Wreck of the Pleione.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5173, 19 March 1888, Page 2

Wreck of the Pleione.

[SPEOIAIi TO DAILY TEMJQEArH. ]

[OWN CORRESPONDENT.—BY TELEGRAPH.]

Wellington, Saturday.

THE WRECK.

The following is an account of the wreck of the Pleione by the Post's special:—Our representative returned last night, and reports that the Pleione, from an underwriter's point of view, may be regarded as a total wreck, and yet she lies—or, at any rate, lay last night at 5.30—0n the beach on an even keel, quite uninjured, and apparently as secure as if alongside the Queen's wfiarf, but in the apparent security lies the basis and element of tho Pleione's destruction. She is within three hundred yards of high water mark, and at slack tide looks as if she could bo boarded with perfect easo. In tho face of a fierce nor'-westerly gale, aud an angry lino of breakers resembling so many sets of sharks' teoth, the task of putting off to the wreck is by no moans an easy one, as the chief officer, Mr Gray, found yesterday afternoon. Tho Pleione lies on the Waikanae beach, almost broadside on, her head pointing to the northward. She presented yesterday a most picturesque appearance, owing to the fact that she lies under shortcue J sail precisely as she was at the time of her striking. Her fore-main and mizzon sails aro set, as is also one of the jibs, with the foresail clewed up. Though on an even keel, and to all appearances uninjured, the Pleione is hard and fast on a beach which has on many previous occasions proved destructive to-many a gallant ship, whose timbers oven yet may be discerned here and there along tho beach, showing up above the quicksand as so many beacons to warn the marinor to give this coast a good offing. Even so early as 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the sand had banked up all around her hull, more particularly immediately under her counter ; in fact, she may bo regarded as a lost ship from an insurance point of view, and from the verymoment theagentsreceived the intelligence of her stranding hor easo was considered hopeless, but tho slenderest anticipations aro being entertained of cotting hor off. Given that the weather moderates and her masts stand the ill-fated vessel may remain almost intact for months to come. She is in the midst, of a boiling surf, and for fully three hundred yards seaward tho breakers come rolling in and expend their fury against the doomad ship's broadside. Her decks are, comparatively speaking, dry, and her cargo is as yet uninjured. When she struck a few seas came in upon her, but as the hatches had been securely battened down, not a drop of water got below. Owing to the illness of Captain Culbert, particulars of which aro furnished, nothing definite had been decided on up to a late hour last evening as to whether the wreck should or should not be abandoned to tho Underwriters. It may be regarded, however, as almost certain that Captain Culbert will leave her to hor fate, and to the discretion of her insurers, who were represented yesterday at the scene of the wreck by Mr Jas. Dunne, Lloyd's agent. This gentleman returned to town by the special train last night, but was unable to state positively what action was to bo taken. Tho roatt to tho wreck—at any rate, from Otaihanga, at which station tho passengers decided to alight—is by no means an easy one to travel. Piloted by an obese Maori woman, the town party made their way over a series of scrubby sand hills, with a drifting sand-laden northerly gale full iv their faces. Tho wahine at starting stated that the distance to tho beach was about a mile aud a half, but as it took the city peoplo exactly an hour to get to Field's accommodation-house, which is on the beach, it is but just to assumo that the dusky fair one was at any rate on this occasion an economiser of the truth. A short halt was made at Field's, and the town party having crossed tho Waikanae river in a Maori boat, pushed on to tho wreck, which is distant from Field's about three miles north of the river. The best and shortest route for excursionists to take is to proceed to the Waikanae, whence by a good bush , track they can reach tho scene after a smart walk of about throe miles. Ladies iutend- . ing to visit tho spot,should remember that thero is ono creek they will have to cross, , which will necessitate their being carried over on horseback. i THE THUNDERSTORM.

Shortly before 5 o'clock last evening heavy banks of clouds gathered from tho nor'-west, and in le.-s than half-an-hour ruin descended, and the downpour was something to bo remembertd. The rain came down upon ths returning and unhappy Wellington men (among whom were the press representatives) just as if it wore being poured from a watering-pot without the rose. Chain, forked, aud sheet lightning played above, behind, and in front of the tired pilgrims, who, soaked through, tired, and hungry, at length arrived at tho Waikanae railway station, where, after a

delay of two hours, the speaial train picked them up and conveyed them to town. At Waikanae the travellers were very hospitably entertained by Mr W. J. Hunt, who is erecting a sawmill near tho station. While awaiting the departure of the special train, which was under the charge of Guard Malcolm, the representatives of the Evening Post made several attempts to telephone to Paikakariki, and also to the town office and station of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company, but without avail. The lightning played about the instruments, and tho attempt to "speak" to the other station was attended with no slight degree

of danger

CAPTAIN CULBERT'S NARRATIVE.

Though, perhaps, not in the exact order of sequence, wo now give the narration of Captain Culbert. It was lucky tho party took Guard Malcolm's advice and alighted at Otaihanga instead of proceeding on to Waikanae station—lucky because, when the Evening Post's reporter got to Field's, he learned that Captain Culbert was there, but was reported too ill to bo interviewed. Owing to the courtesy, however, of Messrs Hoggard and A. Pearce, who represented the agents of the Pleione, Captain Culbert was prevailed upon to see tho reporter. The master of the stranded ship was found lying on a mattrass before a wood fire in a sitting room of tho Accommodation House. He appeared to be exceedingly weak, and complained of pains in his side and back, caused, he believed, by his being- struck by tho life-boat which capsized in the surf. Captain Culbert remarked that he could tell the press but little at present, as doubtless tho stranding of his vessel would form the subject of an enquiry before an official Board. He evidently felt tho disaster most acutely, more particularly as tho trip had been a rapid one. The captain said : —" Wo were eighty-four days out, and oxpected by this morning to have been alongside Wellington wharf. I havn't the ship's papers ashore yet, and can give you very littlo information, beyond the fact that we struck early this morning. I was on deck at time, and had been all night. Tho weather was thick and hazy, and I mistook Kapiti for Stephen's Island. The laud (Kapiti) just loomed on our quarter. I called my mate, and soon after he came on deck aud we were discussing what tho land we saw was, when the look-out called out "Breakers Ahead," and almost immediately we struck. We came on the beach almost stern on, the bows boing canted slightly to tlm northward. I waited till daylight, when, of course, I saw where I was. The fog- and haze had deceived me, and tho land that I took for Stephen's Island turned out to bo Kapiti. There was no confusion on board, the men and passengers behaving admirably. Before it was quite light, I sent off tho gig to tho shore to endeavor to connect the ship and shore. Before leaving the vessel I battened down all the hatches and sounded tho well, which was quite dry. Wo shipped a sea or two after striking, but nothing to speak of, aud the cargo, I am convinced, is at present quite uninjured. The first boat to get away was a life-boat in charge of Mr Gray, the first officer, and in the bout were two passengers and a portion of the crew. The gig* was in charge of Mr Liddiard, the second mate. My boat left last, and I was tho last to leave the ship. We had got about half way to the shore when the bout capsized. I went underneath, and 1 think got hurt ;by the boat overturning. I was nearly drowned; owing to one of the orew catching hold of me, aud In trying to save himself, he nearly did for mo. I managed to get clear of the poor fellow, and with the help of Mr Gray (first officer) and his crew, who saw our position, we, including Mrs Foster, who is lying up-stairs much hurt I believe, were got to shore, all except one man. The poor fellow who pulled mo down was one of tho crew, a man named John Belchor or Beisham, who, on mustering the crew, was reported missing, and no doubt is drowned."