A DISASTROUS VOYAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8264, 24 May 1890, Page 5

A DISASTROUS VOYAGE.

A SCHOONER IN A STORM.

MASTER AND MATE LOST.

Yesterday morning, about nine o'clock, the fore-and-aft schooner Maud Graham arrived in port, terminating a passage from Lyttelton that line been attended with more than usual danger, and during which the master of the vessel. Captain Rich.-a 1 Fitzgerald, and his brother John, the mate, were swept overbond and drowned.

The Maud Graham left Lyttelton with a cargo of 1200 bags wheat, oats, etc., on May Bth, and heavy weather was experienced up the coast On the third day out she was on j Portland Island, and at nightfall the wind, which had been blowing verv fresh from tho [ W.S.W. all day, increased to a furious gale with high seas, many of which found their way on board the vessel. Captain Fitzgerald, after consulting the crow, expressed his intention of heaying-to at eight p.m., but the h'gh seas running rendered this impracticable, and it was decided to keep running till midnight, when, if the weather moderated at all. it was agreed to lay-to for the night. About eleven o'clock Captain Fitzgerald came on deck to see how things were, and found that there was no diminution m tho force of the wind, which was now a howling hurricane, while the sea was running very high, and threatening to poop the vessel. The master took the helm, hut had not long been there before an enormous wave broke over the stern and washed him over tho bulwarks like a cork. A second wave swept him bnck, however and grasping a rope no managed to retain his footing. The poor fellow's respite from death was however but brief, for in less than ten minutes a similar sea broke on board, and carried the hapless master over the side into the seething waters without any of his shipmates being awaro of the fact at the instant. The mate, John Fitzgerald, came aft to seo how his brother was getting on, and to his horror found that he was not at his post, and the first- accident turnished an easy means of surmising how ho had been lost. The wheel was found to have been broken bodily in half, and the fragments wefo washing about the decks, which were full of water.

Mr. John Fitzgerald then took command of the schooner, and, undaunted by the tragic fate of his brother, stationed himself at the broken helm. _ For about five or six minutes he succeeded in keeping the vessel on her course, when a mountainous sea almost overwhelmed the schooner, breaking over her stern and sweeping along the deck. The crew held on to tho nearest hold for dear life, but when the vessel shook herself free from the wave they were horrified to find that the mate was not at the wheel, where he had been standing when the water broke on board. While bravely standing to the post vacated in so untimelv a manner by his brother, John Fitzgerald had been hurled into eternity without having time to utter a crv for assistance. In his case, as in that of the captain, the furious sea raging rendered it suicidal to launch the one boat the vessel possessed, and the crew were reluctantly compelled to take 110 means for the rescue of their officer, oven if they had seen him again. There was no sign of the gale abating, those on board comprising a crew of three, and two extra hands who were working their passage, determined to keep on their course, and make port if possible. The fore gaff was carried away shortly after, and the sea breaking continually aboard, it was found necessary to cut t.oles in the bulwarks to clear the decks more quicklv. During the 12th instant, during which the vessel was hove to for some hours, and on the 12th there was no change in the weather, and William Weeds and Thomas Tilly, two of the crew who had tacitly taken charge, had recourse to the expedient of pouring oil and kerosene over the side to break the seas, upon which it had considerable beneficial effect. On the 4th the wind moderated somewhat, and the vessel rounded the East Cape in safety. On the 15th, when off Cape Runaway, the s.s. Arawata was sighted, and a couple of the men put off to her and reported the death of the captain and mate, and also obtained a supply of oil. The rest of the voyage was made in safety, though the weather was still very bad, and t he crew, rendered cautious by their sad experience, hove-to the vessel frequently during the many spells of thick weather and tierce squalls which they encountered, making use of an ingenious sea anchor which they dragged astern. Tiri was reached on Thursday night late, ami the vessel anchored under its lee, coining into harbour and berthing at No. 2 Jetty, as described above. The death of the captain and mate was reported to Mr. Hill, Collector of Customs, and he will hold an inquiry shortly. Captain Fitzgerald and his brother were both young men, being under .'£) years of age, and were very popular in both Lyttelton and Auckland. The former had been recently married.