A SCHOONER ON THE ROCKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10084, 20 March 1896, Page 5

A SCHOONER ON THE ROCKS.

THE JOHN BELL WRECKED.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRKSS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. The fore-and-afb schooner John Bell, 90 tons, owned by I'aptain Kirk, of Lyttolton, and commanded by Captain Williams, ran on the rocks off Cape Teriyvhibi about halfpast two o'clock this morning, when on tho passage from Wellington to Nelson. According to the latest accounts she is in a very perilous position. In tho event of I the wind changing to tho south she would break up very fast. Fabian, the well-known bicyclist, who was a passenger by the schooner, brought the news of the accident to town this afternoon. He says tho night was very thick and dark, with a strong northerly wind, and the first intimation the watch had of thevessol being in a dangerous position was her grinding on tho rock. The vessel was then put in stays, but refusod to come raund, and drifted on a ledge of the rock close to tho shore. Tho crew landed Fabian at daylight. Tho vessel was loadod with railway iron, on which there is an insurance of £530 in tho National office, £150 of tho amount being reinsured. Thero was also about £200 worth of goneral cargo on board, bub this was not covered by insuranco, The vessel is believed to be uninsured, and Captain Kirk's loss is estimated at between £1300 ! nid £1400.