THE ILL-FATED DEVON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15390, 27 August 1913, Page 10

THE ILL-FATED DEVON.

TOTAL LOSS PROBABLE.

CREW ALL SAFE ASHORE.

AFTER NIGHT OF PERIL.

SWUNG IN ON LIFE-LINES.

ROUGH TRIP THROUGH SURF.

WORK WITH ROCKETS FAILS.

ROPE' FLOATED TO LAND.

|BT TEU:GRAIH—SrECIAL COIUtESPONDKNT.j

Wjelmsotox, Tuesday. The Devon piled on to what apparently must bo her last resting place as she was entering Wellington Harbour shortly before eight o'clock last evening. According to the story of the crew, at 7.40 on that evening the engines were going dead slow. The weather at the time was dirty, and a squall obscured the entrance to the harbour. Suddenly there came a sharp, rending sound, the engines were stopped, and the boilers were blown off. The water was pouring into the stokehold., Waves began to break over the deck aft. All hands were called on deck, and went forward. Rockets were fired to inform those on the shore that the vessel was in distress. The lightkeeper discovered the wreck ten minutes after the vessel struck, and communicated the news to Wellington. All the ship's lights went out as soon as the engineroom was flooded, and the position of all on board was uncomfortable in the extreme. All night long the crew kept their cold and weary vigil on the forward deck. They could hear the voices of their would-bo rescuers, butt, life-saving operations were impossible. Vain Attempts. Time after time during the night an attempt was made to get a line ashore by means of a ship's rocket, but on every occasion the line dropped helplessly into the sea a few yards from the shore. All night long the officers and men huddled together in the forward part of the vessel, waiting anxiotuily for morning. When dawn broke heavy seas were breaking over the stern, and sweeping half-way along the deck. The forward part of the vessel was practically the only place of refuge. In the early hours of the morning a line was attached to a lifebuoy, and thrown overboard. It drifted to leeward, away from the anxious watchers on shore, and became tangled among the jagged pinnacles of rock, which are scattered profusely about in the vicinity. Another line was thrown overboard, and that, too, was carried away by wind and waves in the same direction. Then a third attempt was made, but with no better success. - Success at Last. Tossed about by the breakers the wires soon became a confused, tangle, well out of reach of those on shore. Volunteers to reach them were found in Captain Johnson and Captain Hay ward, with Messrs. Edmondson, Peters, and Kinvig. These struggled waist deep in water, amidst the treacherous wash of the waters for hours. The work was extremely difficult. Then one of tho bulkheads was pressed into service, and making their way from rock ;to rock, some of the party at last got close to where the lines were untangled amongst the pinnacles. To gel within reach however, it was necessary to place a plank between. two jagged, outstanding rocks, over which the sea was breaking perilously. j. This dangerous task was safely accomplished, however, the feat being breathlessly watched by those on the ship and the shore alike. To secure the line, it had to be rescued from the surf by means of a heaving line and hauled up over a pinnacle rock 20ft or 30ft high. First Man Ashore. With communication established between the ship and the land, operations were rendered considerably easier. Under the direction of Captain Johnson and Captain Hayward, the life-line was made fast to a high pinnacle of rock well inshore, 'the j other end being secured, to the fforetop of j the vessel. When everything was in readiness a basket was shackled to the life-line, and the hauling lines attached, one to the shore end and one to the vessel. The first man to make the hazardous journey ; was Quartermaster Johnson, who was severely buffeted by the surf, but reached > the shore safe and sound. He bad with him a couple of kittens, belonging to the ship, and although he was submerged a considerable part of the journey, he delivered his charges safely on shore. The next man to be rescued was a steward, who brought with him the mother of the kittens. Thereafter the work of rescue went ahead with rapidity, although ' under continual difficulties. The ride ashore was a giddy one, and the time occupied was usually only a fraction over three minutes. With an allowance for the return, the men were, therefore, being rescued at the rate of one for every seven or eight minutes. A Fortunate Position. It was a piece of good fortune that the body of the vessel was gripped strongly by the rocks. If the steamer had swung ; around broadside after striking, all lives j might have been lost. Just about the bow j rocks jut up, like giant teeth whetted for destruction. At mid-day the deck fittings did not show remarkable ' signs of damage. A wheel house near the stern had suffered, and there was other evidence of the breakers' strength, but the deck as a whole had no -stricken appearance. The upper parts were fair enough to the eye, but the rigidity of the ship made it appear that she was water-logged, and must have been ripped extensively by the rocks.

EXPEDIENCE OF THE WAHINE.

KEPT OFF BY HEAVY SEAS,

STOOD BY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

[BY TELEGRAPH.OWN correspondent.]

Christchttkch, Tuesday,

Seen on board the Wahinc shortly after her arrival, Captain A- M. Edwin gave a reporter a connected story of the happenings at Wellington Heads from the lime he received the first news of trouble by wireless. "We cleared the wharf at 8.5 p.m," said Captain Edwin, "and were going full speed down the harbour, when at 8.20 p.m. we received a wireless message that there was a steamer in distress outside the heads, where a big sea was running. When we opened out the heads I saw several distress rockets, and shortly after I made out the masthead light, and the red (port) side of a steamer at the east side of the entrance, close to Pencarrow Head. We were unable to judge then whether the steamer was close in shore, or actually on shore. "As the Wahine neared the heads we fcnnd that there was a tremendous sea running, but the weather was comparatively clear, although it was blowing a hard' southerly gale. Ae the Wahine came nearly abreast of the Pencarrow Head. Lighthouse I put her dead alow, andtnen we saw that the steamer was on -the rocks, close to the low level light below the lighthouse.

We called her up with our Morse lamp, and she answered with a small lamp, but it was impossible to make out her signals as her lamp was frequently obscured by the powerful glare of the red "flare up" distress signals that were being burned on her forecastle head. They lit up the forward end of the steamer, and in their glare we could distinctly see men on her forecastle head. By this timte we were right abreast of the lighthouse, and as far over to the eastward side of the harbour mouth as we could venture with reasonable safety. We continued to call up the stranded' vessel, and tried several times to get her name, but always her lamp was obscured by the red flare's. We could plainly see in the red glare heavy seas rolling in and breaking on the rocks close to the ship, but wo could not distinguish much of the ship, or judge of her size. "Failing to get her name we next asked the question, "Can you land?" but her reply was obscured by the red glare, and could not be ascertained. Then we enquired, "Have you any boats?" and. in an interval of darkness we got her reply, "Yes." We then made another effort to ascertain the ship's name; but all that we could read of her lamp's reply were the letters VON. We knew that* the Devon was due to arrive at Wellington last night from Auckland, so of course when we read those final letters we identified the stranded vessel as that 3teamer. "In the meantime," continued Captain Edwin, "we had sent wireless messages into Wellington, informing tho harbourmaster, Captain Johnston, that the steamer was on the rocks, and giving him ner approximate position close to the low level light. I also informed him that it was impossible to render any assistance to the steamer, except from the shore. The seas were tremendous, and so heavy that there was absolutely no chance of getting near the steamer, and it was plainly evident from her position that there was no hope of getting her off the rocks, on which she must have been pounding and grinding very heavily. It would have been madness to have attempted to get any closer than we had been, and no good 'purpose could have been served in doing so. It was perfectly evident that we, or other steamers, could do nothing to assist the Devon or anybody on board of her, because of the hard" gale which was blowing and the tremendous seas running. The only hope of assistance for those on board was from the shoreward side, and it would only have been courting another disaster for any vessel to venture close to the Devon." "I stood by as long as I thought we could be of anv assistance in communicating with the ship, but after I had learned that the Duchess was coming out. and as there was no object in my taking the Wahine back up the harbour, I put her on her course for Lyttelton at full speed. The sea was exceptionally heavy across the strait, and for some distance down the coast, but the Wahine answered the call splendidly, and made great time in the teeth of the gale, which eased up after we had passed Kaikoura." Questioned regarding the telegraphed statement that the Wahine had reported by wireless that the Devon had only one boat left, Captain Edwin remarked that there must have been some misunderstanding. The Wahine asked the Devon, "Have you any boats," and she replied "Yes," but gave no number.

SIGNS OF BREAKING HP.

CREW REFUSE TO SAY ANYTHING. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Tuesday. That the wrecked steamer Devon is a total loss is stated to be beyond nil possible doubt. The point where she struck under the Pencarrow Lighthouse is as bad as any of the bad positions that lie about the' entrance to Wellington Harbour. Firmly stranded on a bottom where the many rocks must inevitably tear her hull almost to, pieces, she has already commenced to snow distinct signs at the stern of speedy destruction. The port side of the stem, the side farthest from the shore, and the side consequently more open to the heavy seas prevailing, is already breaking, while the wreckage which litters the beach in the vicinity leaves no doubt that this fine big steamer is doomed to the fate that has already overtaken so many vessels in and about Cook Straits. The captain and members of the crew reached town late this evening, but all refused to say anything about the wreck. When asked pointedly for a statement, Captain C&unce would only say, " You will hear aii about it at the inquiry. I do not propose to say anything in the meantime." ■ The chief officer, Mr. Maurice, has been left in charge at the wreck, everyone else belonging to the vessel having come away.

TWO HOLDS PULL OF WATER.

INDICATIONS NOT HOPEFUL.

The local manager for the New Zealand Shipping Company, Ltd. (Mr. C. V. Houghton), received advice from Wellington yesterday afternoon, stating that Nos. 4 and 5 holds and the engine-room were full of water, and the latest indication was that the vessel was almost sure to become a total wreck. Mr. E. M. Gibbs, of the Auckland staff of the company, who was proceeding South by tho Devon, had landed safely, and was at the lighthouse.

REPORT TO LLOYDS' AGENT.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ESTIMATED.

[BY telegrath.—fbess ASSOCIATION.]

Wellington, Tuesday. Lloyds' agent has had communication with 'one of the officers of the Devon, whose Teport is that he believed the bottom of the vessel has been ripped from the engineroom to the stern.

INCIDENTS OF RESCUE WORK. BAND OF WILLING HELPERS. LONG AND TEDIOUS EFFORTS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL cobbespondent.] Wellington, Tuesday. The work of rescuing the crew of the Devon, which was carried out successfully to-day, was started at the break of day. As soon as dawn had fairly broken the first rocket was fired. It fell short, was caught by the- wind and blown to leeward, where it sank with a splutter into the boiling breakers. A second and third and yet nioro were fired with a like result. A few minutes before seven o'clock came the first successful shot, tho rocket flying into the shallow water among the rocks near the beach, where it Mas promptly captured and fished out. It was nearly three hours before the tanglo was unravelled, and direct touch established between the ship and the shore. On shore a great fire of driftwood was kindled near a big rock, and during every lull in the bustle of preparations there was a rush to its hospitable blaze. A big billy of tea and a tin of biscuits were also near at hand, for very few of the men on the beach had stopped to take any breakfast. The greatest trouble was experienced in getting the captured line clear of t! rocks which stood up everywhere in froof the ship. The idea was' to instal a line from half way up the foremast of the steamer to a high rock on the beach p as to give a clear run to the men as th~ came ashore, and some very risky deeds were attempted. One man plunged in almost up to his neck in a pot-hole in, a zealous and successful endeavour to clear a line that had fouled a rock.

Right in the path of the lino were three high, flat-nosed rocks like three brothers, and between the first and second of these was a span which was beyond a man's jump, but which had to be negotiated somehow before the line could be lifter 1 over the obstacle. The problem was solved by placing a long plank from the one to the other, and across this frail bridge a man crawled to the other side.

Finally, all was ready, and Captain Johnson (the harbourmaster) marshalled his forces in readiness for the rescuing of the crew. A great hawser stretched from the mast to the beach, and from this was suspended a basket large enough to hold a man, with running gear enabling the. carriage to be hauled shoreward and vice versa. , Every able-bodied man on shore was enlisted for the rescue work, and manned the life line. ■ Presently a flag " wagged " on the forecastle-head of the Devon. An answering flutter on shore acknowledged the signal, and with a " Haul away, boys!" a swaying basket glided down tho big hawser wrMi the first man off the ship. As he neared the sag" of the hawser a big comber came curling towards him, swirled round him, and drenched him to the waist. Another haul on the shore, and the dripping mariner was extricated from his basket and helped ashore. He was not alone, shivering in his arms was a small kitten, which mewed plaintively when put down beside the fire. Its owner's name was Johnston, the ship's quartermaster, and he was greatly * pleased to place his feet on terra firma again. "I thought that we were never going to get off," he said. He was given a hearty welcome, ushered up to the fire, and handed a cun of hot tea and something to eat. His heart was not in the repast, however, for presently he went down to the lifeline and took up the duties of signaller. The next to arrive was the pantryman, who, despite his sousing in the breakers, beamed a broad smile upon his rescuers, and, producing a tin from his pocket, dispersed tobacco and cigarettes, and so the procession went on. After the first two or, three trips which suggested simplifications and improvements in the running gear, everything went well, and, the whole of tho ship s company was brought ashore without a single mishap within the next fo"r hours, the captain with his papers being the last to leave. The main questions that rose to the lips of the watchers on the beach as the men came ashore were : " How did it all happen?" "What sort of a time did you have last night?" With regard to 'the first of these, members of the ship's company were reticent. It seems to be generally agreed, however, that the thick weather was the cause of the wreck. The low level light at Pencarrow Head had no sooner been opened up than the ehip touched. There was a grinding, tearing sound, and then the steamer stuck hard and fast. Another two cables' length would have cleared her. Naturally everybody on board was in a high state of excitement and alarm, and no rest was thought of that sight.