STRANDING OF THE S.S. TRIUMPH.

Press, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5680, 1 December 1883, Page 3

STRANDING OF THE S.S. TRIUMPH.

m I EXTRAORDINARY PARTICULARS. I

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.] AUCKLAND, November 30. Great excitement was caused in town this morning by the report, which obtained speedy circulation, to the effect that Messrs Shaw SavUle and Co.'s direct steamer Triumph had gone ashore at Tiritiri. That it was substantiaUy correct was/however, soon proved beyond a doubt. A resident at the North Shore brought intelligence that not only was the vessel hard and fast on one side of Tiritiri, but that she had been firing guns since daylight, while the flagstaff at Mount Victoria only too clearly showed a signal denoting a steamer in distress. It was well known that the Triumph had left Queen street wharf about 8 o'clock last night, PUot WUliam Burgess being in charge. The night was a dear starlight one, and there could be no difficulty outside' in seeing land on either hand. This fact inclined people to doubt the statement that the vessel was ashore at Tiritiri, it being considered highly improbable that she would have run on to an island which must have loomed up large, and on which there iB always a bright light burning. When the report of the catastrophe waa made known it was remembered as a most fortunate circumstance that the emigrants for the South were shipped on the Manapouri yesterday, consequently the excitement in town was not heightened by fears for the safety of the passengers. From the vessel's papers it appeared there was only one passenger aboard, and he was a Mr Thompson, who had come through with the steamer from London, and was bound South. The Triumph had of course a considerable quantity of cargo, shipped at the commencement of the voyage, for WeUington, Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, and in addition to this, about twenty-two bales of wool, three bales of basU leather, besides some curioa and pictures, taken on at Auckland. Although the accident muat have happened about ten o'clock laat night nothing was known of it here until this morning at daybreak, John Sanders, signalman, made his customary inspection of the entrance to the harbor, when he was astonished to observe a large steamer close in shore on the eastern-side of Tiritiri. It was apparent at once that she was injudiciously near to the land, and various indications favored the conclusion she was aground. There was no means of ascertaining the name of the unfortunate ship, but he at once despatched a message to Captain Burgess, .Chief Harbor-master, informing him of the circumstances.. There was at this time a signal at Tiritiri station for a steamer to come down, and Captain Burgess at once made the necessary arrangement for chartering the North Shore Ferry Company's Victoria. Steam waa got up on board, and the Victoria left early in the forenoon under the charge of Captain Clark, and having Captains Burgess and Nearing on board. The Victoria returned at noon. Mr Thompson, a passenger by the Triumph, came to Auckland by her. Mr Thompson says he was asleep at the time of the occurrence. The steamer left the wharf about eight o'clock, and soon after ten o'clock he was awakened by her striking hravUy. The shock naturally created a great deal of excitement on board, especially when it'was found that water was making fast. The captain was on the bridge at the time, and the pUot had left more than an hour previously. When she struck the steamer was going at the rate of eleven mUes per hour. When he left there waa about 12ft of water in the small fore compartment, which had struck. Bluelights and rockets were burned during ihe night for assistance, and this morning guns _rere fired. m# ;: ; Captain Clark states the Triumph is lying on the south-east end of Tiritiri. She is fixed on the rocks under the southeast point, and on the fair way for the lighthouse.- She struck at the foremost tight compartment, which is now partiaUy filled with water. Captain Burgess, after taking soundings advised that cargo should be taken out of the forehold and placed aft, so as to lighten her as much as possible forward, in the hope that she might be got to float off. Thia was to be done when the Victoria left. There is 17ft of water abaft the fore rigging on the inner side, while there could not be le__ than seventeen fathoms under the stern. -_~_. The Government steamer Stella left for the scene at two o'clock, with a cutter in tow. The"Macgregor went down later. These vessels wiU render any assistance required in the way of removing cargo or towage. Mr Seed, of the Customs Department, Mr HUI, and Capt. Burgess went j down in the SteUa. Messrs Nathan and Co., ships' agents, sent down ketches for lightering the cargo. The Waitaki, coming from Wangarei, stood in to Tiritiri and offered assistance, but Capt. Brotherton declined. He offered no explanation of the cause of the casualty, probably reserving his evidence for a Court of Inquiry. The "Star" to-night says—"The disaster to the steamer Triumph to-day is certainly the most extraordinary casualty we have ever read of. By what cenceivable error the vessel's head could have been Ipointed on a fine night straight for a large island with a lighthouse on it, ire cannot conjecture, and until the official enquiry has thrown some light on the subject it would be improper to make any comment. The fact, however, remains that the ordinary course of steamers bound South should have taken it at least six mUes away from Tiritiri in a perfectly open passage with no danger anywhere. Why the vessel was driven headlong on Tiritiri within an hour after the pUot left her, is a myßtery which the officers of the vessel h _ye as yet declined to explain to anyone who has visited the ship in her present dangerous [position. Captain Burgess. Harbor Master, who went down to the Triumph states that he considers it a bad position, more especiaUy if it were to blow from tiie northwest. She is lying about 60ft from the cUffs, and close O-T-he south-east end of Tintin, on the rocks. Her fore compartment is fun of water. He considers the only chance to get her off is to shift the cargo and put her down aa much as P°«fflWte *f «£• stem. He made an but cS not discover if .any,of the other compartments were injured. Be-aid-a tbi-Z-oundings whiA were otwaterunder the *<««£*££ 18ftat the beginning _«_ at tbh end*of the-flain baton, and 77ft at _he -tern of theveeseL The captain

(informed the Harbor-Master that he was on deck when the steamer struck, but he , could give no explanation regarding the C-UsnalTy." Cart-in Hopkins, of tbe b__ _er Blanche, arrived from Or.wa, and made the foUowing statement to the " Star" reporter r— " I was coming from Orewa in the Blanche early this morning, when I observed over the end of Tiritiri the steamer's mast, with distress signal on it. I hove away in that direction, and found that the steamer was the Triumph, and that she was ashore on the island. Those aboard began to fire guns, and continued to do so until I got within half a mile of them, firing about half-a-dozen guns altogether. I steamed right across the passage, and under the __iu_iph's stern. She was jammed right on to the eastern corner of Tiritiri, so that when she struck she must have been going north-north-west, whUe she should reaUy have been heading north-east. Her bow was right on to the rocks, within twenty-five yards of the cliff. I went alongside, and asked if I could give them any assistance. They told mc the captain was below and I went aboard and asked him if I could do anything for him, but he replied the Harbor Master would be there presently, so that he did not want any assistance just then. Although I had gone three mUes oat of my way he did not even say " Thank yon." I went forward and had a look at the forehold. It was partly fiUed with water, and there was a lot of broken timber, which I suppose was emigrant fittings, floating about. There was about 14ft of water in the compartment, but as it was dirty I could not see if the rocks were through the bottom. On the port bow there was a lot of broken rock, one peak not having more than 4ft of water over it. After the Harbor Master had made his sounding I asked the captain again if he wanted any assistance. He replied,' No.' I left at a quarter past eleven. The third mate told him that the capt.in was on deck at the time of the occurrence. Blue lights were sent up for assistance during the night. They had a kedge out over the quarter, or wire rope, but it was not weU out, being at an angle of 45. Captain Hopkins added that the steamer had -no business within five mUes of where she struck. Later. The steamers Stella and MacGregor have returned from the stranded Triumph at Tiritiri, and report that a jutting point of the reef is piercing through the bottom of the vessel just at the foremast, and the vessel is swinging on the rock with the forehold full of water, but the after compartment is uninjured, as she is afloat aft. The railway material is being shifted from the forehold to lighten her forward and deepen her astern. The cargo is being lightered as speedily as possible. Fears are entertained that she wUI not be got off. Fortunately the weather remains fine. The steamers Rose Casey and Argyle, and the schooners Vixen and Golden Isle leave for the island to lighter the cargo. The second mate of the Triumph was only shipped yesterday. Captain Broth°rton seems completely dazed with his misfortune. He is reported te have said that after discharging the pUot off Rangitoto Reef he stood down towards Tiritiri Ughthouse to get a good effing, and then lay his course for Cape ColviUe. He yvas some five mUes out of the usual course, and the vessel is lying within some 300 yards of the lighthouse. At low water people can walk from the Triumph on to tiie reef and go ashore.