SHIPPING DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11716, 26 July 1901, Page 5

SHIPPING DISASTER.

BARQUE LIZZIE BELL WRECKED. ASHORE ON THE TARANAKI COAST. TWELVE MEN DROWNED. TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS OF THE • ' SURVIVORS. [BIT TELEGBAPH.—KRESS ASSOCIATION.] - Pihama, Thursday. A lamentable shipping disaster has taken place ■on. the Taranaki coast, near the mouth of the Oeo River. The barque Lizzie Bell, bound from Wellington to Newcastle, in ballast, went ashore and became a total wreck, twelve lives being lost. i The information which has so far been received is of a very scanty character; but from the particulars at present available it appears that the barque was driven ashore in a gale and was stranded on the Oeo beach, where several other shipping disasters have occurred. ■•:■■>■■■. ■•■ As the vessel was evidently doomed the officers and crew of the vessel came off in boats, which capsized in the surf, and 12 seamen were drowned. The survivors were much exhausted, and are suffering from exposure. Those saved are the captain, the mate, two seamen, and two apprentices. >■;■<■ • From what has been ascertained it seems that the vessel struck about eleven o'clock at night. * • Evidently the men suffered greatly from cold, and it is said that the larger boat capsized more than once. About seven o'clock this morning the large boat came ashore with several men, among them being the captain and mate. The survivors were very much exhausted, as may be judged from the fact that two who had got out of the boat were afterwards found dead, with their heads among the rocks, and four dead bodies were found beneath the thwarts of the boat. Captain Rees and the mate were taken to Captain Good's place. The former is so much exhausted that it is impossible at present to get anything like a coherent account of the wreck from him. The crew numbered eighteen, of whom six have been saved. Seven bodies have been washed ashore, and five are missing. Search parties are at work. From Captain Good's placo no view of the wreck can be obtained, but wreckage is strewn along the beach. The bodies are to be conveyed to Oeo Hotel, where an inquest will be held, . The scene of the wreck is some distance from the place where the schooner Annie Wilson and the steamer Maramara went ashore. Last night the weather was fair, with a sharp, cold breeze blowing. There was a slight fog. The captain is in a very weak state, and the doctor has been wired for. The remaining survivors are in fair condition, considering their terrible experience. BODIES WASHED ASHORE. Wellington, Thursday. Information has been received by the Go vernment that twelve bodies have 'been washed ashore from the wreck of the Lizzie Bell. THE CREW. Wellington, Thursday. The Lizzie Bell was an iron barque of two decks. She left here for Newcastle in ballast yesterday morning. She was very light. She had a crew of 18 men as follows: — J. Rees, master. W. G. E. Barrow, chief mate. L. Olley, second mate. . J. Mulligan, cook. W. Simmons, Wm. Rener, J. Harding, J. Glen, J. Perry, D. Lang, H. Fredricksen, and J. Partland, A.B.'s. Chas. Chappell, T. Gar, W. Boyce. J. M. Tickell, A. Jones, and W. J. Arbuckle, apprentices. The barque is owned by the Liverpool firm of Tredale, Porter, and Co. Levin and Co. the agents here, do not know the insurances. OrtTNAKK, Thursday. The survivors are: Captain Rees, Barrow (chief mate), Harding and Glen, A.B.'s, and Tickell and Arbuckle apprentices. The bodies recovered are those of.Olley (second mate), Lang, Simmons, and Perry (A.B.'s), and Jones (apprentice). . Those missing are: Mulligan (cook), Rener, Partland, Fredericksen (A.B's), and Boyce, Chappell, and Gay (apprentices). The Lizzie Bell was a fine iron barque of the following dimensions: Length, 214.5 ft; beam, 34.4 ft; depth, 21.3 ft; tonnage, 1070. She was built at Sunderland, England, in 1877, and was owned by Messrs. P. Iredale and Porter, of Liverpool. The barque loaded general cargo at Glasgow for New Zealand ports, and arrived at Port Chalmers after a somewhat lengthy passage, and on discharge of cargo proceeded to Wellington, landing transhipments for Auckland at the Southern ports. She sailed from Wellington to Newcastle,on Wednesday.