WRECK OF THE S.S. WALLACE,

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5320, 15 October 1885, Page 2

WRECK OF THE S.S. WALLACE.

It is our unpleasant duty to once more furnish our readers with the details of a shipping casualty at this port, and which, no matter how blameless the seamanship of the master may • be, or how easily the accident can be accounted for by natural causes, cannot fail to. reflect to some extent upon the port. The Wallace left Hokitika yesterday morning for this port, and arrived at the entrance shortly after two o'clock in the afternoon, only a mile or two ahead of the s.s Waipara* also bound in. The s.s Herald was going out at the same time. In fact the accident occurred just as the Herald was getting clear of the wharf. There was considerable sea running at the time. The Wallace rounded the stonework all right, being well in the channel ; but she was no sooner abreast of the stonework than an immense roller took possession of her and swept her in towards the stonework at the rate of an express train. She was as light as a cork at the time, drawing only a few inches forward and not more than three or four feet aft. On the top of the roller the helm was of no use to the vessel. "At any time, even under the most favorable conditions, the Wallace is very sluggish in answering the helm ; and yesterday, circumstances being against her, she was much" worse than; tu.sual. In fact the rudder and fans^rV-all^out pf water and perfectly useless^ to/Ker when she was on top of the wave.' The - moment the

force of the sea ijras felt the jib was : : hoisted with wonderful celerity, but ; its assistance was ineffectual in keeping the vessel off the rocks ; for a second sea struck her on the quarter, checking her ffay towards getting into the channel again, and as if to shut out all hope of the doomed vessel escaping the fate in store for her, a third sea followed the second one, and, landed the- ill-fated - Wallace broadside on the fatal stone apron, only a few. yards beldw where! the old j&g Lioness left her bones. The calamity in each case was brought about very much in the" same' vf&ji The Lioness was caught in a terrific .squall on the top of a huge roller, and before anything could -be done to extricate her she was on top of the .stones. The moment it was seen from the wharf the difficulty the Wallace. was in, Mr Murphy; of the Customs, arid a few others, rushed down to the, ,tiphead to, .render A\rhat assistance they'conld. On the other 1 hand, the men engaged at the tiphead [dropped ;their tools and went to.the rescue. IJhe first task ;was to establish communication with the shore, liy, no means such an easy task as might be imagined . A hawser was first oi all got out astern, arid the "ajichor chain at the bow, and made fast to ; jthe shore, 'whjch the vessel from rolling over into the channel, from the effects of the sea-.aud-southerly wind .combined. Out of a couple of stout, planks and some ropes a passable gangway; was. improvised and the female passengers, sent ashore. rAll ,others who desired to go" ashore at the ,ti.me 'did so ; but the majority of the ! f crew remained aboard arid assisted in .saving the : '' passengers' luggage' and other light and moveable effects. The .Harbor Board hands employed at the tiphead, however, stuck inarifully to their post until such 'tome as they had passed all the luggage and much of the cabin furniture ashore, though the duty was alike unsafe and unpleasant in consequence of the heavy seas that swept in between the , vessel, and, the, shpre, the foam frequently drWching ' ! all! hands from head to foot ; and' every time the wreck gave a surge from , the united force of the wind and sea, it really looked as if the frail fastenings? would snap and let ifc; roll over into the channel. . At ' every surge the water could be' seen pouring out in streams from,' the • perforations in her bilge, though the greatest damage must necessarily be on the. port side,] where it could not. of . course be seen. Before dusk. evrer ( ytbipg. ( of ; a light 'or moveable nature was g°^ ashore, when all hands left, the .vessel.. .Shortly after, as the tide began to fall, a-gaug* of men was put on to discharger cargo, which was carried on quietly and expeditiously until such time as the tide began' to rise again. Considerable; portion of the~'icargo iwas riot" much the worse for its immension, but a 1 great deal of it was, necessarily-damaged, if ' not entirely , destroyed. Had . more men ■been ' eraployed' a good deal more cargo imightihave been! landed last night', but the arrangements were anything but first? clasSj. ,the, purchase, being hthfrie/lly rigged-: Ji^i£ather Jnadequaite.Jo the^. work reqiipiedi- * #^ri-iihei tide^began ' to " rise agaiti tne men knocked off until six the nexritforning.

The Harbor Board last evening gave notice to the master, Captain Williams, as the representative of the owners, to remove the wreck by, ten o'clock this morning., .Of course that was outside of the /region of possibilities. In the meantime ■the town is being scoured for- empty casks for the purpose of buoying the vessel and floating her off if it is possible to do so. But as the 'stones are certain to be sticking through her bottom it is not very clear how; she .js ~gbpg to be got off unless she is first ; well buoyed and then dragged off the stones by the tug. This morning the men will again resume the work of discharging cargo ; and as a good many idle persons will be certain to be congregated on the spot it would be as well if the police authorities would station a man thef c, not only to preserve order, but to prevent people from breaking bulk, as we are given to understand that amongst the cargo there is a good deal of spirits. On occasions of this kind men are not apt to be particular and scenes ensue which are not creditable to the place.

f- ; Amongst those who made themselves particularly prominent and active in landing the passengers and luggage from the wreck, and rendering all the assistance they could, it is only right to mention a few names that we know of. There are others, equally deserving perhaps, but unfortunately we are unable to identify them by name, and give them at least the small need of justice they so well deserve. Amongst the most conspicuous were : — Messrs Freeman se.nior and junior, William Ross, Thompson, Ramsay, Ross, James, Murphy, Scott (Harbor Board Engineer), J. M'Carthy, G: Simpson, J. Mickotz, and others.