WRECK OF THE PLEIONE.

Evening Star, Issue 7474, 19 March 1888, Page 4

WRECK OF THE PLEIONE.

[Special to the Star.]

WELLINGTON, March 17.

The following account of the wreck of the Pleione is given by the ‘ Evening Post’ Our representative returned last night, and reports that the Pleione, from the underwriters’ point of view, may be regarded as a total wreck, and yet she lies (or at any rate lay last night at 5. .SO) on the beach, on an even keel, quite uninjured, and apparently as secure as if alongside the Queen’s wharf. But in this apparent security lies the basis of tho Pleione’s destruction. She is within 300 yard of high-water mark, and at slacktide looks as if she could be boarded with perfect ease. In tho face of a fierce nor’-westerly gale, and an angry line ot breakers, resembling so many sets of sharks teeth, the task of PUTTING OFF TO THE WRECK Is by no means an easy one, as the chief officer (Mr Gray) found yesterday afternoon. The Pleione lies on the Waikanae Beach, almost broadside on, her head pointing to the northwards. She presented yesterday a most picturesque appearance, owing to the fact that she lies under shortened sail, precisely as she was at the tune of her striking. Her fore, main, and mizzen topsails are 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 even yet may be discerned here and there along the beach, showing up above the quicksands, as so many beacons, to warn mariners to give this coast a good offing. Even so early as five o’clock yesterday afternoon the sand had banked up all arouud her hull, more particularly immediately under her counter —in fact she may be regarded as a LOST SHIP.

From an insurance point of view, and from the very moment the agents received the intelligence of her stranding, the case was considered hopeless, bat the slenderest anticipations being entertained of getting her off. Given that the weather moderates and her masts stand the vessel may remain almost intact for months to come. She is in the very midst of a boiling surf, and for fully 300 yards seaward the breakers come rolling in and expend their fury against the doomed ship’s broadside. Her decks are, comparatively speaking, dry, and her cargo is as yet uninjured. When she struck, a few green seas came in upon her, but as the hatches had been securely battened down not a drop of water got down below. Nothing definite had been decided up to a late hour last evening as to whether the wreck should not be ABANDONED TO THE UNDERWRITERS. It may be regarded, however, as almost certain that Captain Culbert will leave her to her fate and to the discretion of her insurers, who were represented yesterday at the scene of the wreck by Mr James Dunne, Lloyd’s agent. This gentleman returned to town by the special train last night, but was unable to positively state what action was likely to be taken. The

ROAD TO THE WRECK, At any rate from Otaihanga, at which station the passengers decided to alight, is by no means an easy one to travel. Piloted by an obese Maori woman, the party made their way over a series of scrubby sandhills, with a drifting sand blown by a northerly gale full in their faces. The pilot at starting stated that the distance to the beach was about a mile and a half; but as it took the city people exactly an hour to get to Field’s accommodation house, which is on the beach, it is but just to assume that the dusky fair one was at any rate on this occasion wide of the truth, A short halt was made at Field’s, and the town party having crossed the Waikanae river in a Maori boat, pushed on to the wreck, which is distant from Field’s about three miles north of the river. The best or shortest route for excursionists to take is to proceed to the Waikanae station, whence by a good bush track they can reach the scene after a smart walk of about three miles. Ladies intending to visit the spot should remember that there is one creek they will have to cross which will necessitate their being carried over on horseback.

THE THUNDERSTORM. Before five o’clock last evening heavy banks of clouds gathered from the northwest, and in less than half an hour the rain descended, and the downpour was something to be remembered. The rain came down upon the returning and unhappy Wellington men just as if it were being poured from a huge watering-pot. Forked and sheet lightning played above, behind, and in front of the tired pilgrims, who, soaked through, tired and hungry, at length arrived at the Waikanae railway station, where, after a delay of two hours, the special 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 the station, while awaiting the departure of the special train, which was under the charge of Guard Malcolm. The representative 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 storm having demolished the wires, and the connection was for the time being destroyed. The lightning played about the instrument, and the attempt “ to speak ” to the other stations was attended with no slight degree of danger. Though perhaps not in the exact order of sequence, we now give the NARRATION OF CAPTAIN COLBERT. It was lucky the party took Guard Malcolm’s advice, and alighted at Otaihanga, instead of proceeding on to the Waikanae station; lucky, because when the ‘Evening Post ’ reporter got to Fields he learned that Captain Culbert was there, but was reported as being too ill to be interviewed. Owing to the courtesy, however, of Messrs Haggard and A. Pearce, jun,, who represented the agents of the Pleione, Captain Culbert was prevailed upon to see the reporter. The master of the stranded vessel was found lying on a mattress before a wood fire in a sitting-room of the 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 the lifeboat, which capsized in the surf. Captain Culbert remarked that he could tell the Press but little at present, as doubtless the stranding of his vessel would form the subject of inquiry before an official board. He evidently felt the disaster most acutely; more particularly as the trip had been such a rapid one, “ We were (he said) eighty four days out, and expected by this morning to have been alongside Wellington wharf. I have not got the ship’s papers ashore yet, and can give you very little information beyond the fact that we struck early this morning. I was on deck at the time, and had been all night. The night was thick and hazy, and I mistook Kapiti for Stephen Island. The land (Kapiti) just loomed on our quarter, I called my mate, and soon after he came on deck, and we were discussing what the land ahead was when the lefok-out called out ‘ Breakers ahead !’ and almost immediately we struck. We came on to the beach almost stern on, the bows being canted slightly to the northward. I waited till daylight, when of course I saw where I was. The fog and haze had deceived me, and the land that I took for Stephen Island turned out to be Kapiti. There was no confusion on board,” continued Captain Culbert, " the men and passengers behaving admirably. Before it was quite light I sent off the gig to the shore with a line. This was accomplished, and on her return it was determined to get my passengers and crew ashore. Before leaving the vessel I battened down all the hatches ap(? sounded the well, which was quite dry.

We shipped a sea or two after striking, |aut nothing to apeak of; and the cargo, I am convinced, ia at present quite uninjured. The first boat to get away was a lifeboat in charge of Mr Gray, the first officer, and in the boat 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 the last man to leave the ship. We had got about halfway to the shore when my boat capsized. I went underneath, and I think I got hurt by the boat overturning. I was nearly drowned, owing to one of the crew catching hold of me, and in trying to save himself he nearly did for me. I managed to get clear of the poor fellow, and with the help of Mr Gray, the first officer, and his crew, who saw our position, we (including Mrs Foster, who is lying upstairs much hurt, 1 believe) were got to shore, all except one man. The poor fellow who pulled me down was one of the crew, named John Belcher, or Belshaw, and on mustering the crew he was reported missing, and there is no doubt is drowned,” Cftpfcain Cuthbert here coneluded his narrative. THE CHIEF OFFICER INTERVIEWED. Mr Gray was subsequently seen by our reporter at the scene of the wreck, and he corroborated in a general way the account of the disaster given by the master of the ship. The first officer had, however, but little time to devote to talking, but he managed to say that in addition to the drowning of Belcher the ship’s company lost an A.B. named John Haines, when only a few days out from Home, he being cairied off the deck by a sea when the Pleione was crossing the Bay of Biscay.

On the beach, some few hundred yards south of where the wreck lies, a seaman picked up a woollen scarf, winch he identified as having been worn by the man Belcher. The hospitable conduct of Mr Field, of Otaihanga, and also that of the Natives, who did tho very utmost in their power to alleviate _ the unfortunate position of the men during yesterday afternoon, is highly spoken of. Tho crew managed to get their personal belongings ashore, which were forwarded in a cart to a neighboring pah, in which also the shipwrecked crew were bestowed for the night. The Pleione brought six persons as passengers —viz., Mr and Mrs Arrowsmith, and Mr Hugill, saloon; Mr and Mrs Foster, and Miss Grundey, second class. The passengers stayed at Field’s house last night, and came into town by the 12.25 train this afternoon. Tho agents of the ship at once engaged accommodation for the passengers who as yet have not been able to recover their luggage. Mr and Mrs Foster and Miss Grundey were sten by our reporter this afternoon. All of them were most enthusiastic and eulogistic of the conduct of the chief officers and crew during the trying time, and more particularly while in the boats. Both Mr and Mrs Foster and Miss Grundy attribute their survival to the

BRAVERY AND GALLANT CONDUCT OF MR LIDDIAUD,

The second officer, who, on witnessing from the shore the capsizing of the captain’s lifeboat, rushed through thesurf, and,swimming out some little distance in the tumbling breakers succeeded in rescuing Miss Grundey, who was by this time unconscious and in extremities. Liddiard, having placed his charge in the arms of two of the crew, again dashed into the breakers and assisted the crew of the captain’s boat to right her. Mrs Foster states that but for the gallantry of the second mate she must have succumbed. When the boat went over she instinctively clung to the seat in the stern, which she tenaciously hold on to till rescued by Mr Liddiard. The Foster were booked for Wellington, and Miss Grundey is en route for Napier. Mrs Foster complains of great pain in her left side and extremities, but does not anticipate any serious consequences. THE POSITION OF THE SHIP. Pearce and Co. this afternoon received a telegram from the wreck as follows : —“Ship in much the same position as yesterday. She has made a hole in the sand for herself.” A DANGEROUS STRETCH. That the stretch of beach on which the Pleione is stranded may well be regarded as a daugeious coast will bo at once apparent when we say that she is the seventh vessel which has left her timbers on these inhospitable sands. The following are the names of the crafts which, during the past few years, have stranded on the beach between Paikakariki and the mouth of the Manawatu River : Robina, Dunlop, Felix Stowe, Fusilier, Hyderabad, City of Auckland, Manukau, and Pleione.

MEDICAL AID. Dr Gillon left for Otaihanga by the first train this morning, having been sent for to attend to the injuries sustained by Captain Culbert. A telephone message was received this afternoon to the effect that there is still a heavy sea breakinz in the neighborhood of the Fleione, but the ship has worked out for herself a kind of dock in the sand, by which she is protected from the breakers, while she is still afloat.