SMALL STEAMER LOST

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4873, 21 July 1936, Page 4

SMALL STEAMER LOST

SWEPT FROM GREYMOUTH WHARF Telegrahpic advice from Greymouth on Saturday stated that the wellknown inter-colonial cargo steamer Abel Tasman, of 2047 tons, belonging to H. S. Sleigh Coasters Proprietors, Limited, Melbourne, was wrecked on Saturday at the Grey River bar under extraordinary circumstances. The vessel was torn from her moorings at a coal berth at Greymouth by a strong current, swept down the river and over the bar. She was then thrown up by the seas on the north beach and is a total wreck. The Abel Tasman’s moorings parted with startling suddenness and she became unmanageable immediately. As she travelled toward the river mouth she fouled the wreckage of the steamer Kaponga, but broke free in a few minutes and was soon over the bar, only to be caught in a northwesterly set and forced up on the beach. Of the total crew of 29 there were 19 men on board at the time, including Captain William Archibald, who jumped on to his vessel from the wharf as soon as the moorings parted. He was inspecting the moorings with one of the officers at the time. The crew were in considerable danger as heavy seas were pounding the vessel. They were all got ashore safely, however, by means of lines, the first man landing at 6.20 p.m. and the last at 7.25 p.m.