Wairarapa sailed at high speed through thick fog to one of New Zealand’s worst maritime disasters

Press, 16 June 1979, Page 16

Wairarapa sailed at high speed through thick fog to one of New Zealand’s worst maritime disasters

By

JOHN LESLIE

New Zealand’s coastline has seen its full share of maritime tragedies — some of which have stunned the nation When the Union Steam Ship Company's intercolonial passenger steamer Wairarapa met disaster on October 29, 1894, one mile east of Miner’s Head. Great Barrier Island, the sea claimed 121 lives. It was a national calamity. Only two New Zealand maritime disasters have each claimed more lives. These were the loss of H M.S. Orpheus on Manu!:au Bar. in February. 1863 (189 lives lost) and the Union Steam Ship Company’s passenger steamer Tararua off Southland's V'aipapapa Point, in April, 1881 (131 lives lost). On passage from Svdney to Auckland in thick fog and steaming at considerable speed (incredibly enough) the 1786-ton (gross) Denny-built Wairarapa came to a sudden shattering and aweful end when she struck a 700 ft cliff on the north-west corner of Great Barrier Island. The 12-year-old. wellfound. Tasman liner had 186 passengers aboard and a ship’s complement of 65. Of those lost, 101 were passengers and 20 were members of the ship's company. Only 32 bodies were recovered. Sixteen horses also perished. A heavy sea was running at the time. The master. Captain John Mclntosh. was on the bridge when the catastrophe occurred. A highly respected Union Company shipmaster, he lost his life, along with many others. The disaster happened a few minutes after midnight on October 29, 1894. News of the tragic loss was not received in Auckland until November 1. Naturally there was a painful inquiry into the cause and circumstances. Indeed, the court’s finding regarding the loss of this notable vessel made distressing reading in the daily newspapers. It found

that the master was alone responsible for the Wairarapa's shocking end. But there was, in addition to censure, praise where it was deserved too. When reading extracts from the summing up of Mr H. W. Northcroft S.M., some of it harsh, it should also be noted that the master died at his post. Furthermore, it is always sad. quite apart from the loss of life, to see a distinguished and highlv regarded shipmaster suffer a wrecked career, in a matter of moments. On the Tasman crossing moderate weather had been experienced The ship passed in sight of Three Kings at 7.45 a.m. on Sunday, October 28. 1894, as she approached the northern tip of New Zealand. Cape Maria van Diemen was passed at 1030 a.m. and by noon she was off Spirits Bay and close to North Cape. But now, thick fog was coming down. There were no such luxuries as echo sounders or radar in those days. Course was altered to pass off Cape Brett at the entrance to the Bay of Islands. This of course, was all by dead reckoning Much later, at 10 pm. course was altered again to take the Wairarapa outside the Hen and Chicken Island' But she overran her course and distance, and throughout the passage the Wairaraoa was a vfhing from 10 to 15 miles out of her dead tcckoning calculations. It

has been recorded that during the night, not a few of the passengers, and even some of the officers and crew, were concerned at the speed of the ship in fog. There was an eerie, unreal atmosphere, heightened by the uncanny and clammv fog which pervad d all. With shocking impact, she struck the rocks when visibility was nil, and the Wairarapa was going at speed. Seconds after the full realisation of calamity, many passengers, amazingly enough, behaved with great calmness. The timing — 10 minutes past midnight — could not have been worse. From the bridge, Captain Mclntosh gave orders to launch the lifeboats, as far as was possible. With great difficulty, some of the female passengers got into the port lifeboats. Heavy seas were sweeping the decks. Visibility was nil. It was a chilling, horrible experience for all. To make matters worse, there were also children on the passenger list. The Wairarapa, in addition to her lifeboats, had four liferafts. Lifeboats and liferafts which reached the water were able to pick up some survivors from the turbulent sea. In the impenetrable fog and darkness, conditions were chaotic. But suddenly, only minutes after the mishap, the Wairarapa took a sharp lurch to port, and stayed that way. AU the lifeboats it had been possible to launch under the hazardous conditions, were on the port side. Passengers remaining aboard were forced to clamber or scramble up the sloping decks to the high starboard side, and into the low'er rigging, to escape the pounding of the waves. Their plight was miserable in the extreme. Their chances of survival seemed small. Two hours of these chaotic conditions passed, when suddenly at 2 a.m.

the Wairarapa’s tall funnel broke loose and was carried away. Vessels of this period had low superstructures, quite unlike those of today. Soon the bridge was being battered heavily and the whole structure was washed away. With it went Captain Mclntosh, who was drowned. In the meantime, the cruising lifeboats were doing what they could to save people from the water in the dense fog. Horses maddened by their plight, were kicking wildly and may have injured some of those in the water. Because of the fog, it was not fully appreciated at the time of the disaster that the Wairarapa was embedded in rocks at the foot of a steep cliff. Passenger still aboard clung to the lower rigging and davits on the high, starboard side.

Owing to the marked list it was only possible to get the port boats out. One boat was damaged in launching. This particular boat, under the charge fourth officer, W. A. Tulloch. succeeded in picking up 19 persons (passengers and crew) out of the water, and saving their lives, though at considerable risk.

After the fourth officer’s boat had pulled well away from the wrecked Wairarapa. it came across another boat, under the charge of W. H. Johnson,

third officer. The third officer’s boat was badly damaged, it was found. The fourth officer's boat took it in tow, and later, at 4 a.m. all its occupants were transferred to the least damaged boat. The survivors were later taken to the safety of Catherine Bay in small craft by a party of Maoris. Meanwhile, the third officer and some crew members made their way overland to Port Fitzroy where they reported the tragedy. At Port Fitzroy, the steamer Argyle embarked some survivors ■who had arrived there and then proceeded to the scene of the wreck. Later, the Argyle embarked more survivors from Catherine Bay and conveyed them to

Auckland where they arrived on the morning of November 1, to tell of the tragedy to a shocked country. At daylight, there were still about 60 people clinging to the davits and rigging on the Wairarapa’s high starboard side. The ship, incidentaly, was partially and permanently rigged for sail if needed. At dawn, the second officer, J. L. Clark, tried to heave the signal halyards ashore but he failed, and no wonder. Next, the second engineer, J. W. Dunlop and a fireman, J. Fraser, both bravely tried to swim ashore with a line, but because of the tremendous sea running and the backwash, they had to let go of the line to save themselves. They succeeded in landing on the rock-fore-shore only with considerable luck and enormous difficulty. Shortly afterwards, the Wairarapa’s second steward, B. A. Kendall, volunteered to take a line ashore, and succeeded in his attempt. The halyards were then pulled ashore and those remaining on

board were safely landed on the inhospitable shore by being dragged through the water, a hazardous experience. Tragically, two women passengers lost their hold and were swept away and drowned. It was a night of tragedy that shocked the entire country. The only sustenance the survivors ashore had for several hours were a few waterlogged cases of oranges which had been washed to the land. In his summing up of the cause of the wreck, and subsequent events, Mr Northcroft, S.M. said: “I am of the opinion that S.S. Wairarapa was lost through Captain Mclntosh — and also the chief and second officers — not taking a correct point of departure at the Three Kings, and for not allowing for a current, which by the evidence of the chief and second officers, they should have been aware, was running to the south and southeast. Why accurate bearings were not taken off the Three Kings and carefully compared with the four-point bearing taken off Cape Maria van Diemen, to better fix the ship’s position, seems inexplicable. "The bearing taken at Cape Maria van Diemen was incorrect as shown on the chart, by the officer who took it,” Mr Northcroft said. There was much more in this strain — turning a

knife in the wound — but it all added up, alas to indicate that the Wairarapa was miles off her course when she struck the rocks at speed. Mr Northcroft had some harsh things to say about boat drills, or the lack of them. Even in comparatively recent times, there must, be many merchant service officers on the seven seas, who are only too well aware that boat drills have been a matter for delicate treatment. This has been sometimes because of lack of co-operation between different departments, expediency, convenience, indifference, lack of awareness or imagination, inexperience and downright stupidity. However, nobody could

accuse the merchant ships of New Zealand of not being well catered for in this field today. But under flags of convenience, even today, the situation is often quite different and highly debatable. Mr Northcroft suggested that as the Wairarapa struck at 12 minutes past midnight, and remained on an even keel for eleven minutes before taking a heavy list to port, there would have been plenty of time to get the boats out promptly had the orders been given and obeyed. In theory, Mr Northcroft may have been right, but the whole circumstances were shocking. Conditions were far from normal. “If the ship’s company had known their places at the different boats, Mr Northcroft suggested, and what was required of each member, more lives could have been saved. “From the evidence, I am of the opinion they did not — and so valuable time was lost,” he said. To some degree, Mr Northcroft was supported by the remarks of the chief officer, A. Moyes of Wellington, who said that

the crews of the respective boats had never been called upon to get the lifeboats out. and lower them in practice, which was absolutely necessary for an efficient boat drill. The chief officer went on to suggest that unless each member knew his proper place and duty, there was sure to be confusion, loss of time and impediment. Mr Northcroft threw another bombshell when he stressed that even the Wairarapa’s farcical boat drill had not been held for six months. He said it had been reported too, that some of the Wairarapa’s officers were nervous at the speed with which the ship was being driven on that night of fog. It is hard to know what governs the mind of the man on the spot at the time of such a crisis. Who knows that Captain Mclntosh was not anxious to be in port in good time the next day to start cargo work at Auckland? Again, it is so easy to be wise after the event. When all the evidence came to light, the proud Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd, did not take it lying down. It must be remembered that although the Union Company has only a skeleton fleet today, it was once the largest shipping company in the Southern hemisphere. Indeed, at one period its fleet of 59 vessels was exceeded by only seven other British shipowners.

At the head of this distinguished and prestigious shipping line, was James Mills, the Union Company’s founder and driving force. He was knighted in 1907 for his services to shipping. James Mills did not spare those whom he considered lacking to some degree at the time of the crisis, but. he also praised those whom he considered merited commendation. But naturally he was disturbed and upset at the fearful publicity received for his shipping line and one of its finest vessels. James Mills did not entirely agree, naturally enough, with all of Mr Northcroft’s findings. He did not agree that the Wairarapa had overrun her course. In fact he consulted other experienced shipmasters of the company about this. He did admit though, that Captain Mclntosh might not have given the Wairarapa credit for the speed at which she was travelling under blind dead reckoning, or realised that she was receiving assistance from the current. He did admit that the master was not justified in proceeding for such a length of time in thick weather and that this was how the ship's loss came about. The Wairarapa, one of many fine vessels built for the Union Company by William Denny Brothers of Dumbarton, was valued at $30,000 (about $60,000) at the time of her loss. As managing-director of the Union Company, James Mills said that the actions of Captain Mclntosh were quite contrary to all previous experience of him “Captain Mclntosh had the reputation of being a careful and prudent navigator. In fact many passengers preferred tc t -avel in the Wairarapa with Captain Mclntosh in command because of the confidence they had in him. She was a popular ship,” James Mills said. The only explanation he could offer was that because of rhe state of health of Captain Mclntosh, his judgment for the lime being had been affected. He said that Captain Mclntosh had had repeated attacks of influenza, and on the' last occasion he had been laid up on shore in Sydney. He had resumed command of the Wairarapa only the previous month.

Only a fortnight after his relapse at Sydney. Captain Mclntosh applied for sick leave at Dunedin while the Wairarapa was under overhaul at that port. The shipmaster was examined by a Dr Coughtrey of Dunedin who advised Captain Mclntosh to have a break. As a result, Captain Mcltnsoh went to Queenstown and returned to the Wairarapa only the day before she sailed from Dunedin. James Mills said that if Captain Mclntosh had given any indication to the company that he was not sufficiently recovered to resume command, a longer holiday would have been insisted on, According to James Mills there was little doubt that the ship's officers were indeed somewhat uneasy at the course and speed pursued by the master of the night of the disaster. But James Mills strongly disagreed with the court’s sweeping condemnation of the manner of the boat drills. He said that many of the crew would have been below at the time of the disaster. He admitted that a good deal had been made of the fact that there had been no boat drill aboard the Wairarapa for six months, and this undoubtedly reacted adversely on the shipmaster, the ship’s company, and indeed the Union Company. James Mills said, that in most instances, the ship’s seamen and firemen had been in the company's service for many years, and knew their duties and stations thoroughly. James Mills also added that the ship's company as a whole behaved magnificently. The Wairarapa had just had a thorough overhaul, lasting a fortnight. and was well found in every way. He gave a snecial word of praise to the stewardesses and stewards for their behaviour during the disaster. He said it was certain that many women and children were swept overboard when the vessel *ook a heavy list. He had .some harsh criticism for some of the ship’s company, but stressed that conditions obtaining at the time were far from normal. Some stewards and stewardesses had given up their own lifejackets to passengers in dire need. Special praise for individual members of the crew was handed out by the Union Company’s managing-director. He praised 'the ship's engin-

eers, and specially me tioned the chief engines J. Sinclair of Melbour,who stuck to his pos until the last. James Mills stresses ihat the catastrophe was of a sudden and overwhelming nature. The ship heeled over only a few minutes after striking, he said. The decks were swept b\ heavy seas. It was a rough dark night, the darkness rendered even more intense by the prevailing fog. This was a night of horror for the nation. Among those lost, one might spare a final thought for Captain Mclntosh, a respected shipmaster who came to such a shocking and humiliating end. He had a proud record before this. He paid a fearful price, physically and professionally. As a result of this major disaster the Union Steam Ship Company tightened up its regulations regarding boat drills and allied matters. It all happened 85 years ago. It is doubtful if any survi-

vor could be alive today, i. ie or she was a mere infant at the time. There is a lesson he

learied from every tragedy, but it seems that we have to keep learning. Nearly every great ship-

ping line has had its time of tribulation. Shipwrecks still occur, even in these modern times, with every

navigational aid provided. The sea will not he mocked.