MARITIME INTELLIGENCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 835, 16 March 1867, Page 2

MARITIME INTELLIGENCE.

HEAVY STORM. — LOSS OF A CUTTER AND THREE LIVES. We have been visited during the week with one of the most severe storms that has been experienced in Hawke's Bay for some years. Sunday last was beautifully fine but a very heavy easterly swell set in during the day, ' raising a high surf, and evidently indicating a gale which did not blow home. On Monday, a souther set in, which, by Tuesday morning, blew a gale, with a high cross sea — caused by the easterly swell of the two preceding days coming in contact with the sea raised by the souther. Tuesday night will long be remembered by residents on the Spit. The tide was unusually high—higher than it has been known to be within the memory of European inhabitants— and the sea outside raged with ungovernable fury. The high beach, which usually presents an insurmountable barrier to the angriest of waves, proved on this occasion but a futile protection against their violence. Sea after sea came clean over, breaking down the fences in front of the houses, and washing shingle and large boulders right up to the doors. Some of the houses were abandoned for the time being by their occupants, and few residents on the Spit had any rest till morning. On Wednesday, matters were but little improved. At noon, the flood tide was near its height and great bodies of water came over at intervals. At the boat shed (built by the late Mr. H, Morrison) the sea made a clean breach over, and scapped the foundations of the shed, which now lies a wreck. A deep indentation of the beach marks where the sea nearly made for itself a fresh channel at this point. A good deal of other damage waß done to property. The morning of Wednesday was, we regret to say, marked by an occurence much more serious than that occasioned by the destruction of property. About 6 p.m. on Tuesday, a cutter, evidently very light, ran in to the Bay in quest of shelter. She was a stranger to the port and evidently in charge of a stranger, for, although signalled to keep to sea, she dropped anchor off the Bluff, no great distance from the Auckland reef, and in a place where the uneven bottom made the sea very broken. She lay there all night, but a dreadful night it must have been to the poor fellows on board. Why they remained in such a place instead of running before the gale to Wangawehi, or some better place of shelter, will probably never be known. At daylight, however, much to the surprise of all, she was still there, but laboring heavily. At ten minutes past 8 she was seen to be struck by a heavy sea, and to go right over — struck, in all probability, on the one side at the moment she heeled to the other, and completely turned over. The crew, believed to be three in number, olung to the wreck for a little time, but were finally washed away. One, seen to hold out after the others had been swept off, was probably three-quarters of an hour on the wreck before he disappeared. The lamentable occurrence was seen from the bun'uokd, ami signalled to the pilot station, but it was simultaneously witnessed by several persons from the Spit. At this time a fearful sea was running ; the seas breaking out as far as the eye could reaoh. To venture over the bar seemed almost certain destruction, but, nevertheless, the life boat was immediately got ready, and the pilot and bis boatmen were prepared to go with her. A sufficient crew could not, however, be got at once. The state of the Bay was certainly enough to appal the stoutest, but, had there been confidence in the life boat, we believe a orew would have been got instanter. A feeling prevails, rightly or wrongly, that the boat would not right if capsized, and, generally, is not the thing. However, while this delay oocurred, the fact of the last of the poor fellows having been swept to eternity was signalled from the flagstaff, and the attempt was given up. The news of tbe sad catastrophe quickly spread, and a deep gloom pervaded the town throughout the day. Conjecture was at fault as to the name of the ill-fated vessel. Some supposed it to be the Glimpse, cutter, which, having gone down to Canterbury from Auckland, purposed calling in here on her return voyage. Others that it was the Sir Duncan Cameron, a cutter which has been for a very long time immured in the Whareama river, but which, it was conjeotured, might have got out in consequence of late freshes. The latter hypothesis was strengthened by the faot that the lost vessel seemed to be exceedingly light. At top tide on Wednesday (about 1 p.m.) the water^ had risen very high on the Spit. The streets were all under water, and man}' of the stores were partially flooded. A good deal of damage has been done to wool and to goods of various kinds. The residence of J. N. Wilson, Esq., was greatly exposed to the storm, aud suffered much. The sea wall in front was beaten down in several places by the streugth of the 6ea, and the garden, which was in a high state of cultivation, completely devastated. Wednesday, however, saw the height of the gale. By Thursday morning it had greatly moderated, and the sea much fallen, although still running high. The Beautiful Star, from Dunedin, arrived at noon, and, taking advantage of the flood, crossed the bar at a propitious moment, and entered the Iron Pot in safety. Five minutes later or earlier, she could not have done so without shipping a sea. In the afternoon, news arrived from Petane that the body of one of the ill-fated crew of the cutter had been washed up there, and a boat was immediately sent to bring the remains to town. She returned about 8 p.m. with the body. From a correspondent—who was present at the finding of the body in the morning — we have the following particulars, from which it would appear that all doubt is set at rest as to the name of the vessel :— '' Having heard that the mast of the cutter was lying on Petane beach, I took a horse nnd rode up the beach. I found fragments of the wreck all the way along. The must was near the Petane ua, and between the pa and the light willows (Mr Torr's place) was the bowsprit, part of the sails, and a good deal of the gear, a littio farther on— towards Tangoio — was the body of a man, perfectly naked, and muoh mutilated, evidently by sharks. Mr. Catheral, the blacksmith, and I rolled the body up in a scarf supplied by Tareha, and carried it above high water mark. On the left wrist there is a star pricked with Indian ink, the only mark I observed. The upper part of the body was not disfigured, Mr Catheral recognised the features, but could not, at the time, recollect the name. Mr John Villers found the archboard, on which was painted ' Duncan Cameron,' in yellow letters. " THE INQUEST. An inquest upon the body was held yester-

day, at noon, at the Commercial Hotel, Eastern Kpit, before T. Hitohinga, Esq., coroner, and tho following jury :— Ueorge Gharlum (foreman), George Brick, Hugh Connor, William M'Callum, Franklin Tuxford, Joseph Williams, John Ferguson, James M'Kee, Thomas Norcross, John M'Dougall, James Garnham, and William Baxter, The following evidence was adduced :— George Frost, being sworn, deposed :— lam a mariner, I identify deceased as Peter Cadenhead, alias Smith. I have known him for about two years, and have no doubt of. his identity, I last saw him about three weeks ago ; he came on board the Success, of whioh, lam master, at Cape Kidnappers. He was on board the Rose Ann. He told me he was going to Warearaa to bring to Auokland the cutter Duncan Cameron. I saw a outter at anchor on the evening of the 12th Maroh. The weather was too bad for him to anohor at all. It waa a southerly wind, blowing hard, . and a very heavy sea on . I considered his position a very dangerous one. I believe that assistance was required from the shore, and that, with an efficient boat and orew, the outter^might have been reaohed and the lives saved. I have seen a boat which is called a life boat, in the charge of the Harbour Master. lam not qualified to give an opinion whether Bhe is fit or not fit to live in suoh a sea. On the morning of the 13th, about & past 7, the outter capsized. I was asked by I Henvy Kraef t, the Assistant Pilot, to render assistance by going in the boat, and I oonsented to go, When I got to the boatshed, the boat was not ready. I saw a orew suffioient to have taken the boat out, but none of us knew anything about the boat, and had ho confidence either in the boat or ourselves. There were oars and rowlocks inthe boat, but I did not notice if they were lashed ; I believe not. The steer strop was not ready. I saw Cdptain Oellem fitting it, and trying to fix the. steer oar. In consequence of some signal from tbe hill, wbioh indicated that tbe men had been washed off the wreck, I walked away, accompanied by the others of the crew. If Buoh a signal had not been hoisted, the boat would have gone out at all risks— under Capt. Cellem's charge, I believe, There had been every appearance of bad weather for some days, and I am of opinion that the boat should be ready at all times, particularly in rough weather, and an efficient and practised crew. Samuel Thorpe, being sworn, deposed . — I am a surgeon, residing at Napier. At daybreak on the 13th mat. I saw the outter at anchor. At about 8 o'clock I saw her still there. I saw a heavy roller coming on which oapsized her. I procured a glass, and could distinctly see two men holding on to the keel. 'She settled down very rapidly. I was watching her for about three minutes. I then rode round to the Spit and informed the Harbour Master of the circumstance of the men being there, which he did not seem to know, and could not see from his position. He immediately proceeded to the life boat-house. I went away and ascertained the men were still there, and found on my return a crew of 7 or 8 men, with their lifebelts on, preparing to launch the boat. I saw and heard the Assistant Pilot asking for volunteers from the vessels in harbor, but there was no response. I heard frequent expressions of want of confidence in the boat, even by those who were going in her, I then rode to the barracks and signalled to the Spit that the men had been washed off. The spars were then visible, from the vessel having apparently righted, and no one could be seen in or near her. William George Cellem, deposed :— I am Harbour Master and Pilot at the port of Napier. I first saw the cutter on the evening of the 12th, about 6 o'clock. Before she had anchored, I hoisted a signal for her to keep to sea . No notice was taken on her part, She then anchored. I considered her position a perilous one. I kept the blue peter up, wheh is a common signal everywhere to keep to sea, and universally understood. On the following morning about G o'clock I saw her. She was still there; the sea was heavier than before, At about 8 a.m. she capsized. I had not signalled her that morning, or attempted any communication with her. Upon hearing from Dr. Thorpe that two men were clinging to the wreck, I proceeded im mediately to launch the life boat, and called for volunteers to man her. After some delay I succeeded in getting eight volunteers, whi:h, with our men, were sufficient to go with the boat. The boat was in a fit state for immediate use, and is always kept so. The gear was all. in tho boat, and in good working order. The men were putting on life belts. I feel convinced, if we had had a proper life boat, men would have come forward more readily. Ido not consider this one a proper life boat. A proper life boat should be self pumping and self righting, which this is not. There is every probability that, had we started, we should have met with some disaster, 1 think the boat is altogether unlit for such a sea. I was going in oharge of the boat, together with the Assistant Pilot. We intended steering her with two steer oars, one on each quarter. lam of opinion that, in a port like Napier, we should have one of tho bosfc life boats that can be made. Before starting, a signal from the barracks denoted that the men had been washed off, and I did not consider it right to risk men's lives to examine the wreck, and determined not to go. On the afternoon of the same day we went out with the life boat to examine what appeared to be the mast head, whioh we found to be one of our small buoys. The sea had somewhat fallen ; the boat nearly got capsized. By a Juror : — My opinion was that, during the night of the 12th, she would have parted her chain and gone to sea. I was surprised to find her there the next morning. I don't think it would have taken ten minutes to have got tho boat quite ready for sea. George Charlton deposed to having, in company with others, found the body of deceased on Petane beach. The jury returned as their verdict that j " deceased was accidentally drowned" ; and ! added the following as a rider :— " The jury are of opinion that a boat of the best construction should be provided for this port, and that life has been sacrincedin the present instance through tho want of such a boat,"