WRECK OF THE OCEAN QUEEN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 6

WRECK OF THE OCEAN QUEEN.

; DETAILS BY THE HATJEOTO. '. In connection,-with'; the; total .wreck of the Norwegian steamer Ocoan Queen, on the. island, of Makatea, on, September . 16, Mr. Mi P. CaJfin, . purser of the Hauroto, supplied details yesterday. It appears .that the Ocean Queen, (Captain. C. Johannsen) loft Papeete on September .15 for, Makatea,.,about 130 miles to the jnor'th of Tahiti; for the purpose "of laying moorings for tho.Cie Francaise dos PhosMidas' she was'proceeding abreast of'tho ■ reef-that • off the. northern coast of Makatea., .when the eccentric Tod o£ her engines bent, and before repairs could be effected and the rod disconnected, ( th'e vessel .had drifted pear the reef. Just, as the engines, were started, again, the vessel t crashed on tho reef and remained fast. Passengers were immediately ordered- ashore, and all landed safely,, and when the: vessel made a heavy list to , starboard 'at .2.30 p.m. there was nothing for it but to abandon her. At 6 p.m. the large buoy, which she was carrving on.the foredeck, slipped, off'the reef, and the vessel herself sank in 200 fathoms of water. Beyond the boats and one large.mooring buoy nothing was saved from the wreck. ' Mr. J. T. •- Arundel, who' is'a director of the French Phosphate Company and of the Pacifio rnospnate Company, 1 was a passenger by the Ocean Queen, With his sister and two daughters he returned to Papeete in the Cholita, whue the; auxiliary schooner Susan brought aojp ' the crew. Mr. Arundel 'and party, together with Captain Johannsen and 6ome members of the crew, proceeded . to San FranOWCO- by. -Urn; MarW -Th- ehW offioer-of the Ocean Queen, Mr.. Schroeder, canie to V' ' lington :by the ' Hauroto, >ana leit yesterday evening for Sydney by the HJlimaroa. Several members ,of the crew were left behind at Papeete, as there was. not. sufficient accommodation, on the Hauroto for them. They will-be Auckland by the Talune. nnn ? u «?f. was valued at about •fio?®- ' 16 understood, insured for proceeded from Tahiti to'&an IsW, °theu» at Sydney to lay the moorings at Atakaten The during, the afternoon 'joi^s^m and