JOSEPH CRAIG WRECK

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 37, 12 August 1914, Page 8

JOSEPH CRAIG WRECK

VESSEL A TOTAL LOSS. Brief mention has 1 been made in the telegraphed news rogarding tho wreck of tho barque Joseph Craig at Hokianga Heads. On his return to Auckland tfio chief officer (Mr. W. E. Sanders) gave, in an interview, an interesting account .of the occurrence. He said: — "We were getting clo6e to the bar in tow of the Ohinemuri, when tfy» stout hawser parted. A heavy squall was blowing, and as the ship was sagging considerably owing to the heavy cross seas, tho tow rope, could not stand the strain .Tho Joseph Craig immediately began to drift towards tho rocks, but Captain Airey mado an effort to get the ship clear by ordering the squaro sails to be set. The ship, however, would not move before tho high wind and heavy sea, and the starboard anchor was then dropped to prevent tho vessel from striking the rocks. This had the desired qffect, but the barque continued to drift inshore, and within half-an-hour after the tow-rope "parted •he grounded on a sandy beach. The vessel continued to drift inshore, and was bumping heavily with each sea which broke clean over tho ship. The crew then started to throw the deck cargo overboard so as to lighten the barque, but as the masts gave every indication of coming down owitig to the violent bumping^ Cap- . tain Airey called the ■ crow aft, and ordered the after deck load to be thrown over. It was then realised that the vessel had no chance of holding together, and at 3.30 p.m. it was decided to abandon her." It was only after a perilous row of about 300 yards that the crew landed safely, but they had lost all their belongings. The barque began to break up immediately, and all that was left last Saturday morning was the forecastle head still ranging by the anchor.