THE LOSS OF THE BEN AVON

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 100, 30 April 1938, Page 24

THE LOSS OF THE BEN AVON

(By "Helmsman.")

Shipping circles in Wellington were agitated on the morning of Wednesday, November 11, 1903, when the coastal steamer Kahu arrived with the report that a barque was ashore at Cape Palliser. Captain Peterson, of the Kahu, said that the vessel was about a mile to the .westward of the Cape Palliser lighthouse, between the extreme cape and the Black Rocks. She had all her sails set, but the hull was submerged, only the poop and forecastle showing out of the water. There were no signs of life on the wreck, and although the Kahu's whistle was blown no response was, received from the stranded vessel or the lighthouse. Thick weather had come up, and the hope of landing from the steamer had to be abandoned.

Conjecture was_ rife as to thefthame of the vessel, and some supposed it to be the Ben Avon, bound for this port from Glasgow, via Port Chalmers. That ship had left the southern port for Wellington six days before.

The Government steamer Hinemoa left the wharf early in the afternoon with a number of officials for the scene of the wreck and arrived at Palliser Bay three hours later. Those aboard could see the stranded vessel —a prominent object in a sandy bay not a mile from the westward side of the lighthouse. She was a fine-looking barque, slate-coloured, and was easily identified as the Ben Avon. A momentary glance was enough to show that she was doomed to remain there until she broke up; She was stuck hard and fast on a jagged reef, her stem pointing in a south-westerly direction and her stern towards the beach. CREW SAFE. Owing to the heavy ■ southerly swell, Captain John Bollons, of the Hinemoa, found it impossible to land near the scene of the wreck, and he brought his vessel up about four miles from the lighthouse. The passengers promptly landed and were met on the beach by a lad from a nearby sheep station; who informed them that the captain and crew ; were safe and being looked after. Captain Gordon McKinnon, who had been taken on as a coast pilot at Port Chalmers was, however, dead.

The party set off for the Ben Avon I and found the wreck surrounded by comparatively smooth water and with a 'slight list to port. It was • obviously impossible to save her. When she went i ashore she was carrying fore and main J top-gallant sails, fore and main upper i and ' lower topsails, foresail, cap jib, j and outer jib, and they were still unfurled. The outer jib was torn, the j foresail flying loose, and the mizzen; staysail only partly hoisted. The l wheel was spinning round with the. action of the tide, and there were in-1 dications of heavy seas having broken i aboard; one of the lifeboats was still on the chocks. The barque was down by the head five or six feet, and was pivoted on a rock which had gone through the bottom. The party from the Hinemoa found Captain Thomas G. Dixon, master of the Ben Avon, on the scene, and from him heard the story of the disaster. TRIP UP COAST. The barque had left Dunedin on the previous Thursday afternoon with a crew of twenty in addition to Captain McKinnon, an old and experienced shipmaster belonging to the port, who had been engaged to act as pilot as i far as Wellington. Six of the crew belonged to Dunedin, and most of them had only shipped for the run to this port. Calm waters and light airs from N. and N.E. were experienced until the vessel was off Banks Peninsula on the Monday afternoon. From then until next day easterly winds prevailed, and then a breeze from the south-east sprang up, bringing with it heavy rain and a thick fog. The pilot suggested that sail should be shortened and the barque allowed to dodge along in an easy way, but Captain Dixon thought she should be allowed to keep on as she was going. Eventually the spread of canvas was reduced and the operation of wearing the ship performed. About midnight Captain Dixon went to his bunk and left Captain McKinnon in charge of the deck. At that time the ship was heading N.E. on the starboard tack with a fairly strong southerly blowing, and had apparently made more progress than either of the captains were aware of.

It was arranged that at about 4 a.m. the vessel should dodge back on account of the thick weather, but at 3.45 a.m. the second mate called to the pilot, who had gone below for a minute, that he believed land was close by, as he could hear breakers. Captain McKinnon and Captain Dixon hurried on deck and an attempt was^ made to wear the vessel. .It was useJess, however, and in a few minutes she struck heavily. The fog was very thick and Captain Dixon was unable to see the shore until the ship was half-way round. DIFFICULTY IN LANDING. As soon as it was found that the vessel was hard and fast the men put out one of the lifeboats—an operation which was performed with difficulty and with danger to life and limb owing to the heavy sea which was running. When the barque struck Captain McKinnon fell forward, and for a moment Captain Dixon thought he I had merely stumbled. When he did

WRECKED AT END OF VOYAGE

not move, however, Captain Dixon felt certain he was dead. As there was every likelihood of the barque breaking up under the pounding of the heavy surf, all on board jumped in the lifeboat without waiting to collect personal effects. The body of the pilot was lowered gently into the boat, which was soon rowed clear of the ship.

When the lifeboat cleared the stranded vessel the sea was breaking on the beach with an ominous sound and the captain knew that to attempt a landing anywhere near would be perfect madness. He therefore steered seaward and, after going some distance, pointed the little boat's head towards Palliser Bay. It was only after they had rowed seven or eight miles along the coast that a landing could be effected. This was made at about 8 a.m. and Captain Dixon and his crew, wet to the skin and thoroughly tired out, lit a fire and dried clothes. The lifeboat's sail was rigged up as a tent

and Captain McKinnon was placed inside it. DEATH OF PILOT. Captain Dixonwas delighted to find that the pilot was! still alive and he sent the chief officer to the Whatarangi homestead for assistance. The manager of the station, on learning of the | men's plight, sent a wagon, several horses, and a supply of brandy and food .to where the shipwrecked people were camped. Before his men arrived, " however, Captain McKinnon died. The body was placed on the wagon and taken to the homestead. Captain Dixon and his crew later proceeded to the sheep station, where they were treated with great hospitality.

The Ben Avon, battered by the southerly sea, soon went to pieces. She was a vessel of 1470 tons gross and her principal dimensions were:—Length, 231.2 ft; breadth, 38.2 ft; depth, 22.5 ft. She was built in 1885 by Messrs. Birrill, Stenhouse, and Co., of Dumbarton. Her Wellington cargo, which consisted mainly of wines, spirits, and iron castings, amounted to 900 tons.

The voyage of the Ben Avon from Glasgow was a chapter of accidents. On the run out from Glasgow to Port Chalmers she had a rough time, the trip taking 118 days. In the early stages of the voyage the barque lost her mainsail, which was split to ribbons whilst being furled in a heavy squall, and following this came a number of minor accidents. Then, when three seamen were coiling up the lee fore-braces on top of the forward house an enormous sea struck the vessel and submerged her fore and aft. Two of the seamen were washed overboard; one managed to get aboard again at the lee rigging but the other was washed away. The same sea smashed the galley and forecastle, flooding everything- out, and smashed three boats at the davits and the after-com-pass. The vessel had to be thoroughly overhauled and repaired before she left Port Chalmers, but she seems to have been doomed from the beginning of the voyage.