THE KETCH ENVY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11148, 22 August 1899, Page 5

THE KETCH ENVY.

SUPPOSED TO HAVE FOUNDERED. ) MESSAGE FROM THE CAPTAIN. The last has not yet been heard of the effects of the late easterly gale which raged along the northern New Zealand coast during last week, and in which several steamers had most trying experiences in making port. From the following pigeongram, which was received by the Great Barrier Pigeongram Agency yesterday, from the depotkeeper at Okupu, grave fears are entertained that the ketch Envy, bound from Wellington to Auckland with a part cargo of explosives, has met with disaster. The message, which was found in a bottle on the east coast of the Great Barrier, opposite Tryphena, by a son of Mr. T. Medland, a settler on the island, on Saturday evening, is as follows: — August 14. Ketch Envy. In a very heavy gale from the east trying to keep off the land. I think lam about 30 miles from the Great Barrier. lam heading to the north, hoping to get through, trusting in the Lord Jesus. Some rail and house gone. (Signed) Wm. Champion, master." The Envy loaded explosives at Melbourne for Wellington and Auckland some time ago, and put into Sydney on the passage, where she remained for several weeks. On the trip to Wellington the vessel encountered very severe weather, Captain Champion reporting on arrival that she had been under water nearly the whole way across. After discharging the Wellington portion' of her cargo, she sailed for Auckland on the 7th inst., and should ere this have reached

| port. J The gale set in here on the 13th inst., I but all the steamers arriving since then re- ! port having fallen in with it on the 12th. j The date of the message, August 14, was when the gale was at its height. j The Union Company's steamer Waihora, ' which came down the coast that day, arriv- ■ ing at Auckland early on the morning of the 15th, experienced the full strength of it, and reported a terribly heavy sea ; and if a powerful steamer could not make good weather of it, what chance would such a frail craft as the Envy have under similar conditions ? According to the message, the Envy was heading to the north, and this is taken to ! mean that the vessel was hove-to, It being ! impossible for her to ran owing to the lieavi- . Ne c of the sea. The house referred to was ! a large one, situated right aft on the deck of I the vessel, and in it were the captain's and I mate's quarters, and the galley. | The Envy is a wooden vessel, of 53 tons, I and was built at Brisbane Water, and is , owned by Mr. Robert Whito, of Waverley, Sydney, who purchased her about 18 months i ago. She then went down to Norfolk Island : from Sydney, and came to Auckland, and i made one or two trips between the island and Auckland, and finally went to Tairua and loaded timber for Sydney, it being the owner's intention to place the vessel in the Sydney-New Guinea trade ; but on arrival ; at Sydney she was chartered to load ex-' plosives at Melbourne for Wellington and . Auckland, and afterwards to proceed to Tairua to load timber for Noumea. Captain William Champion has been conj nected with the Auckland trade for many , years, and is widely known and esteemed, j He has a grown-up family, some of whom ■ reside at Norfolk Island. The crow of the i vessel would number about five, all told. | It is to be hoped that the vessel and her i crew will turn up safely, although, taking 1 all the circumstances into consideration, there ' appears to be little doubt that she has gone I down with all hands.