WRECK NEAR AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11824, 29 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

WRECK NEAR AUCKLAND.

BARQUE ROYAL TAR LOST.

THE MATE DROWNED.

A shipping disaster, attended unfortunately by the loss of one life, occurred near Auckland on the early morning of Tuesday, November 26, when the barque Royal Tar struck on Shearer Rock, near Tiritiri, and the mate, a man named Kirby, was drowned. Captain Morrison was in charge of the Royal Tar, and had a crew of 12, in addition to his own wife and child, there being thus 15 people on board. When the vessel struck a boat wa3 lowered, and Mrs. Morrison and child were put safely on shore. Meantime half the crew stuck to the shiparid prepared the other boat. Some of the men had got into this boat, when the ship started to roll off the rock, the captain, mate, bo'sun, and a man named Maine being at that time left on board. Captain Morrison saw there was danger in sticking longer to the ship, and states that he told the mate to leave, but the unfortunate man went into his cabin on deck, apparently with the intention of getting something, when the ship sunk further down. The deck cabin was torn to pieces, and Kirby was never seen again. Meantime the captain and a seaman named Maine had jumped into the water, and were rescued by their comrades in the boat. The two boats were kept hovering around the spot, as near to the vessel as safety would permit, for some time, in the hope of something being seen of Kirby or his body, but the search was eventually given up and the whole of the crew landed on Tiri.

Kirby, the mate, who lost his life in the wreck, was a man considerably over 30, but so far as is known to the others on the Royal Tar was a single man. He was a native of Ormskirk, Lancashire, and shipped on the Royal Tar at Newcastle, New South Wales, oh her last voyage. Captain Morrison has been a good many years on the Royal Tar, having been mate for some time, and captain for the past two or three years. The Royal Tar belongs to Mr. J. J. Craig, and was not insured, Mr. Craig having for some time taken the risks of loss in connection with his colonial and intercolonial trading vessels on himself. She is a wooden barque some 25 years old, but underwent extensive overhaul about 12 months ago, and was valued for from £2000 to £2500. She was mostly in ballast, except for a quantity of bricks, so that there will not be great loss on the cargo, but so far as the vessel herself is concerned she is likely to be a total loss. THE GREW. The crew of the wrecked barque consisted as follows:—Master, F. Morrison; chief mate, Kirby; second mate, E. Hunt; A.B.'s, H. Carlson, H. Rudurlef, A. Kerlshush, A. Beaudin, W. Gill, F. Kinch, J. Kaley, F. Dean, J. Mueller. W. Maynej apprentices, T. V. Hall and Thomas Potts. MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY. The circumstances of the wreck have been formally reported to Mr. Alexander Rose, Collector of Customs, and a magisterial inquiry will be held within the next few days, upon receipt of instructions from the Minister for Marine. SALVAGE OPERATIONS. Mr. D. Gouk, the well-known shipbuilder, went down to the scene of the wreck, in order to see what could be done towards salving the barque. His examination showed that very little could be saved, excepting the sails, the donkeyengine and deck gear.