WRECK OF THE MANAIA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 12 June 1926, Page 7

WRECK OF THE MANAIA

PASSENGERS REACH AUCKLAND CREW LEAVING VESSEL (United Press Association.) AUCKLAND. This Day The N'gapulii reached Auckland with the Mnnu.ia's passengers shortly before 11 o’clock lasi night. The work of transferring the passengers from the wreck was safely accomplished, the Ngapulii being at the scene - for four hours. Passengers who were interviewed said the wreck was not attended by, any sign of panic. The. only indication that anything was amiss was a sudden grinding as.the ship piled up on the reef, hard and fast. Though all the passengers looked tired scarcely any showed serious signs of their experiences, passengers said that the Manaia when they left her at 2 o'clock had a decided list. The work of salvaging the luggage and cargo was in progress, but a later report is that the crew left the wrecked vessel in the schooner Motu. All pay a tribute to the conduct of the women and children, particularly the children when the ship struck. One passenger remarked: “The kiddies just stood by without, a murmur.” “The luckiest feature of the mishap” said a member of the theatrical company “was the fine weather. Had there been a. southeasterly wind there would not have been so many of us to tell the tale-.” lie added that the general impression was that the. Mannia was held up by only one rock. The- passage on the Ngapulii was described as comfortable and high tributes were paid toi the officers and crew of the vessel. At 9.20 p.m. last night the captain of the. Manaia. reported that the Manaia’s stokehold and enginerooin were flooded. Some of the crew were being transferred to the Rimu which was standing by.”

LITTLE HOPE OF SALVAGE AUCKLAND, This Day. But. little hope is entertained of salvaging the Manaia. Advice from Captain Norbury late last night stated that the vessel was badly holed forward and water in the holds was rising rapidly. The vessel’s bow is so far on tiie reef that there is no immediate danger of sinking. The sea is smooth. A great deal of cargo in the after holds has been transferred to the scow Motu. A. message at 11.5 stated that the Rimu had taken off the crew except five, who were standing by aboard, the Manaia. VESSEL APPEARS DOOMED AUCKLAND, This Day. A wireless received at two o’clock this morning from the Herald representative on the steamer Rinui at the scene of the wreck, states that after heaving and straining with her bow pivoted on the jagged coast of Slipper Island for nearly 24 hours, the Manaia seemed doomed. The majority of her crew had been transferred to the relief ship Rimu. The Rimu sighted the Manaia at 7.15 p.m. and approached, taking soundings, until within half a mile. A few oil lamps were lit on the Manaia as the water had risen to 15 feet, in the engine room at 7.30 p.m. and stopped the generators. The Rimu hove to at 9 p.m. in a long swell and waited for a boat load of a. dozen of the crew from the Manaia. By 10.30 p.m. three boat loads had been transferred, leaving only the captain and three of the crew. These are to be taken off at daylight, when an inspection of the Manaia will be made. The work of the Rimu’s crew was carried out expeditiously in spite of the uncomfortable conditions.

GRAPHIC DETAILS AUCKLAND, This Day Graphic details of the wreck of • the Manaia were given by passengers on the vessel who were transhipped to the Ngapulii, which arrived at Auckland late last evening. As tlje vessel drew along side the wharf one could see many smiling faces and signs of relief after anxious experiences. They had a warm welcome from the large number of people who had gathered on the wharf. After talking to some of the Manaia’s passengers, one gathered that- the mishap was not connected with blinding gales and panic that go hand in hand with stories written about most wrecks. Indeed, it was a very prosaic sort of wreck, and, as one of the passengers said, the Manaia just slipped on to- a reef and that was all there was to it. “I was asleep and was suddenly awakened by a grinding, biting sound,” said one woman passenger. “This was followed by severe bumping and all the passengers were startled, and a mild panic ruled for a while. I heard women making desperate inquiries about their children. The crew soon informed us that the ship had struck a reef and there was nothing to be alarmed about. We all dressed hurriedly and we were supplied with lifebelts. Many put them on, but wo,found out later that they were net wanted. However, the passengers all hurried on deck to see what had happened. It was misty and raining, but we could see land quite plainly, and we could also see the rocks on which the Manaia was stranded. She appeared to be held hard and fast and the propellors were kept going to keep her in her position. Lifeboats were swung .nil or, the calm side- in case of emergency. The whole thing appeared to be worse than it really was because it was dark and all this preparation was going on. The Manaia struck at about 11.30 p.m. on Thursday night, and none of us got any more sleep. This was my first experience of this kind and it was very terrible. The delay was the most annoying part of it.” Another passenger paid a tribute to the general coolness of the passengers as a whole. “There was excitement at first,” he. said, “hut they soon became resigned to their position.” He. also referred to the confidence inspired by the captain, officers and crew. They went about their work calmly and methodically. Fortunately no one was hurt. The vessel did not- strike the reef with sufii■cient violence to throw the passengei’s from 1 heir berths. The work of transhipping passengers 'from the Manaia to the. Ngapulii in the Manaia’s lifeboats was also carried out without, incident- or mishap. Among fiie passengers were 24 members of the Stanley McKay Pantomime Coy. One of them stated that the wreck was not half as good as some of the stunts our company put- across the footlights. Before the Manaia’s passengers disembarked from the Ngapulii they gave three musing cheers for the officers and crew of the vessel for what they had done. When the Ngapulii was signalled from Tiritiri and instructed to proceed to the scene of the wreck, the course was set for Cape Colville. Although every effort- was made by the engine room staff to develop the utmost speed, them was always a feeling on hoard that they might not ho in time to avert serious less of life. For seven hours the- Ngapulii forged ahead on tier southward journey, the forbidding nature- of the niglit and the heavy swell runnirg causing some apprehension as to her chances of getting near enough to the disabled vessel. As Slipper Island loomed up, all eyes

were turned for a view of the Manaia, but she was away to the southward, and it was no/ until about half-past nine o’clock yesterday morning that she was seen. The rescuing steamer approached the seaward side of the island, and Captain Dorling kept the lead going, as he had foul ground and a line of sunken reefs between his ship and the Manaia. It was then noted that the Manaia was hard and fast on a reef extending out from the south-east point of the island, with her bows high on the locks and her stern riding low in the deep water surrounding the reef. Although she had a slight list she was perf&Uy steady, the falling tide having left her firmly aground, although her engines were being used to prevent her slipping off into deep water. Captain Dorling brought his vessel up within a mile of the stranded steamer, and learned that the Manaia’s passengers were still aboard. It was then about ten o’clock, with the wind from the north-east. Under these conditions the Manaia was in a comparatively sheltered position, and as Captain Norbury had taken the precaution to lower the Manaia’s boats into the water, no time was lost in transporting her passengers to the Ngapulii. This operation was carried out in a most orderly man-* ncr. Approximately two hours were occupied in effecting the transference, and when about 2 p.m. it was seen that nothing nlore could be done, the Ngapulii took her departure for Auckland, which she reached shortly before 11 o’clock last, evening. TAURANGA, This Day The steamer Clansman arrived from Auckland this morning. She observed lights oil the Manaia, considered to be oil lights. The steamer Rimu was standing by. It is considered possible that the Manaia’s cargo will be salved. The sea is calm.