a thin line attached Is fired across the bows or the wrecked vessel, and this Is immediately taken by one- or the crew. At a signal the line Is hauled away until a tailed block with an endless fall rove through It. known as the whip line. Is brought aboard. The block Is made fast to the best place that can be found as long as the lines do not get chafed on the wreck, a hawser Is then hauled aboard from the. shore', and when it Is made taut about 18 Inches above the whip line a sling lifebuoy Is pulled to the ship. This will hold one person, and he is pulled tn the shore by the people on thi* shore, and the buoy again returned to the ship.