THE WILLIAM ACKERS.

Press, Volume XXVI, Issue 3577, 26 December 1876, Page 3

THE WILLIAM ACKERS.

The Bluff correspondent of the Southland News writes on the 15th instant ac follows:—

The agents of the William Ackers here received a letter this morning from the scene of the wreck, confirming the report that the only persona saved up to 7 p m. on the 13th were Oaptain Jose, passenger, Mr Cantley, mate, and Bile;, A.B, The letter also stated that the vessel was broken . up on the beach and her cargo strewn about. None of the bodies had washed ashore. A most uncalled for elnr upon Captain Underwood of the Arawata, and the Harbor authorities here, ap pears in a looal in the Southland News of last night, purporting to be founded upon a telegram from Dunedin, which appears in the same issue. Oα reading the telegram referred to, I must con fess that I for one did not see in it the slightest grounds for making use of such remark*, and I think that when the gentleman who gave expression to them reads the following explanation, he will agree with mc, that instead of apathy being displayed by the authorities here, or cold heartedness by Captain Underwood, both deserve praise and commendation for the manner in which they acted throughout. The news of the wreck of the William Ackers reached here at 4.15 p.m on Tuesday I last, and as soon as the local agents received it, they at once communicated the came to Captain Thomson, with a view of taking steps to ascertain whether there was a possi bility of saving any of the lives of those who, at that time were only reported as missing or supposed lost. Captain Thomson at once telegraphed the Government at Dunedin, asking them to charter the 8 s Halcyon to run down to Wai papa, and explained in his telegram the paiticulars to hand, and that there' was a possibility of the wreck being on the reef, with the remainder of the crew on board, with bo means of communicating with the shore. To this telegram the Go vernment have not yet replied. In the meantime the Halcyon was telegraphed to come from Biverton to the Bluff, where she arrived at 4 am. on Wednesday. The Arawata was ready to sail for Dunedin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, but at the request of Captain Thomson, Captain Underwood, at some delay, kindly took on board the pilot boat and crew and steamed close in shore down to Waipapa point. Here Captains Thomson and Underwood scanned the reefs minutely, the Arawata going in shore as far as possible for her own eafety, and no trace of the wreck could be seen on the reefs or beach. The pilot boat was then lowered, and Captain Thomson having satisfied himself that no assistance could be rendered from seaward, sailed for the Bluff. The mere fact of Captain Thomson having risked himself and boat's crew in the open boat 25 miles at eea, with no boat harbor to run to along the coast in ca'e of shelter being required, proves, I think, a very earnest desire to have rendered speedy assistance; which anyone who knows the coast between the Bluff and Waipapa when a strong south j easter is blowing will endorse. On arrival at Dunedin Captain Underwood telegraphed Captain Thomson, informing him that the ' wrecked vessel was on the beach to the east of Waipapa, dismantled, and that be saw several men, mounted and on foot, going to her along the beach, and not, as has been reported from Danedir, a group on the wreck. Theie ia very little doubt in the minds of those who know Captain Underwood, that if the vessel had been on the reef with anyone on b wd, he would have lowered his boktaand rendered every assistance in his power; but aa he stated in his telegram, and ac it has since been proved to be the case, the wreck when the Arawata passed was higb,.on the beach, and not eccte Bible from feawaxd, bat easily agpxoaebtfi

from shore. Anyone gitiotf the matter a I moment's consideration would come to the • conclusion thstno txxtnerdid the news reach the settlement at X?jrtK»e, than a large number of the settlers wonld proceed to tbe scene to rendti any assistance requisite, so that any help from this quarter by shore would have been too late.

The following particulars rf the inquiry were telegraphed to the Daily Times, under date December 21st r^

Tbe inquiry into the wire* of the William Ackerr commenced yesterday afternoon. Alexander Joes, master mariner, said was a passenger by tbe barquet, which salted from the Bluff »t 2 o'clock ob? Monday th « 11th, in eliarge of Pflot Smith, Tbe wind was about 8. by E, a' fresh breese. The pilot went aearly as far as tthe inner booy off Tewais Poiat, and Captain LisdSay then -took charge of the deck, and steered out throngh the east channel. The captain took charge till 7 o'clock in the evening; when fee went below, leaving the first mate in charge. Witness remained'on deck till a quarter to 9, when they were about mid-channel, sis or seven miles off the Toi Toi* The same wind was blowing, bnt then decreasing. When witness went below the second raete was in charge. Witness took off oi.ly his coat and boots, bnt did not sleep till after fonr bells. He waa reused by the captain at a [quarter past 12, crying, "Joss, Jose, we are in seven or eight fathoms of water with no wind." Witness, knowing the state of the flood and the direction they were driving, replied, "Get yonr anchors clear and >et them go." Witness then heard the captsio give orders to clear the anchors and pat them ready to go, and the mate had juet passed the order to the men when the vessel stack abaft. Witness then got on deck, and the captain, after calling , to witness, bad jasfc reached the deck when the vessel stiuck. It was a dark, hazy night, bnt witness knew where they were, just near the pitch of Waipapapa, a little to the westward, and close to the reef Witness then ran aft, saw the ship was heading 8.8. W. from tbe land, and there was no wind, and that the ship was not steering. A nasty sea was comings in from the south east. Some of the men had been getting the anchors clear just as witness got on deck. The vessel struck heavily abaft tbe second time, and the captain ordered the boats to be cleared. Great exertions were made to do so, and the pinnace at last was got ready for launching. She was launched, as they saw the vessel was fast going away under them. All then got into the pinnace, as the ship was sinking rapidly, wit ness being the last to enter the boat The vessei'e beam was almost flash with the water when witness entered the pinnace, After catting the painter, which got foal, they got the pinnace partly clear, but a sea came and turned the wreck over them. The boat capsized, and they weie all thrown into the water. Then they all struggled in various ways to get back to the wreck, and at last succeeded in doing so. The longboat was then fonnd afloat among the deck cargo. After a time all got in her some way or other, bnt they found it difficult to get clear of Che wreck, as they had no oars. Witness got a piece of scantling, and with it tried to shove the boat clear, bat this failed on account of the floating about of the deck timber. At last the boat was capsized. When daylight came, witness found himself and an able seaman, Charles Biley, on the wreck, and before swimming ashore about 209 yards oS they saw a man on the beach, and afterwards found him to be Oantlay, the chief mate. Witness demurred to. answer the question whether, if he bad been in charge- of the vessel he would have eteered the same coarse as had been taken on the occasion; bat the Court insisting, in reply, he answered that he knew the coarse well, and would have pat the ship on her port tack at low 4 water and the tide would keep him to windward. Witness was the only passenger. There were eight of the ship's company lost, namely—the master, second officer, the cook and steward, and five able seamen, all young, healthy men. Iα witness's opinion every necessary precaution was need to save life. The wreck was about sixteen miles from that of the steamer Gtago. After the mate and seamen bad been examined, the Court adjourned, and on resuming this morning the evidence of two shippers of cargo was taken. | The Court again adjourned till 1.30, when the , following decision was given :—"The Court finds that the loss of the barque William Ackers was occasioned through the captain keeping the vessel too close to the land, and the loss of the captain and seven men of the crew was mainly if not entirely the result of the deck cargo getting adrift and destroying the boats."