ON THE ROCKS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1048, 10 February 1911, Page 5

ON THE ROCKS

THE JESSIE NICCOL WRECKED. THREE LIVES LOST. THE CAPTAIN, HATE, AND COOK. DISASTER AT THE MACQUARIES. (Dj Tcleirraph-l'ress Association.! Invercarglll, February 9. Campbell Islands news brought by Captain M'Bride, of the whaler Huanui, which arrived at- the Bluff day, .is to ' the effect that tho schooner Jessie Niccol," owned by Mr. J.'Hatch, Invercargill, was wrecked at tho Macqunrio Islands the week before Christmas. ■ Three lives wcro lost-Cap*-tain Hohucs, tho mate (John Patterson), and ; tho cook John Mercer. Details of the wreck of the vessel are necessarily somewhat meagre, but tho story, so far as it can bo gathered,.is thisu— After the "marooning" of the oilseekers last year, the Jessie ■ Niccol, which is tlio property, of Mr.' Joseph Hatch, of Invercargill, was sent down for-oil which had been left there, some 'of which she brought.back: On December S last she again .left here for the .islands wit> : another party, of oil-seekers, and to-bring back : the-balance' of- the stored oil. '.To-day the auxiliary'schtxnv cr Huanui, , from Campbell Wands, brought to the • Bluff tjie news of her .wreck.' ■ , ■ ..' .'■ ' .;....'■-, ;,'. ,Vv- ; How the Disaster Occurred.' v- j The manager of tho] sealing station at the ■ Campbells had communicated .to Captain.M'Bride.- of. the Huanui. that the Nora Scotian sailing ship Ida M. Clark had called,in, ami informed him that when passing the' Macquaries sho had been signalled'for, and the captain was .informed that -the,: Jessie Niccol, while at anchor, had been caught ■in n north-easterly gale, .and her cables parting, 6ho .was driven on. to .tho -rocks and wrecked, and that .her moster Captain Holmes, tho first mote Patterson, and the cook Mercer had been drowned. ..'-.■;•. .. ■'■•.'•' , , When tho-accident happened, the balance of tho crew and .the other men who had been on board had,safely,landed, but the captain, the mate, and cook' were drowned through tho boat .in'which they triod to, make shore capsizing, w;hile those on shore looked,on power* less. to - help. ' Next day the captain's My was recovered, and buried,on the island. • . ■ ' | ."■ , Captain Gilbert, of the I 'lda M. Clark, offered to tako tho remaining, men to Campbolllsland, but.they refused, saying that they' woro well and had plenty of provisions. , •;•'-;,-,. . Tho Crew. r '■•. Tho crew of the Jossio. Niccol was: ~ Captain—J. G. Holmes, Auckland, aged 45. ,;-. ■ .-■ ■■ ■■. ;, . -■•" ' •First mate—John Patterson,. Tapanui, 66. Second mato—Alfred Corps,. Napier. ' A.D.'s—A. Fifoot, ; Bluff; Augusta Laudoas". a Frenchman;.and Pat Gallagher, Invercargill.' Cook—T. Mercer, Barbadpcs,'aged GO. She also carriod ten'men, engaged under contract .to • M>'. Hatch to work on tho Macquaries till' March of next .year. .-'. '!The Sea Called' Him."': [ '•'■ Holmes, who was a Londoner by birth, was well- known on tho New Zealand coast,' having been at .different timfta mato of tho Qanyihcdo' .and Master of the brigantino,Sarah and Mary. ■Patterson had in his younger days followed tho sea,'but thirty years ago ho' retired with a.mate's, certificate and.engaged "in farming.:.in iTaolnuL district. tThe old life called, tni'ihiinr'again, and last August'-he'accepted .""a'post on the Jessie Niccol as mate. ■ . . -,

I Mercer was a'coloured, man, a native of Barbadocs, .West Indies.

~.,, ■• Hlstory'et the',Vessel."' '.'':' '.' : The Jessi'o Niccot was a wooden boat. 93 tons net; and was built at Auckland in 1872. .Mr. •' Hatch . acquired , her five years ago, and,she has, wen trading for him exclusively between-the Macquarie Islands and Invorciirgill.. In 1903, it) mav bo,remembered, she was in collision with the Retomahana. at. 'Wellington, and was afterwards repaired. ■ i , ■ The long detention of ,tho-oil-getters last year was due to the'vessel being unable to make the Islands when she went down for them.. She then returned to the Bluff in such'a strained condition that repairs cost, Mr. Hatch' .£4OO. She wos.nbt insured,' as.Lloyd's refused to accept a risk on n purely sailing vessel trading in.the southern seas. * Mr. Hatch estimates his loss on the vessel alono at' 4750. Mr. Hatch says ho will tako prompt stops to brings back tho remaining men. chartering oithor tho Huanui. the Hinemoa, or tho Holmdalo, of Wellington. The men on the island, ho says, have-plenty of stores, and he has no anxiety on .that,, score. Tho ketch Gratitude was lost in a similar manner twelve years ago at tho same islands. ' '■-'■■ '■ ■-' ■'■ "'