BELIEVED LOST.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18147, 9 August 1924, Page 12

BELIEVED LOST.

FATE OF EIPPLE. BODY WASHED ASHORE. LIFEBOAT AND WRECKAGE ON BEACH. (PEBS9 ASSOCIATION TELSGEAK.) WELLINGTON, August S. in connexion with the missing steamer Ripple, though the worst is feared as a result of the finding of a body and a boat near Flat Point, which is 40 to 50 miles up the coast from Cape Palliser, there is yet a bare hope that the steamer may be running before the gale, which probably has now abated at sea. It is suggested that tho derelict boat and the man's body may have been the result of an attempt to communicate with the shore. The police now aro organising a search of the coastline for any other signs of boats or men. So far as is known in Wellington, the following is the personnel of the Ripple: — Captain J". A. Norling has his resi-

dence in Wellington. Mr Nicholson, chief officer, 13 unmarried. The second officer, Mr D. McAllister, holds a master's ticket, and has at various times been in command of vessels of Richardson and Company's fleet. He is married, his home being in Napier. He signed on recently as "relieving officer.'' v The chief engineer, Mr J. B. Neilson, joined the Ripple about a month ago to take the place of the late Mr J. Glover, who died in Wellington on Wednesday evening. Mr Neilson's home is at Johnsonville, and he is married. The second engineer, Mr W. J. Meban, is married, and lives in Murphy street, Wellington. , Tho vessel's complement also includes five able seamen, two firemen, a cool: and a steward, the majority of whom have their homes in Napier. As the crew signed on at Napier, full details of members of the crew are not available, but it is known that the crew includes the following:— B. Johansen, A.8., single. 0. Dyedale, A.8., married, living at Napier. B. Gustaffson, A.8., single. E. Williamson, A.8., married, living at Norway street, Wellington. W. R. Bruce, A.8., single. P. C. Cavcy, A.8., single, living in Newtown, Robert Nelson, fireman, single, living in Wellington. J. Way, fireman, thought to be married, living in Wellington. John Offer, fireman, Grafton road, Boseneath, is a married man, about 45 years of age, with no children. He is well known on the West Coast, where he was a miner for many years, and latterly took to seafaring, A statement was published that Mr Barton, jun., of Trenthum, was a passenger. This, however, is incorrect. He went to Napier on the previous trip, and intended returning in the Ripple when she came back this time. Mr Charles Cameron, of Flat Point, telephoned this afternoon that a boat and a body had been found by a rabbiter on the beach.. Tho boat bore the name Bipplc, and the body was a seaman's. The Ripple is a single-screw steamer of 413 tons gross, 141 ft long, with a beam of 24ft and a depth of lift 3in. She was built in 1905, for the Canterbury Steamship Company, and was bought by Richardson and Company 14 years ago and engaged in the Welling-ton-East Coast wool and produce trade. From Cape Palliser to Flat Point the coastline is low, with sandy, shingly beaches, rocky points extending at intervals for some distance off-shore, rendering the whole stretch dangerous for anything navigating close inshore. The first landing is at Riddiford's Station at Tora, 40 miles from Capo Palliser. Castlepoint, twenty miles further on, offers some shelter, but this would not be of very much value in the face of tho ' south-easterly gale whioh was reported to bo raging along the coast and about Flat Point yesterday and last night. As stated yesterday, telephone communication with Cnpo Palliser was lost after the bare announcement of tho Bipple's peril was got through. Had this connexion been maintained, it is possible the Mararoa could have been advised' by wireless of the derelict steamer's position so long as the latter remained in sight of the lighthouse. The trawler Futurist, which is searching, may, if she picks up the Ripple, tow her on to Napier. As neither vessel carries wireless, nothing will be known till she reaches Napier, unless she can signal some sheep station along tho coast.

The worst of the storm now seems to have passed. Actually its full force was not experienced in the Dominion, the centre being off the coast, and probably of a very bad type. The Kuahino may have been included in it, and is not now expected till this evening. The heaviest seas for many years broke on the shores of Lyall Bay and Island Bay. The barometer has now risen considerably all over the Dominion.

The Ripple carried two passengers from Wellington named Taylor and P. Lendan. Taylor was employed as accountant by A. D. Riley and Co., Ltd., engineering importers, Wellington. He is married, but no details as to his family are available at present. Littlo is known here of Lendan. He booked a passage by the Ripple for Napier. The ship carried a full cargo, the largest cargo carried by her for months, the total freight being 450 tens for Naoier and Gisborne, portion of transhipments by the Port Curtis, Tahiti and Moerafi. Beyond the fact tnat a man s. body was washed ashore and the beaches were being searcned, Captain Petersen, representative of the owners, has received no further news. The search" steamers report having seen nothing.

With regard to the Mararoa's search for the Ripple. Captain Sewell, when seen yesterday, had little to add to the account already published. He first received- a witless message shortly after 2 a.m. on Thursday. The Eipple had no doubt got a message through to Cape Palliser .lighthouse by Mors? lamp. The Mararea received a sovere tossing about while searching for the stricken vessel. Captain Sewell said the wind on the run up from Lyttelton 7/as dead southerly. Nearing Cape Palliser, the wind, following the contour of the land, was scutb-east. This, with the easterly set there, would tend to keep the Hippie c ff-shore for a while, but unless rescued in the meantime she v.'ould eventually drift towards Flat Point, and might go aeccrc there.

DISCOVERY OF BODY. ] SHIP EVIDENTLY ABANDONED. (SPECIAL TO "*HX PEB3S.") MASTERTON, August 8. Prom the wreckage picked up on the East Coast, it is apparent that the Eipplc has foundered. The first sign of anything amiss was discovered by a Flat Point rabbiter this morning, vrho found at about 11 o'clock a lifeboat cast up on the beaeh near tho landing stage. The boat is 20 feet long and bears the name s.s. Ripple, Napier. It was fully laden with provisions and two oars were secured under the seat. Two holes in the bottom afforded evidence of a heavy grounding either on the beach or on the" rocks. Further along _ the beach four more oars were found, indicating, it is believed, that the boat left the ship fully manned. Searching still further along the beach, the rabbiter discovered the body of a seaman clothed in a singlet, shirt, and blue jersey. With the exception of cashmere socks, the body was unclothed from th<3 waist downwards. It was that of a man apparently between oo aim uU years of age, with long red hair and signs of baldness in front. The face was clean shaved, but the eyebrows were very heavy- The man was powerfully built, and from sft 7in to sft Sin in height. Both arms were tattooed, the left bearing an anchor, cross, and heart intertwined, and the right a woman holding a fla S- - , Searching tho Beach.

Upon finding these evidences of a tragedy the rabbiter 'immediately informed Mr C. A. Cameron, of Fin* Point, who at once communicated witn xhe notice at Masterton. The station hand's without delay commenced a careful search of the beach some distance south of where the body was discovered. A short mast, apparently belonging to the lifeboat, was found. A little further south, an airtight comoartment hnd been washed up, and close at hand were some boxes which, however, bore no marks to determine whether they came from the Ripple. When the body was found the loins were encircled by a lifebelt, which had either been forced downwards by the buffeting of the waves, or had not been pub on properly. The former theorv is the moro likely, as the Rhoulder straps were fastened and broken.

Thick Weatfier Off Shore. The api>earance of the lifeboat and wreckage suggest that the Ripple was abandoned, and that the crew took to the boats. If there are any still at sea their position must be precarious in the extreme, as they would be exposed for 24 hours at least to the force of the biting southerly which is still blowing. The opinion here is that the "Ripple met with disaster on Thursday evening somewhere south of Flat Point, and that the strong northerly current is responsible for bringing the wreckage and boat to Flat Point. Owing to the thick weather that has prevailed for days past, it has been imnossible to see anything from the shore. This afternoon the coasts were thoroughly searched for a distance of five miles from the wreckage, but no trace of any other bodies has been found. It is, of course, possible that the wrecked boat is one that tried to make communication with the land, and the Ripple is still at sea; but considering the weather that has prevailed this is rather unlikely. When the body was recovered it was noticed that the limbs and one side of the head were very badly bruised as if by severe contact with rocks. A tin of lamp oil was 1 found not far from the boat.

Late to-night information was received at Plat Point from White Rock station that 10 barrels of tar and portions of a ship's hatchway had been found on the beach, indicating that the vessel met with trouble some distance south of Flat Point. . It is about 40 miles from Plat Point to White Rock. Tho "Age" communicated with White Bock later and ascertained that this report was correct.

The Masterton police, in charge of Sergeant Sweemey, were taken out to Flat Point by Mr J. 0. Pinhey and were joined on the way by a detachment from Carterton. Their operations are being* conducted along the coast from Flat Point. Constable Bethelsen, from Tinui, is taking eharge of the Bearch from Castlcpoint South southward, and the soldier settlers at Mataikona ar<j searching the beach this morning northwards as far as Aohanga. It will be low tide about daylight. The Martinborough polioo have arranged for two parties to go out, one of which will go north and the other proceed south as far as Pallisc'r Bay. The station owners all along the coast and their hands are taking an active part in the search. Few Wrecks c-n tbo Coast.

Though the East Coast is not a very hospitable region from tb.e mariner's point of view, .there have not been many wrecks on this portion of it. It is about 30 years since tho Kiwi, a small steamer chartered by Levin and Company, foundered about 10 miks south of Flat Point. She had been into Glenbourne landing aud while coming out struck one of the shelves of rock, which at this point are about three mile 3 from the shore'. No lives were lost.

There is a very strong northerly current along the East Coast. The strength of this drift was -evident, when the Ohau sank in Cook Strait about SO years ago. Tho' first wreckago from her was found on tho beach ut l'iverscL.Tq finu Mataikona, which are more than 100 miles from the Strait,

In view of the strength of the current, the coast will be carefully searched as far north as the Aohanga river. Mr McAllister, who was acting as second in the Ripple, was a comparatively old man. Ho was the only survivor of the crew of five of a small vessel which was wrecked off Cni>e 'iurnagain many years ago. He had a master's certificate and brought out the trawler Nora Niven, and the Toroa. which lie commanded in the Chatham Islands trade for some years. The statement that Mr Barton was on board as a passenger is not cor-r«r-t. Mr Barton is at- present in Napier. FURTHER WRECKAGE. (PP.SS3 ASSOCIATION TEWGEIM.; NAPIER, August 8. Advice has been received in Napier that two of the Ripple's hatches and ten casks, part of her deck cargo, have been washed ashore at "White Rock, 20 miles south of Flat Point. The Ripplo carried 500 tons of cargo for Napier chiefly transhipments ex the Port Curtis from London. 0. Dyedale, mentioned hi the Wellington telegram as one of the crew signed off on the last trip. The company does not at present know ot the men named Bruce and lhomasen, and it is thought here that Robert Nelson signed on in Wellington tor the present trip. W. C. Squires, the cook, who was shipped at Wellington, jastWe The