CAPE MARIA WRECK.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 53, 4 March 1926, Page 8

CAPE MARIA WRECK.

, ' LOSS OF STEAMER KARU. NIGHT ON SINKING SHIP. GREAT BATTLE IX THE SURF. CBy Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") I AWAM:I. this day. • - The survivors from the wreck of the ' ' steamer Karu near Cape Maria Van : Diemen on Sunday arrived at Awanui .last night, and are now quartered at the ; 1 Awanui Hotel, having been brought "5 j miles by motor car down the Ninety I ZMile Beach. All ten members of the I party are well, and report having been jvery hospitably treated by Mr. and Mrs. |L. Keene, of Te Paki station, who sent ' J relief and sheltered the party when their plight became known. Up to the time when they left Te Paki station yesterday, nothing more ■ had been seen of Mr. Ravenswood. An {inquest was held at the station touching ; ■ the death of Mr. Sounders, Mr. CheeseI man acting as coroner, and Constable jThornell. of Ilouhora, acting for the police. The coroner's finding was that i the unforutnate seaman had met his death by accidental drowning. After the inquest the body of the unfortunate man . was removed from its temporary grave, ■ and taken to the cemetery at Te Hapua j for interment. | ' Sinking in a Storm. It is a story of a tremendous battle ; for life by the whole ship's company betwen sunset on Saturday and 10 a.m. lon Sunday that the survivors had to tell, j • J Captain Richmond stated that the light 1 , north wind which was blowing when ! they steamed but from YVhangape on •Saturday morning shifted in the afterj noon to the south-west, and they preI pared for bad weather. By sundown on Saturday a gale was blowing while the ! ship tried to make sufficient offing to (get round Cape Reinga to the shelter of I Spirits Bay or Parengarenga. While the vessel was hove-to with this purpose, it was found that tlie ship had sprung a leak and that an unusual I quantity of water ivas in the engineiroom and hold. The steam pumps were started, but thej- failed to keep the water down, and after having vainly tried for i three hours to round "Cape Reinga, the 6hip was put about at 3 a.m. to run for land, with the water in the hold and engine room making headway until the vessel became almost unmanageable. In seven hours the steamer developed a -list and was down by the stern. Then ' , the engine room became so flooded that I c.c boiler fires went out, and all hope of saving the ship was abandoned. j Overturned in the Surf. > Life-belts were issued, and a sail was hoisted with a hope of possibly being I able to beach the ship on Twilight Beach, I but this was offset by a strong outward i tide carrying the ship to the rocks. Within three miles of the shore one of , the ship's lifeboats was launched on & ' ! great wave, and got away safely with I all twelve men in it. This was just ; before 10 a.m., when the steamer was j I nearly awash. Rowing over the heavy ! seas the party got safely to the surf, and : j were half-way through it when an uni usually heavy sea turned them over. j Nothing further was seen of Mr. Frank I Saunders. and it is conjectured that he ! was struck either by the boat or by a ■ J Hying oar. Some of the crew had the ■ greatest difficulty in getting clear of the boat, being carried under her. Mr. Ravenswood was seen swimming for a> time, but he never reached the land. iOf the other ten a lad, Dennis Cochrane, was first to reach the shore. All had a desperate struggle in the' breakers, several of them being stripped ; of every shred of clothing by the heavy, wash, and all of them being in the last i stages of exhaustion when they finally I i landed. J j • j They had nothing to eat, and had had ' nothing since tea on Saturday. The j existence of Te Paki station a few j miles away was unknown, and the cap- , tain sent out the mate, Mr. Keith, with = four others, to reach Parenga for help, j while he and the others camped on the' - I beach for Sunday night. A'ext rnornin°a they set out to look for assistance, and ". young Cochrane found the station home!t stead. The mate and his party slept - ° ut on Monday night, and next day found -, le Hapua, and were conducted by the s . local storekeeper, Mr. Cheeseman, to Te j i Paki station. Search parties went out - j but were unable to find any trace of Mr. .5 ; Kavenswood. - i As mentioned by cable from Sydney ~ last night, the Karu was bought by a Captain Watchliu for £1500 in Sydney _ f and insured for £2100, but after pur3. I chase she had been refitted and ret- conditioned at Auckland and Sydney at i a cost of about £2000 before being a«ain IV put into commission and insured As a c consequence the owner estimates that his y lo*s by the wreck is about £3000.