WRECK OF THE RED PINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15250, 13 March 1913, Page 8

WRECK OF THE RED PINE

CREW IN WEI LINGTON. CAPTAIN RESCUES THE COOK. TREATMENT AT FRENCH PASS. ' , i [BY tkijwhaph.— cobhespondekt.] .<] Wellington-, Wednesday. Sever*., members of the crew of the t wrecked steamer Red Pine arrived in Wei- f lington by the Pateena last evening, { namely:—Messrs. Robertson (chief offi- ( cer), Chandl^ 1 (chief engineer). McDonald (third engineer), and James McCready and ( A. Waterfield (firemen), and A. Anderson j and W. Campbell (able seamen). ( According to Mr. McCready and his shipmates, all hands on board the Red Pine had an anxious as well as an excit- g ing time. After passing Farewell Spit at 5.45 p.m. on Friday, the Red Pine ex- ( perienced fine weather until well down the coast. Suddenly she became enveloped in a thick fog. The first intimation of anything untoward happening was the vessel j bumping on the rocks. , Speedy Exit From Quarters. ( The men off watch were asleep in their bunks, and the impact awoke them. Next , minute" the lookout man on the forecastle j rushed into the crews quarters and shouted ' " We're on the rocks, get but quick." All hands scrambled out of the forecastle as quickly as they could, and reached the ' deck very scantily clad, immediately all < hands got to work clearing and lowering ' the boat away. Captain Eden was on deck superintend- « ing operations! and noticing that several of fas men had scarcely any clothes on, ' he told them to go forward and get hold « of what tofothing they could. When all « appeared to be ready for launching the ' boat, although the Red Pine was sinking J fast. Captain Eden called each one of his i cTew of 15 hands by name. ; ] Captain The Last to Leave. , As they got into the boat Captain Eden I Was still on the deck of the rapidly sinking < steamer, he being the last to leave the < ship. Before he attempted to reach the « lifeboat it was found that the steward- ; cook, a man named A. Bulls was missing. | The Red Pine was sinking rapidly. Cap- ' tain Eden left the deck, the water by this ( time being well up to the deckline. arid went to search of Bulb. The latter was found asleep to his bunk, and probably would have been drowned like a rat in a trap had he not been aroused by the captain.. Both men made for the deck and sprang for the lifeboat. There was no time to lose, for as they reached safety the Red Pine took a final plunge and sank •■ out of sight. Experiences in the Boat. f *.; r: ■■■. ; <.'■-. . - ■-" The mek who arrived by the Pateena ' last night spoke in high terms of Captain ': Eden's coolness to a very trying situation. t Thick dense fog enveloped the srriau craft I with her human freight, so it was decided lto stand by till morning. When day broke a start was made for Mr. L. Stew- £ art'* on D'Urville Island. ' On arrival, the members of the ship- ! wrecked crew were most hospitably \" treated by Mr. : Stewart and his family. : After they had received food, some cloth- * ing and a little money. Mr. Stewart took >•■ th« Ufeh^at^in tow : and set off to his ; oil ! launch for the French . Pass. Both boats 1 reached the Pass about 13 hours alter the > wreck, which occurred at il p.m. on Fri- }. day. .' ' . ;-; , ~■ tfiiii«tt*oia Treatment Alleged. »; i The <■ members of the crew who . arrived 1 in Wellington lasfc nignt, ooimplaihed bit- - terly of the treatment meted out to them " byvcertattt persons at the Pass. They I stated to a reporter that they were charged r 30s for two mealSi and were i compelled to » stay out in, the open at night, until the 1 Arahura arrived to tike them on to Nel--1 -son.', To pass the time away the shipL Wrecked crew gathered round a big fire I and told : stories and sang' songs. It is I' stated that even the wood for the fire was - begrudged them. In fact, one man said • that : one; of the persons -Who was at the boardinghouse where they; had their meals ' cams along to the camp and actually kicked a half-burned log off the fire, with . ■■ the remark that the crew had. not paid }' for it.; Naturally these men asked whe- > ther that was the? way/ in which New I Zealand folk treated shipwrecked sailors. .-. . Heed . For Fog Signals i When asked if Vthey- could offer any 1 suggestions in regard to making Cook Straii safer 'foggy nights, the men • 1 stated that it was their opinion that fog-. ' signals should be attached to each lighthouse in the vicinity. It was stated that * during a fog like the one experienced in * Cook Strait on Friday night, the various lights became totally obscured, and a J" 'mariner did not' know his exact position. i If fog-signal* were erected, they would lessen the dangers a great deal. \ ■"'''■ '■ -s'. r ; ' 1 .. ■■ : -

» INQUIRY TO BE HELD. OPENING TO-MORROW. I ■'■:■'■.■„'■. • [BT TELWftAPk.—FRESS ASSOCIATION.] It '. V '■ ' ■'■~.'' '"'■'-, WiixiNOTON, Wednesday. i A magisterial inquiry into the loss of I the Red Pine will be held on Friday at ' Nelson. The' nautical assessors will be * Captains McNab (Nelson), and Black , (Wellington).