WRECK AT OTAKI.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue I, 15 October 1878, Page 2

WRECK AT OTAKI.

BARQUE FELIX STOWK ASHORE.

Oaptain, Mat 9, and two

Seamen drowned.

CAPTAIN'S WIFE SAVED,

BRAVE IIV OF THIS NATIVES

AND HALF-CASTES.

Upon tho arrival at Foxton on Sun-

day evening of tho up*coach (which had been detained as reported elses where), news of a wreck at Otaki, with the loss of four lives, was re« ceived. The following are the particulars of the disaster : —

When the residents of Otaki rose on Sunday morning, the masts of a vessol, with a number of sails set, were seen from the township. It was at once evident she was ashore, and a general stampede took plaoe to tie beach. On arrival there a ship's boat was found, washed up by the tremendous surf rolling in, and a short distauce out, with tho hoavy sea breaking right over her, was soen a vessel, which prove! to bo

THE FELIX STOWE, an English barque, about 500 tons, and bound from Newcastle to Lyttelton, with a cargo of coal. As the people on board appeared to be in imminent danger, William Jenkins, young iM 'Donald, and threo natives named respectively Toi, Wi Nera, and Mark,— vory pluckily manned tho boat, aud were soon alongside the ve3sel. The captain's wife was on board, but owing to the exposure she was almost oxhausted j the cabin was half full of water, and as the sea was breaking over the vessel, thero was uot a dry spot. It was therefore determined to take her ashore at onco, and the boat

SAFELY REACHED THE BEACH. with the captain's wife, the second mate, and one apprentice. By tliis boat a line was brought from the ship to tho shore, and was made fast to a log on the beach. It afterwards proved of great service, in saving the lives of several men.

! Another crow, consisting of four half-castes residing at Otaki, named J. Seymour, Jno. Harvey, S. Skipwith, and James Eansfield, then maimed the boat, and put off to the ship. Upon getting alongside, they hailed thoso on board, and told them thoy had better wait until the tide turned, when the sea would go down, as tho breakers wero rolling in very high. The CAPTAIN WOULD NOT WAIT, and the boat started upon her j>erUi, ous journey, with thirteeij^iuon, all told. They intonded_t»^vork her in by moans of Jh£ rope, and beveral took hokl-jjf" jt to steady her. But wheiju-ilie boat got out from under J&tf lee of tho vessel, in fact directly she passed tho bows, a tremendous sea cima rolling in and struck hor, half-filling her with water. She was wearing away from tho ropo, and would probably have righted in a moment, but the weight of the men holding on to the rope, canted her ovor to the side, and juat then another tremendous camo rolling in, filled the boat, and sho upset, loaving THIRTEEN MEN STRUGGLING IX THE

WATER I'OR LIFE. Captain Piggott, Mr Lamont (the first mate), an able seaman named Farrell, ahd one of the apprentices, named A. Naughton,

WERE DROWNED.

The rest were saved in- various ways. Cne man clung to tho cap* sized boat, antl was taken out of the sea by somo of the natives when he came near enough. Some of the men belonging to the sliip battle bravely with the waves, one with a heavy " monkey " jacket and top boots on, reaching the shore after a hard struggle: All the half*eastes were magnificent swimmers, and at afc once swam back to the rope, upon reaching which they were under the lee of the 6hip. Three of them clambered liand over hand up the rop3 on«to the vessel, and remained there till tho tide wont out, when they easily got ashore ; but James Hansfield, an Otaki half-caste, bravely held on to the ship's cook, whose life he saved. Holding on to the man, who was unable to swim, Eansfield made his way along tho rope. Meanwhile, those on shoro wore no idle spectatora. Owing- to the heavy soa rolling in, tho barque, which was broadside on, rolled to fro continuously, aud it. will thus be seen that one half the time the ropo would be alack, and therefore useless to those in the water. Georgo Pagsloy, the driver of the coach, was equal to the emergency, aad at once organised a gang of about 20 men, who held the shore end, and by hauling in the slack, and running it out alternately, as the vessel lurched, a steady strain was kept upon the rope. To this precaution, the saving of several liyes must, he attributed. Ransfield eventually ' got the cook close in along the line after a most gallant strugglo, when, being utterly exhausted, he at last let go his hold, and from sheer exhaustion stumbled himself, and fell At once, Pugslsy aiid a native

RUSHED INTO TnE BREAKERS at the imminent risk of their own lives, and carried the two men out. It was feared at first the cook had

succumbed, and tliat lifo was extinc', but after the usual restoratives had been applied for an hour, animation returned ; whilst Rausfield recovered in about 15 minutes.

Skipwith, another half-ca3te, also took hold of ono of the men in the water, and swam with him to tlio ship's sido, but the bravo fellow, ai'ier holding on to tho sailor as long as possible, became completely exhausted, and was compelled to let him go. The man was drowned.

A. Knocks and J. Abbott, two Europeans, also rushed into the surf and saved a seaman, who would have been drowned but for their timely assistance.

In every case, the men who were saved, were carried towards the shore b) tlio forco of the waves, and whon within reach the natives gallantly dashed into tho surf, aud rescued I them. GREAT EXCITEMENT provailed at the township of Otaki, and overy one went to the 6cene of the disaster. The beach was lined with spectators, over 200 being present. Every one in the vicinity, — Maori as well European, — did all they could to save life, and promote the comfort of those rescued. Where all did their best, it would be invidious on our part to seloct any for special notice. The shipwrecked people were accommodated at the Telegraph Hotel by Mr Bright, who kindly furnished them with everything necessary. HOW SHE GOT ASHORE it seems almost impossible to tell. A howling nor'-wester wa9 blowing on Saturday night, and the men say thoy were unable to go aloft and shorten sail. The vessel struck about 3 a.m. on Sunday. As the night was moonlight, aud as Kapiti is only about 5 miles south of where the Felix Stowo went ashore, it seems surprising that with a N.W. wind, which would have been on her quarter, the barque was unable to make the island. Probably, now the cap* tain and mate aro drowned, it will be difficult to obtain reliable information of the cause of the barque goiug ashoro. |

We bolievo the captain's papers wero in possession of Eansfield, having beeu givon him to bring ashore, but wero lest whilst ho was in the wuter.

Tho Folix Stowo is about 5 years old. Sho recently arrived at Newcastle from England, and her first voyage in Colonial waters hus proved very disastrous. TRIBUTE OF P.IAI3S. Great credit is duo to the^brayQfellows, bothj^rojvgtia^andl'laons, wJi^\^ffejrTso well to rescue their "follow men from a watery grave ! All honor to them ! Maoris as weli as Pakehas united hoartily in the work, and showed that " ono touch j of naturo mak^s tho whole world kin" Eausfield acted nobly, also a number of the others; and we are sure tlie whole colony will heartily endorse our sentiments wheu we say, that the men acted in a manner which will secure for them a high placo in the esteem of their fellow-citizens for thoir heroism* their self-denial, and their offorts to succour those in distress.