THE TIMAHU DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6394, 16 May 1882, Page 5

THE TIMAHU DISASTER.

A GRAPHIC NARRATIVE OF EVENTS." [BY TELEOBiPH. — OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Timarc, Tuesday. A CALM NIGHT.—THE SEA RISING. Saturday night set in cold and still, a calm winter's night, with no indications of bad weather from any quarter. The sea, , which has been heavy for .some days past v was rolling a good deal, but nothing unusual." About midnight, however, it began to make from the south-east, and the noise was something tremendous, resembling great guns going off one after another in rapid succession. Its force may be when I say that in houses a mile or more from the beach, the thiid of the waves on the shore made a distinct jar, and jingled lamp-glasses or any light thing; Towards morning the roaring increased more and more, and at about 6 o'clock a gun from the harbour-master gave warning of danger. At that time the sight was very singular, very beautiful. The sun was rising redly on a terrific sea, sweeping in with long rollers covered with foam, and,looking as if each wave must overwhelm the land. The breakwater was only visible at intervals, the sea breaking upon it every moment, and shooting snow-white columns of water 30 or 40 feet into the air, sometimes resembling, the great fountain at Versailles. The effect of the waves on the dashing rocka was moat extraordinary, the sheer height of 'the spray against the dark background showing out splendidly. THE SHIPS IN PORT. There were five vessels in port—namely, two" schooners moored outside the breakwater, the ships Benvenue and City of Perth, lying in their anchorage about a.mile and ahalf from the shore, and the K. F. Funch, a Norwegian barque, lying out Mn the ballast ground. The ships were fine iron vessels of about 1000 tons, ; very much alike in appearance, both being painted with a white streak and ports in the old fashion. They seemed to be riding pretty safely, but the sea was so tremendous and so broken, that it was impossible to judge whether they were in danger or no. • • THE BENVENUE PARTS HER CABLE, Shortly after 8 o'clock the. Benvenue parted one of her cables, and looked aa if she was drifting, or rather swerving round in a current, and rolling fearfully, with the sea occasionally;.sweeping pver her stern. Soon she was seen to be.allover on the starboard side, and.-at each, roll she seemed about to capsiEe. She had; the ensign flying upside down, but.no one on shore could make out what was the.matter with her., All this time there had scarcely been a breath of wind, but about 9 o'clock there came a slight breeze off the shore, and the harbour-master signalled to all the ships to put to sea, and to the Benvenue to trim cargo. To this she replied that her rudder was damaged, the fact being that the heavy sea had injured the ship aft, smashing in the stern posts and carrying away the steering wheel. Her cargo, of course, shifted ; with every roll. As soon as the wind came up, however, the proepect brightened. The City of Perth shook out her sails, and signalled "all right," and the Benvenue signalled, "sailing." The wind soon began to die away, however, and about 11 o'clock the Beavenue signalled, "drifting," and in answer to, a signal from the shore asked for an anchor to be brought. The sea was running so high ,that it was utterly impossible to comply with this request. The wind then dropped altogether, and the sea rose higher thanever. . : .;.. ~ „ ; A WRECK. . About 1 o'clock the Benvenue parted their last cable,: and her crew made for the City of Perth in her own boats. The Beuvenue then slowly drifted towards Caroline Bay, the .current keeping her head to shore and the "backwash, or some such cause, preventing her from veering about. She looked like n> fine ship coming in with a light breeze, for she. was fully an hour, making the trip, so to speak, from the anchorage to the beach. She .floated up to within a. very short distance of the cliffs, and as soon as she struck turned gracefully round, canted broadside to seaward, and went clean up under the cliff, with spars ■all standing. Thousands of people watched ,the whole thing, for it was a fine day on shore, and the whole town was out. The spectators lined the cliffs right over the spot where the ship nestled, and one could almost have jumped aboard of her. THE CITY OF PERTH. : During this scene attention had been diverted from the City of Perth, but almost immediately the interest on the Benvenue ceased- The other ship was seen to be in distress.. She was evidently drifting, and presently she showed the sigual for," medical assistance." Shortly afterwards four boats were seen to leave her, and in these the crews of the two vessels landed. It was then found that the chief mate of the City of Perth had got jammed in the anchor chain, and that his legs were broken. A carriage was ready before the boat reached shore, and he was at once sent to the hospital with a doctor. The ship had. now drifted some distance out, brought up again to. a steel hawser attached to an anchor which had been let go before she was left on the chance of her riding to it. AN EFFORT TO SAVE THE SHIP. : So far there was.: no loss of life, but at this stage a move was made which eventually changed the whole character of the day's events. Captain Jas. Mills, the harbourmaster of Timaru, who had been blamed by the Harbour Board for not making more strenuous exertions to save the City of Cashmere under a similar circumstance in January last, learning how matters stood from the captain of the City of Perth, resolved to make : a desperate effort to save that ship. He easily got together a crew from the landing service and put off in the whaleboat, Captain Mac Donald, of the City of Perth, accompanying him in his own gig, manned by his own crew, the two boats carrying fifteen, all told. The City of Perth seemed to be riding heavily, the steel hawser 'showing plainly stretched out, tightly like a rod. The two boats reached her all right, and some of the hands were Been going aboard, but almost immediately afterwards the hawser vanished; the ship drifted away stern foremost, and then not two boats but three were seen leaving her and making for •the breakwater. This is explained by the fact that Captain Mac Donald had lowered his own. lifeboat from the ship and divided the crewß.of the other boats for greater safety iu the heavy seas. THE SCENE. i To realise the scene at this moment, it must be remembered that it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, without a breath of wind, and :all the townspeople out in their best) clothes, as if for pleasure, for even at this stage no serious calamity was feared. The beach and cliffs aud every coign of vantage were crowded. Great numbers of women and children were watching the Scene without any alarm or distress beyond regret for the loss of the ships. ' : THE BOATS. "Attention' was now divided between the ■City of Perth, which was steadily backing towards the,spot where the Benvenue lay aground, and the three boats which were going in- the' opposite direction manfully breasting one long roller after another, and

rapidly shortening the distance which lay between them and safety. A good many '■ people,, thinking they were out of danger, lefe the neighbourhood of the breakwater and made for the .beach, where the ship was about to come ashore. The boats were in this order: the whaleboat first, the ship's gig second, or nearly abreast of the whaleboat, and the ship's lifeboat some little distance behind. THE LIFEBOAT SWAMPED. The leading boat was almost under the lee of the breakwater in smooth water when a mountain of a wave broke a little distance out, and swamped the lifeboat. The two other boats at once turned back to help the crew, who had got into the waterlogged boat, and were standing up in her. The two boats came steadily on, now high up on the crest of a wave, now low down in the J trough, then up again, as if to the sky. At length they had almost got within reach of the sunken lifeboat, aud the crowd on the wharf were half cheering when another fearful wave tumbled right on the top of them altogether, and it looked for a moment as if all were gone. When .the foam and spray cleared, however, the three boats were seen washing about helplessly, with the men clinging, or swimming, or struggling in all directions, several being already stripped. AN AGONISING SIGHT. The sight was most agonising, for the whole scene took place under the eyes of thousands of people, and was so sudden and so awfully tragic, that the crowds seemed paralysed. Some women, probably relatives of the poor drowning men, cried and sobbed and prayed the bystanders to help, and every one was in despair, for no help could be rendered. AN ATTEMPT TO HELP. The Timaru lifeboat, however, which had never been out for thireeen years, and bore a very bad name besides, was now lauuched, not without difficulty, and a volunteer crew started to do their best. The sea now ruuning was something fearful, but the lifeboat got through it somehow, and had actually taken a number of the drowning men aboard when a green sea came upon her and capsized her. She righted herself very quickly, and again, how I cannot describe, another effort was made to save the unfortunates who had now been nearly half ' an hour in the water, but again she was ; swamped, and again she righted herself, and was re-manned. A third time the same thing occurred, and then at last the lifeboat got under weigh for shore. A CRY OF JOY. When she reached the breakwater it was dreadful to look at her freight, for she was full of men, some naked and bleeding, and bruised, and half drowned. Captain Mills was handed up alive, and spoke cheerfully to hie friends, and a tremendous shout of joy and admiration went up from the crowd. But he was actually dying, and only lived a little while after reaching hie home. THE SURF BOAT. Meanwhile a surf boat, manned by some brave fellows from the shore, had started for the sunken boats, but she very soon had to, be anchored. She became an ark of n;fuge for some of the exhausted swimmers. The lifeboat then again put off, and saved the men from the surf boat, but was immediately capsized, and on righting herself again had lost some - of her occupants. The rest she brought ashore, and then with a fresh crew etarted again, and eventually brought to land all who still remained afloat. THE LOST. It was now nearly dark, and what with the surf and the spray, and the terrible vicissitudes of the boats, it was impossible to know who was saved and who was lost. 1 Eventually it was found that thefollowing '• were the dead men :—Robert Gardner, of Alloa, second mate of the City of Perth, single, aged 25 '; D. McLean, of Prince , Edward's Island, carpenter of same vessel, married ; W. McLaren, waterman, Timarn ; Emanuel Neilson, boatman, Timaru ; Martin Beach (or Beattie), boatman, Timaru ; Harry McDonald, boatman, Timaru j and Alexander Mills, harbour-master, Timaru,- who was brought ashore alive, but expired soon afterwards. . ' . THE WRECKED VESSELS. Long before this frightful scene was over, the City of Perth had taken the ground close to the Benvenuc, and was resting quite upright in a few feet of water, looking as if she were at anchor, with her sails drying. The two wrecks are lying there still, the Benvenue with her keel jammed against the cliff and her decks open to seaward, and the City of Perth alongside her, as if waiting to [render assistance when the tide serves. . THE BARQUE. The Norwegian barque rode out the storm quite safely, aud was flying her ensign quite at the peak this morning when the sad news of what had happened was signalled to her. The schooners lay as snug under the breakwater as if they had been in a close harbour. THE BREAKWATER. The breakwater was not injured in the least, beyond the removal of loose blocks, and contractors' gear of the value of a few hundred pounds. The force of the water may be judged by this—the rails on which the big crane runs were spiked into the concrete with great strength, apparently immovable, Jbut the hydraulic pressure of compressed water falling from a great height tore them clean away, and broke . the spikes short off. It needs to be seen to be believed, ■ yet the mole stood without a shake anywhere, showing there is nothing ever to be feared on that score. THE TOWN TN T GLOOM. The. town has been in deep depression all day, great numbers of people constantly visiting the beach and the clifls. THREE MORE MEN DROWNED. It has now been ascertained that three more men have been drowned, but I cannot learn their names. There may yet prove to be others. The eea has now gone down, and the place is quiet, but it will be many a long year before the awful sights of yesterday will be forgotten. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PBESS ASSOCIATION.] Timaru, Monday. THE LIVES LOST. After the telegrams were sent last night it wast found that the following men had been drowned from the boats which put off to the City of Perth :— Robert Gardiner, of Alloa, second mate of the City of Perth, single, a«ed 25. D. McLean, of Prince Edward's Island, carpenter on the same vessel, married. W. McLean, waterman, Timaru. Emanuel Neilson, boatman, Timaru. Martin Bach (or Beattie), boatman, Timaru. Harry McDonald, boatman, Timaru. Captain Alexander Mille, who has been harbourmaster at this port for over fourteen years, was brought ashore alive, but expired about an hour afterwards from exhaustion. In connection with yesterday's wrecks, the number of those actually drowned has not yet been ascertained, but another man, Richard Falgar, who leaves a wife and family in Timaru, has been added to the list. Possibly two others may be put down as lost, as so many strange sailors and other volunteers went off, that it is hard to get at the actual number. The majority of deaths, however, are of Timaru men. Captain Mills, harbour-master, was a native of Arbroath, Scotland, and was 4S years of age. He was largely esteemed by all classes of Ihe community, and the busi.

F ness places in town will be dosed to-morrow in respect to his funeral. He leaves a wife and seven children fairly provided for. At an inquest on him to-night a verdict was returned that he died from the effects of submersion in water while in the execution of his fluty. Telegrams of condolence. and sympathy have been received from all parts of the colony, Air. Rolleston forwarding one from Wellington. The gloom which has been thrown over the town could hardly be realised by those at a distance. Subscription lists for the sufferers are opened, and are being rapidly filled up. The Masonic Lodges, of which Captain Mills was an old member, are in deep mourning. As regards the rescued men from the boats all are progressing well. The three worst sufferers are—Mr. Blacklock, the first mate of the City of Perth, with a broken leg; Philip Bradly, a waterman, one broken rib; and John Hinicked, labourer, chest crushed. No fatal results, however, are expected in either cases. Captain McDonald, of the City of Perth, is out of all clanger. Every attention is being paid to all who suffered by the wreck. The ship Benvenue is new a total wreck, but the City of Perth is afloat at high i water, and has apparently suffered no j damage. Arrangements are stated to be in progress for towing her out. The breakwater has tome loose blocks being washed over. None of the bodies of those lost have yet been recovered, but men are ranged along the beach watching. The vessels wrecked are insured as follows : —City of Perth : Standard, Swiss Lloyd's, and National, £500 each; Union, Australian Alliance, and British and Foreign, £2000 each ; South British, £1000 ; total, £8,500. The vessel, however, according to late intelligence, was still intact, and there was a probability of part of the cargo being saved. Anyway the loss cannot be total. Benvenue : Standard, £600; Union, £250; total, £850. The correct, insurance on the Duke of Sutherland is : —Adelaide Company, South British, Union, Standard, United (of Cornwall), South Australian, and Union (of Canton), £1000 each ; Colonial, £1500 ; Commercial, £500; Universal, £3000. Ciikistchobch, Monday. In consequence of the sad calamity at Timaru the flags were hoisted balf mast on all the vessels and the principal buildings in Lyttelton. The City Council to-night passed a resolution of condolence with Timaru on the the calamity it has endured, and of the admiration at the intrepid conduct of the men who went to the rescue of those in danger,