THE KIA ORA WRECK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 144, 17 December 1908, Page 7

THE KIA ORA WRECK.

SURVIVOR REACHES AUCKLAND. THE SWIM ASHORE. (.By Telegbaph. — Fbess Association J AUCKLAND, This Day. Fred Gosset, sole survivor of tho wreck of the scow Kia Ora, arrived in Auckland last night. He states that Captain Piercy was at the wheel when tho vessel struck. There was a furious gale, with squalls of drenching rain, and it was impossible to see fifty yards. Tho captain evidently thought he had passed Kawau. The scow suddenly crashed upon the rocks and broke her back. Gosset called the cook from his bunk, but directly the man reached the deck he was washed overboard. Gosset never saw him again. The other three men were washed off the scow, but scrambled on to a rock. The captain and his son had lifebelts on, but discarded them, owing to the difficulty of clinging to the rocks. Gosset was washed off the rock, but returned with the backwash. The captain's son was twice washed off the rock, and the captain was washed off once, but both got back to their perilous refuge. It was midnight when the scow struck. From then till seven in the morning the three men remained on the rock. Then Gosset shook hands with the skipper and his son, and struck out for the shore, which was not far distant. Half-way across he heard them call, but he was too exhausted to stop, but when the chances seemed all against him he felt sharp rocks under his feet. He crawled to the cliff and looked for -the captain and his son, but saw no sign of them. He made his way to a cottage, end r--ctived every attention. l Thu captain and his son must have been washed off the rock or drowned in attemptins; to follow Gosset's example iii swimming ashore. A search party has been unable to find any trace of the bodies of the missing men.