TWENTY-SIX YEARS AGO

Evening Star, Issue 22228, 4 January 1936, Page 2

TWENTY-SIX YEARS AGO

THE WRECK OF THE WAIKARE A MEMORABLE ADVENTURE [Written by “Excursionist” for the ‘Evening Star.’j It is just 26 years since the S.S. Waikare made her last Sounds cruise. These annual trips to the West Coast of Otago had become so popular that in 1909 two were arranged, one for Christmas week, followed by a second, which loft Dunedin on Thursday afternoon, December 30, with 150 excursionists on board. It suited mo to book for the second cruise. The first had been favoured with excellent weather and the various sounds had been visited in brilliant sunshine, the Waikare, a full ship, behaving excellently. But most unfavourable conditions accompanied the second party, and though the boat upheld her reputation for seaworthiness as she faced the gathering darkness and tho rising storm in Foveaux Strait, we were far from being comfortable. A short visit to the calm Preservation Inlet was a pleasing interlude before we dared the stormy billows round Puysegur Point; but thenceforth we spent the days in comparative shelter, sightseeing in these enclosed fiords under gloomy skies and constant showers, ana minimising the discomforts of the open sea by making the passage from one sound to the next during the small hours of the night when most of us had got soundly off to sleep.. Thus wo visited Doubtful and Thompson, George and Milford, returning to Breaksea and Dusky, where in Facile Harbour the sun at last shone out and showed us what fiord scenery is like in glorious sunshine. And then the steamer’s bow was pointed towards the open sea on the return to Dunedin. A SUDDEN SHOCK. I had dressed for lunch and was sitting in the upper saloon with a hook in my hand, reading a little, more attentive to the magnificent view that appeared through the open doorway on either hand as wo passed Indian Island, enjoying the perfect day and awaiting the luncheon gong, when suddenly a sharp grating, tearing sound and a violent jar that made the ship bound and quiver from stem to stern. The Waikare Mst way only momentarily, and then proceeded on her course, but she seemed to me to have suddenly grown sluggish. The sudden shock made us all start, but there was no rush nor panic. All quietly looked, up at each other, and then as if by one common impulse, we moved out on deck to make investigations. First Officer Doorley sounded the well on the port side and found it dry; but suddenly the boat began to list over to starboard and some of our faces took a more ashen tint as we realised that serious damage had been dono. It is curious how the serious and the trivial intcrblend. ,A gentleman had been gazing at the scenery from the bridge. He came along and laughingly reported that at the moment of impact he had heard the man at the wheel say to the captain, “Bottom, sir,” and the captain as laconically reply, laying his finger on the chart which he was then studying, “An uncharted rock.” An engineer came running up with a message that water was pouring into the stokehold. So .the ship was stopped and the "pumps started. She had been ripped below the starboard boilers. “ Don lifebelts,” came the order. “ Out launches and boats,” and as the blast of the siren sent the crew to their stations we began to prepare for eventualities. My first action was to run down to my cabin, slip off the light shoes I was wearing, and pull on heavy hoots in case we should have rock climbing to do, and take my waterproof overcoat for cold and wet nights ashore. But I left both boots and overcoat unfastened and ready to be thrown off in an instant if it should be necessary, as seemed likely from the way the boat was heeling over, to take to the water. There was no time to consider luggage, though one man did refuse to be sepaarted from his big camera. The boats were swung out smartly; the oil launch was working in a very few minutes, and then tho ladies _ were passed down the gangway.. Owing to the way the ship was leaning over to starboard, swinging out tho boats and getting the passengers into them was attended with some difficulty. But the water was perfectly calm, and the sun was shining from a clear sky, and though it was impossible to get r into the boats on the port side they were brought round in succession to the starboard, and after taking aboard their complements made .their way clear of the ship and landed their passengers on one of the numerous little islets that here skirt the sound. BEACHING THE VESSEL. As soon as the excursionists were all off the ship the propeller again began to move, and, listing all to one side as she was, the Waikare was headed towards the only place where it might he hoped that she could be beached. We could plainly see the captain on the bridge scanning the chart. Unfortunately there was deep water even close in to the land; and it was said that where we had struck was charted as having a depth of 130 fathoms, with no sloping beach available anywhere. In addition the water had gained on the pumps so rapidly that the fires were soon put out, Engineer Macarthur haying stuck to his post till the water was about his shoulders. Captain Newton therefore selected the nearest little inlet, and with just sufficient steam to assist the steamer’s momentum he drove her stem on to a small rock lying between two rugged cliffs on Stop Island. Here she stuck fast by the bows, though her stern was in 10 or 11 fathoms, and steadily settling as she filled. The crew were now set to work to get up provisions, bedding, tarpaulins, and luggage, and as the different boats brought their complements of passengers alongside the stranded steamer and landed them there was soon available a large hand of willing workers. All the luggage was brought ashore, though it was mixed up in one promiscuous heap of boxes, portmanteaux, clothing of all sorts, articles of toilet, boots and shoes, books, field glasses, cameras, and other paraphernalia. Our cabin steward had very thoughtfully tied our luggage' in the sheets off our bunks, and to each fastened a label marked with the number of the cabin out of which he had collected the articles. In this way any cabin mates and I were able to sort out our personal belongings without any trouble. Others had to turn the big heap of stuff over and over again, each time burying more and more of the things in the mud till they were quite indistinguisahle, let alone usable. Personally", I regretted tho loss of a new pair of binoculars, hut was pleased next morning to find them hanging on the branch of a tree. The steward had overlooked them, as they hung behind our cabin door; hut a gentleman making a tour of investigation of our suite of cabins had noticed them, brought them ashore, hung them on the branch,

and stood by to see who would claim them. My name printed on the leather case put my ownership beyond all cavil. Some little pilfering was done. In the evening I noticed a fireman pull, a white shirt out of the mud and remove a diamond stud from the breast. This he showed to his 'companions before he put it into his pocket. A short time afterwards I heard a gentleman bewailing the loss of his 65-guinea stud. I never heard whether he found tho fireman or not; but, many missing articles found their way to the Union Steam Ship Company’s office in Dunedin, and were there recovered later. SPLENDID Wok BY CREW. A few members of tho crow and one or two of the passengers were inclined to growl, but the great majority did splendid work. It is clearly impossible to particularise, but Chief Officer Doorley, Officers Appleyard, Barber, and Macknezie, Engineers Hickey and Macarthur, Purser Dood, Chief" Cook Jones, and “ Jimmy Chips ” (James Watts) worked like niggers, never sparing themselves, and being most thoughtful for the coinfort and convenience of all. Tho stewards, too, acted like men, and the two stewardesses tiuheld the best traditions of the service. Personally, I have always felt that the greatest praise must be awarded to ,Mr Appleyard and the crew who manned he launch to take out the news of the disaster and to summon help. Of course, orders must bo obeyed, but the risk was willingly incurred and the danger faced without hesitation. To take a little oil launch, towing a manned lifeboat in case of emergency, from the Sound to Puysegur Light, a distance of about 35 miles, in five hours in the teeth of a heavy and squally sea, send their message through to Dunedin, and bring back the reply nest morning was a feat deserving of no little credit. There was some excitement when they returned, and when Mr Appleyard reported that the Moura would come as soon as possible to our relief the cheers that burst forth for the crews of . the launch and lifeboat must have frightened the penguins in their nests. Captain Newton was, however, not satisfied with this suggested arrangement. The Moura was out of commission and it would take too long to fit her out for the trip. He expressed the opinion that H.M.S. Pioneer, then lying at the Bluff, would come up instead; and he was not mistaken. v

When Captain Blunt received the news of the accident his men had turned in for the night, and the Pioneer was without coal. But they were at once roused out and .informed that the Waikare had been wrecked in Dusky Sound and that about 200 passengers were ashore, but without provisions. (None had been landed off the ship when the launch set out on her quest for rescue.) A small quanity of coal was commondeered, some from' the freezing works, manhandled nearly a quarter of a mile, and the rest off a coal hulk, and by 5o’clock on Thursday morning, after a night’s hard work, the Pioneer steamed out of Bluff harbour on her errand of mercy. Sir Joseph Ward, who was in Bluff that evening, personally undertook the'direction of the work of rescue. He asked Dr Torrance, health officer at the port, to accompany him, and they brought with them mattresses and provisions. In view of a possible emergency they had beef tea prepared, but fortunately this was not required. In the meantime crew and passengers had worked so effectively that all the luggage had been carried, up. a stiff cliff face above the reach of the 7 tide, tarpaulin shelters had been rigged, a space cleared for a camp, tarpaulins spread on the wet ground, and mattresses and blankets laid out on them. The cooks, too, had been busy around large camp fires, and before dark we were enjoying a hearty meal, the first since breakfast. The evening was showery but not excessively cold; lamps were lit and suspended from ropes; we turned in all standing; and though by some sleep was wooed in vain and to many the night seemed fearfully long, we were thankful to be experiencing comparatively comfortable conditions. ■ The island on which we were camped was a small one, densely covered with bush, but very wet underfoot. It was surronded.by rugged rocks, off which there was deep water teeming with fish. Penguins, gulls, pigeons, and wekas were numerous. We had sufficient provisions. Fresh water had been brought off the ship and more could easily be obtained from the mainland. Hot coffee, tea, and soup were served out at intervals lip to midnight and at 4 o’clock next morning, so that there were few exceptions to the general good humour and cheerfulness and determination to make the best of circumstances. The site was, however, quite an impossible one for a camp for 200 persons, and in case of a possible delay in the arrival of a rescue ship preparations were begun early next day for the establishment of separate camps on more suitable sites. The arrival of the Pioneer rendered these arrangements unnecessary. Before the rescue ship arrived Captain Newton had taken many soundings. Deep water was found round the Wailkare, which was rapidly filling and settling; and in danger of capsizing; this did not happen till after we had left. The rock pinnacle on which wo had struck was found and lost again, the lead temporarily resting on some obstruction and then slipping off it into deep water; nor could the rock be found' again. RESCUE. The cruiser coming up met heavy weather and head seas, and in spite of her usual 18 knots an hour took nine hours to reach the wreck, which her crew were surprised to see still resting by the bows on tho rock on which she had been beached. We had had our breakfast and our midday meal of stew, potatoes, cabbage, and fruit custard, and were putting in the time in various ways when the call came that the Pioneer was coming up the Sound. It was with a hush of expectancy that her signals were read: “ Will take off passengers.” Quickly such luggage as had been sorted out and claimed was taken down to the boats, and by 3 o’clock, the first draft were on the Pioneer, and the sailors who had expected to assist a number of emaciated, half-starved castaways received somewhat of a surprise when a crowd of laughing boisterous picknickers came aboard, storming the ship like, marauders, and even going so far as to regret that the rescuers had come so soon. By half-past five the embarkation was complete, and we were on our way home. The man-o’-war’s men were kindness personified; nothing was any trouble to them; wo were shown* all round, treated right royally, and told the story of the sensation we had caused in the outside world and of tho work that had preceded the dispatch of the relief. Coming down the coast the cruiser had to economise coal, and in the heavy sea could travel _ hut slowly. We were given some idea of what life on the ocean wave is on such a man-o’-war. We did not reach Bluff till shortly before (5 a.m., the run down taking over 12 hours. The Bluff ladies had breakfast prepared and awaiting our arrival. At 7.30 we left for Dunedin by special

train. Before half-past one our cruise was finished. Certainly we were a smoke-begrimed, dirty, unshaven crowd, but withal a happy party. 1 The danger over, no one would have missed the adventure. In reality, except for the 15 minutes’ suspense when we werav realising the danger lest the Waikare should capsize and go under before we had safely disembarked, there was absolutely no serious hardship incurred, no grave privations endured, almost no material injuries suffered. What might have been a dreadful oatestroffc* became a memorable adventure.