N.Z. WRECKS.

Grey River Argus, 8 June 1922, Page 7

N.Z. WRECKS.

LONG AND TRAGIC LIST. The record of past wrecks on the Now Zealand coast is a long and tragic one. Appended are brief p: rticulars of the most, serious and many of the minor A terrible wreck was that of H.M.S. Orpheus, 21 guns, which went on to the Manukau Bar on February 7th, 1863, through steering by a chart which was then obsolete, the channel having shifted considerably since the chart, was made. There wore 256 officers :nd men on board, and only 69 were saved, 187 losing their lives. The lluddart-Parkor steamer Tasmania was wrecked nt Table ('ape, on the cast coast, on .July 20th, 1897, with the loss of the lives of I<> members of tin l uiew. The passengers and drew took io the boats. Two boats vapsisel, eight lives being lost in one case amt two in the other. The wreck of the Iluddart-Pnrko’-steamer Elingamite, while on the voyage from Sydney to Auckh'ind, occurred on November 9th, 1902. '['he vessel car ried about ISO passengers and crew. A few were drowned at the wreck, but the majority got into the boats an I rafts. One i-ft was adrift for fom days before being picked up, and one boat was never recovered. Altogeth er 45 lives were lost. SI’NK BY ENEMY MINE. The Huddnrt-Parker steamer Wimern was sunk by tho explosion of a German mine off tin* north coast of New Zealand, during the war period, on .June 26th, 1918. Of the .151 persons on board the vessel 26 lost their lives, this number being compost'd of 10 pas sengers : nd 16 members of the ship’s company, including the master. Captain K. J. Kell. The disaster oi-eurretl early in Hit' morning, while the Wimmera was on the way to Sydney from Auckland. Tht' Northern Company’s steamer Kia-Ora, which was t ngaged in the West Coast trade, w s wrecked off Mar akopn river on June 13th, 1907. Threlives, including that of Captain Blaci; lock, were lost. Other steamers lost by tin* same company were the Gairloch, off Capo Egmont, in 1903; the Mu ratai, off the Hen and Chickens, in 1908; amt the Tasmt n in the Bay of Plenty, on .June 12th, 1921. The steamer Ventnor, which was t on veying the remains of disinterri'd Chinese from New Zealand to China, was wrecked off the llokianga coast in October, 1902. Twelve members of the crew were drowned, and the gruesome cargo was also lost. MEMORABLE SOUTH ISLAND DISASTER. The loss of the Union Company’s steamer 'l': ratua, which was wrecked on the reef off Waipupa Point, Foveaux Strait, on April 29th, 18x1, is the most memorable wreck of a passenger steamer that has occurred on the coast of the South Island. The Tararua w s on her way from Dunedin to the Bliif!’ when the disaster took ]»lnce. Some 130 lives- 110 passengers and 20 members of the crew—were lost, only 29 being saved. The steamer Taiaro?i, owned by the Union Company, was wrecked in thick weather at Waipapa Point, just north of the Clarence River, South Marlborough, on the passage from Wellington to Lyttelton on the night of April 11th, 1886. Tht' passengers and crew took to the Jtoats, but three of them were swamped, and most of their occupants drowned. In all about 33 li\ r es were lost. The Union Company’s steamer Ohau. which left Greymouth for Dunedin witn a cargo of <o 1 and timber in May, 1889, and which was sighted off Cape Campbell two or three days later, was never seen again. Captain Brewer and a crew of about 30 were lost. The Union Company's steamer Pen guin was wrecki'd in Cook Str: it while on the voyage from Picton to Wellington, on February 12th, 1909. Seven ty-fivc lives were lost. The Union Company’s steamer Waikare was lost at the AVest ('oast Soundon January 4th, 1910, while on a holiday excursion, through striking an uncharted rock. No lives were lost. The Tyser steamer Star of Can* da dragged her anchors and was wrecked at. Gisborne on .lune 23rd 1912. Ko lives wore lost. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Tongariro struck a pinnacle off Bull Rock, near Portland Island, East Co: st, on August 30th, 1916. In this case also alt hands were saved. The Fi'deral-Shire steamer Devon was wrecked on Hit' rocks at the. entrance to Wellington Harobur on August 25th, 191.3. Several other vessels, jirineipally small sailing er: ft, haw? bot'ii lost at this spot. The crew wer? lauded safely. The Iloulder liner Tyrone was wrecked near Wahino Point, close to the Otago Heads, on September 27th, 1913. No lives were lost. Tho barque Constance Craig, which disappeared with all h; nds in 1907, was supposed to have foundered off the New Zealand coast. The barque Loch Lomond disappeared in tht* same way iu 1908. The old and well-known steamer Stormbird was wrecked at the en trance to the Wanganui River, on September 2nd, 1916. Three members of the crew were drowned. The Anchor Company’s steamer Charles Edward was wrecked there some time lySOME EARLY WRECKS RECALLED. Among early wrecks were those of the barque Fifeshire, the first immigrant ship to land passengers at Nel-

son, on the I'ifeshire lit*.-’.;, I .-I.] .m;•/ 261 b, 1842; the Queen !)•■■, ."I Farewell Spit, on August 16th, 1 877 (one l:f' lost*, and the steamer White Swan, off Flat Point, south of Napier, on June 28fh, 1862, with Government records. Following are some of the other wrecks on the New Zealand Coast:— - Aired 1 le, steamer, near New Plymouth. L February 15th, 1871; Lillie Denham, < in Foveaux Straits, December, ISS3; ■ Maitai, s.s., nt Mercury Island, 1885; Splendid, barque, at Kaipnra, 189 U; Awaroa, schooner, at Poverty Bav, 1892; North Star, barque, : t South Heaii, Kaipnra, 1893; Alexander New ton, barque, at Portland Island, 1894: Sovereign, schooner, at Castle Point, Is'.* }; Christine, schooner, at A\ : itotara ; River, 1894; Spray smiooner, ni > Gisborne, 1895; II <,'rm on :one, shij» Cook Strait, 1895; Zuleika, Wellington Herds, 1897; Pirate, scow, Portland Is-■ land, 1897; Fglinshire, steamer, off j Timnru, 1897; Lord of tho Isles, schoon er, Kaipara, 1900; Ariadne, steam, yacht, off Oamaru, 1902; Marguerite Mirabeau, French barque, Akatoro Recicli, 1906,