LOSS OF THE SCOW WHANGAROA

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 27, 1 August 1911, Page 2

LOSS OF THE SCOW WHANG AROA

CBEW'S TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

[it XBLEGRAMi-HP&BSS ASSOCIAItOK."! AUGKLANp, 3let July. The Auetralian mail brings interesting details of the experiences of the crew of the flaVbottamied scow Wha.nga.roa-, who arrived in. Sydney on Tuesday last by the Island 6ts&.m«r Malaita. The Whanga4'oa., a little vessel of 131 tons, was bound from Mokati, New Zealarid, to Sydney with 160,000 ft of timber. When within 200 miles of Sydney Heads she got' taught in a gale, and drifted to within % miles of Lord HOWO Island, where, owing t<> her sinking condition, she was abandoned. ,8116 sprang a leak on 18th Jttna. The crew for a tim* managed to keep the water down, but on the day following she sank, just leaving her two ends awash. A h**vy , westerly gala was blowing at the time,' The crew stood by the Vessel until 1 22nd June, when they sighted the is- ' land. They were obliged to leave the craft on account of provisions and water being washed away. The nia-Ster, Captain John Pearson, and crew lost all their personal effects. The crew comprised John Blake (first officer), Stanley Dettson (second officer), D. Thoiwon (cook), and C. Ericlason, C. Lvmd, B. M'Milkn, C. La-rkson, A.B.'s. Hunger, thirst, and "exposure dining the four sleepless days a.nd nights on. the watei -logged ship did not comprise the whole c-fthe sufiterings. The men &H the while were at the mercy of the Seas. They did not know what minute they inignt ha swept away, for the wind blew ahd the seas ran high. The third day they thought their last hour had come. The ship's bottom and sides had then parted company, the botflom practically falling out. Ihe sides, however, hung together and kept the vessel afloat, assisted by 80,000 feet of timber, which had remained intact. The men were on top of the deck cabin, hanging on to the ropes which ran across the roof, It was fuHunato for them, they managed to. secure from the gutted galley one tin of biscuits and v a bag of potatoes. Thie comprised the. only food for the four days, and it very soon became saturated with the salt Water. From Monday night till the following Friday afternoon they hung on to their slender support, watching the timber wash out of the ecow, and expecting the worst to happen at any moment. There, was no chance of ascertaining theii position, as all the instruments had been lost. "There was nothing for it," said Captain Pearson, "but to hang on and wait developments. There was one hope left. Our boat, though stove in, was still on tha vessel, and we did not forget that. Du-y aftfci' day went by, and at the end of the week we sighted Lord Howe Island. _ I suppose- the island was about 25 miles oft. Then came our opportunity, We got the boat out on Friday afternoon, about two o'clock as far as I could judge. We had no watch or clock, and started away for the island. It Wfte still blowing hard, and the boat soon bad plenty ol water in her Two hands were continually bailing, four Were at the oars, one resting, and one steering. That is how it was worked. Everybody took his turn. We pulled all night, and on Saturday morning we landed. Trie Whangafoa drifted away to the itoi'thward, and next day was loet to sight. She will fetch up ort some reef, T suppose, a^id add another to the list of Island wrecks."