A Thrilling Story.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 162, 16 July 1907, Page 5

A Thrilling Story.

Captain Stays by the Ship,

And is Lost.

Wellington, July 15.

Two men named Parsonson and McPhee, who were among the first to get ashore, walked to Island Bay from the scene o£ the wreck. Parsonson told the story of the night's experiences in an exceptionally concise manner, whilst McPhee dropped in an occasional word. They said the weather was fine for the run from Wellington yesterday morning and along the coast during the afternoon with a fresh wind blowing. Late at night the wind freshened still more, a heavy sea was running, and towards midnight a rain storm came along. " We, McPhee and I, were having our watch below at the time and don't know just how it came about, but at midnight we heard the cry ' breakers ahead,' and then the ship struck. She had struck several times when we reached the deck. We swung the lifeboat out ready for lowering so that we could leave the ehip at short notice, but Capt. Andresen advised us not to leave the ship but to stand by until daylight if we could hang out that long. Wβ decided to do so." Continuing his story Parsonson said; " The mizzen mast was carried away at about 1.30 o'clock, this misfortune resulted in the smashing of the lifeboat and the crew got the dinghy over the side ready for escape, then all hands excepting McNaughten, who was forward, went into the aft cabin of the ship which at this time was labouring heavily and the sea was breaking over aft. The barque had apparently struck upon a ragged outer reef."

The next incident that impressed itself upon the mind of the narrator was the carrying away of the foremast, which occurred at about 4 o'clock. The mast snapped off just above the deck. The barque had been making a list to starboard all the time and as this became more and more accentuated it was decided to take to the boat and get ashore. It was about 5 o'clock that the dinghy was lowered, as the launch, the only other boat left, was deemed too heavy to swing off and handle under the circumstances. Just before the men took to the boats the spanker gaff was carred away, and when the boat was successfully lowered everybody on board got into her excepting the captain and two A.B.'s (McNaughten and Sing), who stayed on board with the captain. The latter was urged by the men to abandon the wreck, but be could no be persuaded to do so. He declared that he would stick to the barque to the last.'

The following were the men who got into the dinghy, so far as Parsonson and McPhee could remember the names:—Foote (chief officer), Goff (second mate), Jorgensen, Mylius, Dickson, Moore, Parsonson, McPhee and another A 8., the cook, two boys (Joynt and Felton) and the cabin boy.

The dinghy, after getting over about 200 yards of water, struck on an inner reef, and the men who could swim landed on tUe beach, which was about 100 yards away, and those who could not clambered on to the rocks. A line was passed from the scene of the dinghy's wreck to the slioie, and all hands got to the beach.

About this time the vessel began to break up badly, so the two A.B.'s who stayed on the barque with the captain decided to make for shore, and undertook the task. King reached.the beach in pretty good condition but McNaughten stopped half way. King's last sight of his shipmate being when McNaughten climbed on to the intercepting reef. This left the captain as the only man on the ship, and he, with McNaughten, was the only person missing.

The chief officer having called a muster on shore, the crew then (just after five o'clock) spread along the beach and called m stentorian tones for McNaughten butt ■"'ere was no response.

The barque had her back broken, the jibboom had been carried away and she was all but gone when Parsonson and McPhee started on their long and rough walk to town.

Concluding his statement, Parsonson said, "We exhibited lights and flares and fired rockets during the night from the ship. We also soaked a straw mattress with kerosene and set fire to it as a signal, but we saw no ship. There was no help from ashore. When we got to the beach some of the men scattered over the country to look for a house but none of us succeeded in finding one. McPhee and I left the party just before daylight and the crew were then in good heart. Ido not think any rescue party can get round with help by way of the beach for during our walk we had on one occasion to wade up to our breasts through water."

The two sailors were looking none the worse for their rough night's experieuce and were making for the Duco to go with the rescue party.