THE HIMITANGI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 8 March 1912, Page 5

THE HIMITANGI.

STRANDING AT PETRE SAY. VESSEL IN A GOOD POSITION (FULLER. DETAILS.

When the good ntws was telephoned from Palliser yesterday at 3 o'clock that the overdue Himitangi was stranded at the Chathams, and that ihe crew were standing bv, the anxiety felt throughout the' country for th e past weeks was set."-at rest (says yesterdays "Post.") The public correctly gauged that 'nothing untoward had happened any of the passengers or crew, and that the vessel herself had not become a total wreck. '

; The' arrival of the Gertie—which sigi nailed the glad tidings to the lighthoUSG- ; keeper at Palliser —was c-agerly awaited. ' The little vessel, which had gone out to search for the Himitangi, with Captain. Mauley and Captain Rodger (in charge) on board, steamed quietly up to th& wobl jetty in the shadows of- the evenihg, shortly after [ 6.30 /'o'clock. A- littjte - group of people could be seen' oil .tlife. bridge, and a. keen observer could 'At once detect from their unconcerned bearing that all was well at the Island,'. "What happened?" a watcher yon: the shore promptly asked. ■ "Not much,'.'was the reassuring answer from the'vessel. Indeed, subsequent to show that the stranding of the Himitangi was devoid of sensation- of'-any kind. The vessel lies on the « aß t side'of Petre Bay, about two and a-half riiUes from Waitangi landing. About dawn on Sunday, 11th February, the Vessel* while., nioored iri the bay, dragged Uiefc ■anchors and drifted on ' to ' 'the'' beacli, where she now lies broadside on- oii !'a sandy bottom. .../•• -"* There was no comrhotion, nobody ■ suf- ; fered, the people on board simply ped over tlio, side and wtf Iked •• ashore. The only iricoilvemence involv&d slight wetting. ' • ' •' ~•• With- stout gear there is little doubt that the vessel can be towed off. .As;it is, an experienced mariner on board:the Gertie gave it as his opinion that '. the Amokura r will be able to. do the :necessary work. ' . v, /;' ■ - Xiurirtg the time the vessel has been stranded, the passengers and crew' KaVe been enjoying the hospitality of • ' the residents, and indulging in a -sort'-of.'holi-day. They all remained at the Gnathams with the exception of Mr. H. O-. I poster, a P.' and O. officer, | who was on holiday leave. The Gert-VS ' albo brought back from the island Messrs . Elgar, Cannon and Keyna'ult. After the vessel stranded, the'cook ..of the Himitangi, Mr. IT ' Merrdtt, died from heart failure, but thp sad' iricidfenj;ivasin no way attributable to"-tfie wreck. . " OFFICIAL REPORT. . Captain Rodger, mas tec of the jEjet.UiS, furnished the" followmg the press on, his arrival last-eveniflg'':-^;^ "My steamer left Wellington on iTupftday night, 27th February/. ;at : 10/o'clock, for Lytt'eltpn ■ and. had : tlfghit northerly and easterly winds and foggy weather until arrivaloff the Heads at r Lyttielton. On Wednesday, :28th'iFebruary, at 8 p.m., the. Ed to proceed to Ghat Ham had very thick north-east- weather {.oft the run to the islands,' which were foacfc;: ed on Saturday, 2nd March. We anthor-r in the roadstead off Waitangi-ait\ 8.30 a.m. ' - :

' "The Himitangi could be seen, stranded on the east sid e of Petre; Bjty, hjibjat two and a-half miles from ■ the' Waitatigi landing-place. The vessel- had dragged, from her anchorage, where s'he had-,(ar-rived at 2 a.m. on Sunday, 'llth February, and she was found to •be on the , beach at 5 o'clock the same morning. 6?he had worked .all the ports, arid;Htv w§s intended that her Mast' call Wa-itangi.' Efforts were made ; ly by the captain and ci f ew. toJige^J&e vessel out of the potsitidn in whicli. shfe had been found, but : without success:;*;i "There was one - sad incident Jmicpunection with the stranding of the vessel —the death of the ship's cook, T. M.erritt, at one o'clock on the same day after the vessel grounded. Death was iiueto natural causes. He was buried in til© cemetery close to where tile vessel lies oh the'beach, the service at the grave be ins conducted by Arcliclacon Grace. ( : "Captain Hood, a very old resident'of the islands, who had passed away, .was buried at the . same time. . Altogether there were six deaths at the islands froitl the time that the Himitangi arrived .until the Gertie left "The Himitangi stands ■ upright ■ broadside on to a.level sandy beach, aticlthere are prospects of getting- her afloat with the aid-of £ear and suitable, ,'wedther. The captain and crew aTO standing by the vessel, and they are being well treated by the residents. "After getting the mails on board, t-hc* Gertie left Wa/itangi bound for, .W&Uipgr ton at 2 p.m. on Monday. We - passed Ih e Government ateamer Amoknra jflfcout five miles from Waitan£i,-bouiid ihtf&fcL The passage from the islands waß mad,® in fine weather, vith- light northerly winds. We reached Cape Palliser 'at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 6th March, dignulled the lighthouse, and'' left at. 2.15 p.m. for Wellington." -PIONEER BETURNING TO LYTTELTON. . In'the ordinary courses of eventa' the Pioneer, which also went in search of the Himitangi,. would hav& reached. Wal; Wngi Bay this morning. • ' Sir Joseph Watd had a "wireless" despatch to tn> ' vessel after the Gertie's mesfeage had. been received, and in of thi"* ' the Pioneer is now on her way back'to LLyttelto.il. which port she i rertch to-morrbw morning. • SMART SIGNALLING. . i Captain Manley pays a tribute to the quickness with which the lighthouse keeper at Palliser read the Gertie's; signals yesterday. Almost before'th e • fialgs had reached the hoist'up ansvyi'ring pennant from the keeper. --So quickly was this done that the" masterrepeated the message three or four' times, . with the same result. "I did not tliihk it could be done,' ? said Captain Manley "and the mau deserves every credit'." ' VESSEL AND CARGO. At low water one can now walk;Vound the Himitangi. All she wants,/accol'd•ing to Captain Manley, is powfer and a fovourite tide and wind. The fish cargo on board, is probably ruined, as the water pipes have become blocked with sand, and th e temperature has risen in consequence to 38deg. 'F. Nothing has yet been arranged m cbri■nection with the salvage of the vessel. The enquiry into the mishap will probably be held at Wellington on a date to be arranged. ■ . ARRANGEMENTS FOR TOWING. > (United Puess Association.) WELLINGTON. March-7. , The steamer Gertie is proceeding to the Chathams, probably leaving on Saturday. with special gear to endeavbur to tow off the steamer Himitangi, v>liich is aground there.