SCOW WRECKED.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19363, 16 July 1928, Page 8

SCOW WRECKED.

CASTAWAYS ON WAVEBEATEN ROCK.

RESCUED BY TOFUA,

[THE PBEBS Special Service.]

AUCKLAND, July 15.

Four castaway seamen who had been clinging for twelve hours to Canoe Rock, a notorious danger spot in flauraki Gulf, managed by signals to attract the attention of the Tofua soon after the commencement of her voyage to Suva yesterday afternoon, and were brought back to Auckland by the steamer before she resumed her outward voyage. Their ship, the scow iiterald, bound from ■ Whangarei to Coromandel, struck the rock in the early hours of yesterday morning, but soon afterwards floated away on her own accord, and ij now a derelict somewhere at sea, a, menace to shipping. It was dark when the vessel hit the rock, but an automatic light installed on it was burning. The scow was tackiiig in a southerly direction against a strong head wind, and when close to the rock, missed stays when going about. During the few moments in which the ship was out of hand, her sails helpless in the wind, a squall drove her side on to the rock, which she struck with a grinding crash. It was in the expectation that the vessel would quickly break up that the crew abandoned the ship. The master of the Herald was Captain E. Sellars, of Edinburgh street, Newton, and there were three seamen with him, H. Hansen, R. Frodig, and J. Davies. After being taken on board the Tofua they were transferred to a launch outside the Rangitoto beacon, and were landed in Auckland soon after dark.

"We left Onerahi about 1 p.<n. on Friday with the wind blowing in squalls from the south-west, and we had to reef down," said Captain Sellars, who,, with Seaman Hansen, was on deck when the accident happened. "At 3 o'clock in the morning we were sailing close hauled clown the eastern coast of Kawau Island, trying to keep in to shore to have the benefit of smoother water. In coming about W6 missed stays. The ship was in irons for some moments, and during that time we were driven by squalls on to the rock. From the sound of the crash I should say the hull was damaged fairly badly. "It was blowing hard, and to save the vessel from being driven with greater force on to the rock, we dropped her sails. She seemed to be fast on, so we lowered ourselves to the rock from the .fore boom. We could not lower the ship's boat, because it was at the side facing the rock. It must have been three-quar-ters of an hour afterwards that a squall coming up suddenly from a different quarter drifted the ship off.'' In the darkness, with blinding spray enveloping the rock, the four men had little chance of seeing anything at all. Knowing their ship was gone, all they could do was to Jiang on until daylight, hoping then to attract the notice of a passing steamer. Canoe Rock is only 4ft above high r water mark, and in weather like that of yesterday is drenched with lifting seas, which render a foothold difficult. There is no shelter, beyond that which is furnished by the tower carrying the light, and the remains of the old beacon.

The men saved nothing from the ship, and had neither food nor water with them'. Before the Tofua picked them up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon three vessels passed within easy distance of the rock without seeing the marooned men. They had begun to despair of being picked up that day when the Tofua, which left Auckland soon after midday with passengers,. mail ; and cargo for the islands, hove in sight. One of the men climbed to the top of the light tower, and waved a shawl frantically. The Tofua passed' on, and it was thought she had failed to see the signal, when, to the great joy of the shipwrecked men, she turned and lowered a boat. Owing to the heavy sea running, considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the boat close enough to the rock to take the men off, but the feat was accomplished successfully. On board the steamer the men were given food and hot drinks, their first for 22 hours. * The Herald was a wooden vessel of 73 tons register, built at Auckland in 1892. and owned by Mr A. W. Bryant, coal, lime, cement, and shingle merchant.

As the drifting derelict is deemed to be a menace to navigation, the trawler Simplon was dispatched at 4 a.m. today (Sunday) to attempt Jo locate it.

WRECKED TRAWLER SOLD.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION . TELEQBAK.)

AUCKLAND, July 15. The wrecked trawler Thomas Bryan, owned by Sanford, Ltd., which was driven ashore near Cape Colville durjng stormy weather on June 10th, has been sold to a syndicate, who intend to salvage the wreck. A salvage party has left for the scene.