THE WRECKED INDRABARAH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3830, 13 May 1913, Page 5

THE WRECKED INDRABARAH.

A ROUGH DAY YESTERDAY. THE VESSEL’S POSITION SURCHARGED. ATTEMPT TO TOW OFF TO BE MADE ON SATURDAY. TUG TERAWHITI PUTS OUT TO SEA. [PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.] WELLINGTON, May 12. The Secretary of the General Post Offieo has received tho following message, sent at 5.45 p.m. to-day by the Postmaster at Bulls: “The Tndrabarali’s position lias not improved to-day; sea still very High, causing her to rock and come closer in; holds remain dry. A strong effort will be made on Saturday to tow her off.” A Press Association telegram from Alarton states that tho Indrabarah is now in a more perilous position. To-day she has come in a good distance, and is now within her own length of tho shore. When the tide is out and the sea normal she could bo reached on horseback. At high tide the sea is breaking right over her. Sho is rolling considerably and the sea is not subsiding. The crew is still aboard.

The Terawliiti arrived about 9 a.m., but sailed away.

The chances of towing tho vessel off are doubtful, but she still has her cargo aboard. The beach is sandy and shelving with a strong undertow.

SCENE OF THE WRECK.

A TREACHEROUS BEACH. "

MONSON’S NARROW ESCAPE

tBT TELEGRAPH -SPECIAL CORRESJ'OND ENT]

WANGANUI, May 12

The stranding of the Indrabarah has caused quite a stir in the countryside, and the Bulls road is alive with motor cars and other vehicles. Access to the scene is, however, not easy, and many of those who pioneered their way out may lose their way in the dark on returning from the beach. Arrangements aro being made for refloating the vessel. Captain Rainey (Assistant Alarino Superintendent of the Tyser Line) and Air Daniels (Salvage expert for the Union Co.) aro arranging matters. Tho weather has now moderated, but it will be a day or two before the sea subsides sufficiently to permit of salvage operations.

As a result of the heavy seas and the nature of the beach, the steamer lias shifted closer inshore. The officials are understood to be sanguine as to the results of their efforts to refloat the steamer.

Tolls of the Beach. '

The beach' whereon the Indrabarah stranded lured many a fine ship to destruction previous to the advent o 3 the Stephens Island light-, and when sailing.craft frequented the coast its tolls were heavy. With a strong tidal set behind a vessel it was an easy matter, especially at night, to be carried close in to the low-lying coast. Then if a strong westerly happened to be blowing, her case was hopeless. Even steamers find the coast a vory tricky one, so that in case of a gale all run for safety into'the lee of Kapiti Island.

The beach is an easy one to get on to and a difficult one to get off of. This is particularly soft—said, in fact, to bo quicksand. The sea has thrown up a low range of sand hills, and beyond this are miles of swamp ground, tho drainage from which percolates through to the sea beach, where the shore, below high-water mark, is vory soft.

The manner in which the steamer is moving with tlic actions of the tides seems to confirm this. She was once bow on to the land, then stern on, and then she shifted a few hundred yards down the coast and higher up on the beach.

Tho vessel is quite tight, for there are no rocks about, and all the captain requires is assistance to get out anchors or to drag the steamer off.

A Wonderful Escape.

Stevedore Moil soil had a truly wonderful escape. Speaking to a pressman subsequently, he told the story of what happened thus: ‘T had a tollable time ia the water. I was there for about two hours. I believe 1 managed to clutch an oar when I went over, but it was’nt much good to me. Swim ? I couldn’t swin in those breakers! All I could do was to keep afloat, Lots of times I thought I was gone. I never want to go through it again. I had quite given up all hope of coming out alive. Talk about wireless! Its simply marvellous bow thoughts flash through your mind when your’o. drowning. Then I can’t tell you bow wonderful tho feeling was when I suddenly saw a man near me, and when lie got hold oH mo I felt—well, I don’t know!” Alonson’s companion said that what really happened was that when tho boat got ashore it was hauled up and Mr Adcock stripped and, attaching a lifeline to his body, strodo off into tho breakers after Mon son, who could bo seen beyond tho waves. Air Adcock battled gamely, though his task scorned hopeless. They held the lino and directed him time and again to where Alonson could be seen floating. After nearly an- hour’s heroic battling Monson was washed nearer in shore, and Air Adcock was ablo.to make over to him and .reach him.

arrangements for refloating.

OFFICIALS HOPEFUL

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM! WANGANUI, May 12.

Arrangements are being pushed forward for refloating operations in connection with the Indrabarah, and the officials speak most hopefully of the attempt to bo made to put tho big liner into commission again.

“Prospects are very bright,” said one official to-night, “and everything is in our favor. Fortunatoly the ship came in on tho neap tides, so that the tides will bo making and should assist materially in tho successful refloating.” Another official to-night said that in view of tho latest information ho had received he eoukl not understand the message telegraphed from Marton, and was disinclined to accept it as accurate.