NAPIER TRAGEDY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 16, 30 December 1932, Page 8

NAPIER TRAGEDY

SEARCH FOR BODIES NINE RECOVERED YESTERDAY. COMMUNITY FUNERAL TOMORROW MORNING. The sorrowful search for the bodies •f the 10 men drowned following the eollision at the Inner Harbour entrance on Wednesday night was continued all yesterday afternoon and by dusk nine bodies had been recovered. One remained unlocated, that of Norman Low, of Nelson Crescent, Napier. The search was abandoned at sunset until early this morning, but at 9 o’clock the searchers had met with no success.

The nine victims of the catastrophe whose remains have been found are: — Robert Aplin, Alex Boyd, Harold Johnson, James Woods, John H. Wilson E. C. Cooper, T. B. Kitt, W. Andrews and J. H. E. Medcalf. The funeral of the unfortunate men will take place to-morrow morning. At 10 o’clock a service will be held at St. John's Cathedral and another at St. Patrick’s Church, after which the cortege will proceed to the Parke Island Cemetery. The ceremony will be in the nature of a community burial. Last night the Mayor of Napier (Mi J. Vigor Brown) received a telegram from, the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes, who wired from Cheviot. Mr Forbes expressed the sympathy of himself and his colleagues in the following terms:— “I have received with the deepest regret the news of the tragic accident at the Port last evening. Will you kindly convey to the families and relatives an expression of the sincere sympathy of myself and my colleagues in the Government-”

N 0 WARNING GIVEN

FLUNG OUT IN SPLIT SECOND STORY OF STEVEDORE. It seems evident from the stories told by those who escaped death on board the Doris, that no one either on the launch or the Tu Atu had any idea of the nearness of the two boats. The story given to the “Tribune” byMr J. T. Fenwick epitomises the narratives of those who were saved; namely, that within a split second they were flung from safety into danger without any warning; that it happened so quickly that it may be doubtful whether anyone could give a really clear account of what actually happened. Mr Fenwick is the contract stevedore to the Commonwealth anl Dominion Line, and at the time of the incident was talking to Mr Norman Low, who was assistant foreman in the employ of Messrs Fenwick and Co. Mr Fenwick has the following story to tell: “The launch Doris was travelling from the Port Hunter to the Port Brisbane. She then picked up the last lot of men from the Port Brisbane. This would be about 11 o’clock We came along in the usual way, and at the time of the accident I was talking with my foreman, Mr N. Low, who was assistant foreman for Fenwick and Co. We were discussing the day’s work for the two ships when I heard somebody in the bow of the launch shout something about “the Tu Atu.” I raised by eyes and almost instantaneously 1 seemed to oe going down. CAUSE OF LAUNCH OVERTURNING. “I am inclined to think that when the impact was felt the men naturally made away from the side where the collision occurred, and this circumstance, combined with the glancing blow from the Tu Atu, resulted in the launch’s being turned right over. 1 sank right underneath the launch and on two occasions while attempting to get to the surface I struck my head against the hull. A third attempt proved successful and when 1 came to the surface I looked around, and it appeared to me that the remaining men were in a bunch close by. 1 was impeded a good deal by my overcoat, which had slipped down over my shoulders, pinning my arms. Someone grabbed me as 1 came to the surface and after that 1 dog-paddled till 1 came to the launch, which was awash. “Eventually nine men struggled their way to the launch, which was then floating as a derelict. “We found that by keeping as still as possible we were comparatively safe. Then the tug Kuri came on to the scene. 1 must say a word of praise for Captain Blundell, who commanded the tug Kuri, for he certainly did some very fine work in getting us off the launch. He did everything in his power in the work of rescue. Eventually, most of us were transferred to the Naomi.

“It seems fairly clear to me after viewing the launch this morning and finding it undamaged and watertight, that the blow struck by the Tu Atu was as I have said —just sufficient to tip it over. It is doubtful whether one can say there were anything wrong since both the launch Dons and the Tu Atu were burning their regulation lights. At the time of the accident we were coming in on the eastern ide, while the Tu Atu was going out on the western.” Mr Fenwick is suffering acutely from shock. The stress of the incident has so affected his nervous system that it may be some days before he is able to walk without the aid of a stick. CAPTAIN BLUNDELL’B STORY.

Captain R. Blundell, skipper of the little Kuri, gave only a brief account of the fine service he rendered to the stricken men on board the Doris. He did mention, however, the coolness and courage of a deckhand named Harry Baldwin, and Arne Angm, also a deckhand on the Kun, in getting the drowning watersiders aboard the Tu Atu. The Kuri had been ordered to stand by for the Tangaroa at midnight, otherwise the crew would have been home shortly before 11 o’clock, after working on the two Home boats in the Bay. The Tu Atu left at five past eleven, and about 11.10 o’clock Captain Blundell heard the Tu Atu’s whistle. He knew from the whistle that something was wrong, and thought that probably the Tu Atu had got into a shoal, and stmek bottom, but at the next instant the watchman •aid: “She’s gone into the labour launch—l bet that’s what’s happen-

ed.” Within five minutes of hearing the whistle the Kuri was alongside the overturned Doris, and helping in the work of rescue.

SURVIVOR’S STORY

MEN CAUGHT UNAWARES. STRUGGLES AFTE RCAPSIZE. One man of the party aboard the Dons—Mr L. Harrison —suffered so severely from shock that he had to be taken to the Napier hospital almost immediately after he was landed at the ferry steps. After attention at the hospital yesterday he was able to have the institution. He had rather a dramatic story to tell He was seated ou the lee side of the launch, chatting to his mate, just before the collision. All at once there was a crash, the launch gave a lurch and turned completely over. The whole thing teemed to happen in the twinkling of an eye.

He said the water was not particularly cold, but the feeling of having to fight to reach the surface was awful. It seemed ages before he was able co reach the surface When he did he found the launch floating upside down, with a number of men clinging to the hull. He struck out in the direction of the upturned Doris, and after what seemed an interminable period he reach.d it.

“1 don t Know how loug 1 hung on, but I began to feel the effects of swallow mg sea water, and it became difficult to retain my hold. Suddenly I heard a cry of ‘Grab this!’ and a rope was flung down to me. You can bet i our life I grabbed it, and 1 fastened it several times round my hand . . . 1 just didn’t care if it pulled my hand off, so long as I got aboard the tug ... .

“1 realise 1 am very fortunate to be alive, for I felt my strength ebbing when hanging on to the overturned Doris. When I was at the police station I didn't seem to care whether 1 lived or died—it was such a nightmare. I wouldn’t want to go through it again.”

WORK OF THE POLICE

AN UNENVIABLE TIME RECEIPT OF FIRST INFORMATION Members of the police force had an unenviable time. From many quarters the “Tribune” heard expressions of gratitude and c mmendation for the kindly, courteous way in which Sergeant Claasen and the constables conducted their inquiries. Some slight idea of the ground they had to cover, in addition to the collection and collation of information, may be gathered from the follow-' .g observations:— Sergeant Claasen said that James Josephs called into the station in an exhausted condition. Josephs declared that unless immediate assistance was rendered the majority of the occupants of the Doris would be drowned. With Josephs was Percy Gillies, of Westshore, and an employee of Richardson and Co., Ltd., who informed the sergeant that all the company’s launches were in use and he (Gillies) was unable to procure one. Constable A. Prater then told Josephs to get in touch with Arthur Martin, the owner of the launch 'Naomi. This-was done, whereupon Sergeant Claasen and Constable Prater set out for the scene of the accident, where they found the Tu Atu and the tug Coralie abreast of each other. They' could see several of the watersiders on the Coralie whereupon they cruised around in close vicinity of the catastrophe, but did not find anyone. They then brought ashore the survivors who were given refreshments at the Port Ahuriri police station by Mrs Claasen.

The above incident marks but one of the many phases of police work during such a trying period, and it says much for the officers concerned that their duties were conducted in the spirit which usually is evident among members of the force in a situation such as this one.

DEJECTED WATERSIDERS

WOMEN OPENLY CRYING. ALL WORK SUSPENDED. The atmosphere surrounding the Port yesterday was tragic. Groups of dejected watersiders ranged themselves along the quayside, women were openly crying as the remains of the drowned men were conveyed from the ferry wharf to the waiting ambulance. Flags hung limply at half-mast, and all activity seethed stilled. People could talk of little else. Neither the Port Hunter nor the Port Brisbane was worked, which in the circumstances is not difficult of understanding. The victims of the dreadful tragedy, with their wives and families, are all well-known at the Port, in Napier, and at Westshore, and the news of the disaster came with a stunning eSect upon the whole community. It was hard to realise that so serious a calamity could have happened ou a calm, still night, and within such a short distance of the shore.

Several ot the men had lived the whole of their lives at Westshore and the Port and all of them had been employed there for many years. They were all of them, too, popular amongst the community, and held in high esteem, and tue >u .uenuess . ith winch they have been called away came as a great shock. The nature of their employment is so precarious that the families of all of them were onliiely dependent upon very often slender earnings for their subsistence, and to add to the sorrows at the ioss ol husbands and fathers is the very serious position of most of the .amihes in providing for present needs, as well as for the future. Most of the children left are very young «nd almost every- bereaved family is in very straitened circumstances.