WRECK OF THE ELBA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12523, 16 March 1904, Page 3 (Supplement)

WRECK OF THE ELBA.

total loss on ocean ISLAND. . encounter With desperadoes, THE vessel abandoned. Sydney papers received by the Zealandia |ive lull accounts of trie Wreck" 6f thS German steamer Elba,, at Ocean Island, and the arrival of the captain and crew at Sydney. The Elba* which is owned In Hamburg, j&rived at Ocean Island on Nl# Year's Day ik ballast from Mbjlj Japan, to load about 6000 tons oif; pribspfanteS for Stettin, Germany, and, as usual, anchored at a buoy in Home Hay, Which is little better than an open roadstead. Captain Keimer was : assured by tin* authorities at Ocean Island that the buoy was perfectly safe ibr vessels* *f large size, but lit* subsequently fbiitid id , Ms cost that siich was hot the case. Loading operations were commenced oil the day ; following the aifival «f the Elba, tliS phbSphates being cbiiveyed from thßshbte td the anchorage by hiieatiid of small boats* Everything Werifc Well at first, and as ft result of the. day's work 300 tdha of cargo Were; Shipped, ; ■/ •'.■■■■■; ■ ■■_ :><. ; It was on the next Suiidiiy. January that tile Elba came to grief. The wind, which had been blowing from the bortneast* suddenly veered round at aboht halfpast two p.m., to the West, and blew hard in squalls. It is the" custom itt Ocean Island for vessels to stand off' the land dtitin* violent..weather, and accordingly Captain Keimer gave the order to the engineers to stand-by, with a vieri% should the wind increase to the strength/ of a moderate gale, ■ to slipping the buoy* and putting mhi ■■■:*■ sea. , With the moderate .' Squalls eipeH- ] - ftneed, hdWever, and the assurance by the i shore authorities that vessels of large di- | mensions could swing in all ; directions, even ] en tfife shore side of the buoj-j with perfect safety, no anxiety was felt. According to the narratives tif the ShiiiWreCked dfficersj the Elba did riot swing Bead to wind, ; as expected, arid the buoy -was so weak that she carried it away. - . ' DrtiFllNPr tJN to 'iM fiEEFS. i, .Before those rfi board had tithe' to Miliik what had happened, thU Elba. Wa§ drifting rapidly in dangerous proximity to the , coral reefs that fringe the. foreshores of Island. Carrying the intoy With her, she was driven broadside oh, and canie into collision with another buoy nearer the hind, and used for , mooring smaller vessels. The Elba struck this buoy With hex- stern With sneh force that she "removed it, and owing to the straining of the Ship the chain attached to it became entangled in the propeller of the Elba, necessitating thfe stoppage of the engines. : The position hori- became one. of great Seril, and the Elba drifted rapidly on ; to destruction. She Was driven on" to the ebral reef, at a spot situated between the tWo jetties in Hoiiife Bftr ; alid soori Became fast. At the time of the accident tlie, spring tides were flowing, the rfesidi being that the steamer was carried much further en to the reef than woUld have been the case at any ether time. ■ * Z When it fras reedghised that ' the vessel must inevitably go "ashore, both anchors 'Were dropped* but they would not hold to . the coral bottom and dragged. As .the Elba lay oh the reef the aftetpart Was 1 high and dry, but the Whole of the forepart was' in deep water, and rested on the coral bottom. A heavy sea was running at- the time, find the ship bumped heavilv. The steamer Was soon doomed, for great holes were quickly . knocked in her bottom, With. each succeeding wive the vessel partly lifted, and is it receded the ship thumped the coral Bbttdiri with great violence* ' EFFORTS TO SEIZE THE SHIP; Immense holes were knocked in both No. • i and Nd. 2 feoldsj .through, which the Coral .made its way, holding the vessel fast. Large volumes of water soon, rushed iiitd. . the" Ship, and the fear Was entertained that . * she • would; capsize from the ledge of rock on which she was lying and founder in deep water. The master was warned of the danger of staying on board, and after consulting with the shore authorities, he decided to temporarily abandon the vessel. All hands then made for shore, and the ship's papers afld the personal effects of the officers and hied were saved. That night a daring attempt was made to seize the Elba. : Captain Rcimer had taken the precaution to leave a nightwatch in charge of an officer on the reef. and at about ten p.m. lights were noticed on board. The officer of the watch at once put off to ascertain What had happened, and was half-way up the rope ladder hang- j ing from the ship's side, when three men, who, without permission, had evidently-. taken possession of the wreck, appeared over the ship's side, and in order to pre- . 'fenfc' -the officer gaining access to the stranded ship) promptly Ibwei-Md the ladder, with the uiifortHhale mail clinging td it. He at once acquainted Captain Reimer of his experience. A Sffi&ll expedition, M'hich included several officers and inen and. a resident -M Ocean Island, was organised, and proceeded td the scene. Captain Reimer j demanded that the men should, instantly j leave the vessel, but the/, replied that she j had befell abandoned, and that they had > taken possession, aftd intended to remain j . ..there. .They further questioned the right I of Captain Seimer or any of his officers td j come aboard, and became very quarrelsome. j Eventually, when they found superior num- ! bers against them, they reltifctatitly left the i -' vessel, Captain Reimer thereupon deter- j mined, despite the danger of the• vessel i fbtißderiha, to remain on bb&Pd for the re- J mainder of the night, and he was accom- j panied by several volunteers from among •. the officers and men. j About an hour later the three despera- j • doe? returned to the scene, and by means of hammers and cold chisels commenced v to work on the ship's side. Their object they might knock further holes in the vessel, and they were ordered to leave. The : men at flrst'refused, but upon the produc- , tion of revolvers by the officers on deck they became more amenable to reason, eventually it became necessary to fire several shots over their heads as a warning of what Was to come. This display had a salutary effect, and the three men, , who , had but'a few hours before prided themselves on the fact that they had suddenly become shipowners, decamped at a rapid pace in the middle: of the night, and were soon lost to sight. It appears from what subsequently transpired that the men in questian were" labouring under the impression that as soon as a vessel was stranded on a reef and abandoned they had a right to seize it as a prize. : THE FIGHT AGAINST INRUSH. "■•'•': Early on the following morning, January 4, it was resolved to make an attempt to : fibat the Elba. Kedge anchors were run out ill all directions, and efforts made to "straighten up the ship, Which now had a heavy list to starboard. An examination of the holds disclosed the fact that there were 10ft of water in No. 1 and about 6ft of water in No. 2 and No. 3 holds. As much of the cargo as possible was thrown overboard to lighten the ship. The Elba got j up steam, and the pumps were soon in I operation. The steamer, however, was j held fast by huge masses of coral, which I had pierced the bottom of No. 1 hold, and, : like immehsa hooks, held the vessel down* The engine-room and the stokehole were, fortunately, dry, but the ship continued to bump with great force. The result WUa that, the rivets of the plates started, the ship strained severely, and commenced to leak in all directions. Salvage operations were continued by the ship's company, and on January 18 the Elba -floated oft' under her own steam. For 15 days the Elba had been on the reef, and there was a general feeling of relief when the vessel was once more afloat in deep water. Ihe I Elba at first moOrfed at a small blioj) off Sydj j ney Point, but it Was found that the inflow of j water was so great that the pumps were unable to keep it in check, THE FIRES EXTINGUISHED. Recourse was then had to the distress ejector driven by the main engines of the steamer. It was therefore necessary to slip • the buov and stand off the land, and the Elba steamed round and round throughout that day. The hope had been entertained that the engines would be . able to reduce thfe water sumcietttly to permit of temporary repairs, in order" that: the: vessel might be jJHought to Sydney for docking.. .

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!I!J!!LLJJLI. ! • jm_____j r ...«.i.....;..ii ! yiiiiiiik, ' The Elba proceeded just outside the bay . at six p-Mn but at half-past eight it was discovered, to the dismay of all concerned. : that; she 1 : was ; sihfiitig Foot by ftfUt, and had a still h;4ay3 It ; lists starboard thatt before. The inflow was so great that all the machinery >ok - b'bard WaS unable to make ah impression, and it. was evident that the bottom of the Vessel had beeri literally {dA but' of her. -■AM. hbti? later*, the tihiefeh|ineer b refaovted that the fires' had been extinguished. _ The Elba heeled over to such an extent that '.. it WaS difficult tb Walks, airing" the flecks, arid 1 j the possibilities of capsize were great; • '.■■; It was thell rrisblved* in the* Interests, of thtt lives of all liahdSj tb beaeb the Elba, aha §HS WaS rvifi bii»t6 a Selected part of thJS ' j fbrtSshdrri, fiiaf t|i« jetty.. ; tdok the ; ground very gently, aha the officers and ' i creW" Were takeri off by bbats, Which wSre ( despatched , from ike' Shore ijh fespdiise to jilgnals of distress ftrim till .Elba,. - During I the cdufse of thfit illgnt tlie Elba Canted '■; Over, Until her s'tai-iibard Side* Was under i water, and the forecastle' head Was siibj mferged. She had during the night also i strung foiiiid broadside Oh id the be'ttch. ; A COMPLETE WRECK. Still further attempts Were made to save j the vSsset . Oii January* 1& fliirfipihM dperaUdriS Ifrgi'i' resliftiecL ';. : : Of tkb three boilers, however, only one; that on tlie port.side, Was above Water. The' eiigiUeiobnl was full bf Water to the cylinder coffers, /arid the firemen Were compelled to find their Way to the stokehdld through tlie ventilators. WOrk W«ts cbhtifllied Until ridon dri January - 20j, wMrif tlid fifes' |>f ,tub: drily remaining boiler were estirtgnishbcl. The*captain and Chief engineer Of trie steani&r Wiadsoi?. Which had jtist arrived, then surveyed thri sreahifer,: rind frtoUbimced her a. total loss. , ; The. Wteek, *as Sbld bit for tHe sunt of £7(if, the puicliaSers being the Pacific Islands : Canipaily, Limited. The" Elba subsequently slipped from the ledge of the; reef, upon Which she* hdd been resting, and the fore part of the steamer up to the liirinel \Hk Under Water. When the cast-; aways left Octiaii Island thri Elba was standing Oil her head, the stern being high up in the air. As the vessel slid she carried away the jetty, reducing it td atdriis. , . DESttßtf TidN OF THE VESSEL; Tit* Miori was & steel screw steamship of 4036 tons «rosa arid 5534 tons iiet. She Was a cdm|jarftiiveiy rtew vessel} havidg been built as recently ft! l9()i by Messrs. Ropner ahaSbhi (if Stbcktbiij to iM highest requirements at Lloyd's. Her dimensions were: — Lengt-k," Ssdff • breadth; 49ft » tifld depth,; 19ffc lili ... Hie Elba Wa§ stipplied With in-; jiines of the tripie-expahsibh type, .built, by |i,lessrs. Blair and Co., Limited, of Stockton.; The diameters of the cylinders Were SSiri, 42in, and 68in respectively, with a stroke of 45in; She Was owned by Mr: Jebsen; of Hamburg. -