Wreck of tie Tasmania.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2168, 6 August 1897, Page 5

Wreck of tie Tasmania.

Great excitement was occasioned throughcut New Zealand on Friday when the news was wired that Messrs Huddsrt, Parker, and Co.'s fine screw steamer, Tasmania, bad struck on a rock the previous night near Table Cape, Mahia Peninsula, Poverty Bay, and had gone down in about two hours. The vessel had sailed the previous day from Auckland for Gisborne, but owing to the heavy sea running she was nnable to enter the latter port Captain M "Gee, who was in command, after waiting an hour or two decided at 9 p. m. to go on|to Napier. It was about 11.15 p>m. when she struck, and the third mate was in charge. The captain immediately gave orders for the launching of the boats, and as the sea was not breaking over the vessel this was carried out without accident

At tbe-first shock the passengers all rushed on deck in their sleeping apparel, and great excitement prevailed, bat as the ship remained on an even keel there was no sign of. a panic. One passenger, aMr Porter, did hu best to keep np the spirits of all on board by sitting down at the piano and playing lively tunes. The boats were loaded with passengers and polled round to leeward of the wreck, where they were made fast to await developments. The Tasmania showed no signs of sinking until about 1 a.m. when, as she began to list over, Captain M'Oee ordered the boats to shear off. He himself was the last to leave the ship, which sank by the stem and disappeared at 230 p.m. when the boats were 100 yds off. Orders were given for all the boats to follow the captain's gig, but the heavy sea extinguishing the lights, each took the coarse which those in command thought best The carpenter's boat with .eight passengers, arrived at Mnriwai next morning, and the captain's gig and the lifeboat arrived at Gisborne. The smallest boat belonging- to the ship, which was known to contain nine souls, was swamped near Mahanga and all in her were drowned. Two others, a sailor and a passenger, are drowned, and this completes the death roll of 11. Everyone on board speaks in the highest terms of eulogy of the admirable conduct of the captain and crew, and the ladies especially are commended for their behaviour. A consteble|who was on board says it was the quietest wreck that could be imagined, not a scream being heard. The Tasmania was a steel screw steamer of 2282 tons, built at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1892, and classed 100 Al at Lloyd's, and she had accomodation for 200 passengers. There were very affecting scenes at the identification of the bodies in the morgue at Gisborne.

Bodies continue to be picked up along the coast, and the masts of the Tasmania have been sighted standing Bft above water. The Tasmania was valued at £27,100 and waa insured for £21,000. Among the cargo was a consignment of seventeen horses, and twenty-seven bags of mails for Gisborne, Napier and Wellington, bat none for the South Island. Mr Rothschild, a Wellington wholesale jeweller, who was on board, lost £2OOO worth of jewellery among his effects. Captain M'Gee, interviewed by an Auckland reporter, said that so far from the night being thick and dirty when the Tasmania struck, it was clear, so much so that he could see the Gisborne breakwater lights seven miles away. When he saw the land it was quite clear and seemed a long distance oft The ship was on a perfectly safe course. Captain M'Gee has no doubt that she struck on an unchartered rock. The point where she struck is apparently three miles northward of the nearest land on Mahia Peninsula with deep water all round. He says : "I have passed the rock closely scores of times, and never have known its presence. The Tasmania was drawing 19ft The rook would be 16ft to 18ft under the water." As for rocks near Table Cape, on which some supposed that the vessel was wrecked. Captain M'Gee said they were so well known that vessels generally pass within a mile of them. The Tasmania is reported to be in a perfectly upright position in from 15 to 16 fathoms of water, and about two miles off the harbour known as Happy Jack's. Arrangements have been made to dispatch a steamer to receive the mails. Diving gear is at Gisborne, and the diver who saved the mails from the Wairarapa steamer is also said to be at that place. Latest news from the Weka steamer, which went to the wreck with a diver, states that from 60ft to 72ft of water was found on the upper deck, which means 80ft to BQf t on the mail room deck. Owing to great pressure the diver could only stop down an hour at a time. He had a deal of trouble to lift the batches, but expects to recover the mails in a day or two, The nautical inquiry will take place at Auckland as soon as possible.