WRECKED ON A REEF.

New Zealand Herald, 29 June 1914, Page 9

WRECKED ON A REEF.

END OF ISLAND STEAMER.

SUFFERINGS OF THE CREW.

EIGHT DAYS IN THE BOATS.

Three men, Captain A. Oyston, Mr. Macphorson (mate), and Mr. Parker (engineer), all of the ill-fated steamer Epi, which was wrecked while on her maiden voyago from Sydnoy to tho Now Hebrides rocontly, returned to Sydney last week by the French mail steamer Nera.

Mr. W. H. Edwards, who induced the shipwrecked mariners to land at Pott Island, was also a passenger by the Neca, and provided a full description of the incidents corrected with the wreck. "The wreck occurred on R-ecif des Francais, or French Reef," said Mr. Edwards, "and this is situated just before you go through French Pass, at the northern end of New Caledonia. Pott Island is about eleven miles north of Bailif Islyid, which was once used as a leper station, and 40 miles north-west of Pott Island is French Pass, coming into Cook Strait. The Epi came to grief on the reef near French Pass.

Carried on by the Tide. "After leaving the Australian coast the Epi apparently followed a course to cut the pass. The tide, however, was very strong, and the little vessel was carried side on to the reef, and the high tide left her high and dry. This was in the early hours of the morning'of June 2, and when it was seen that the vessel could not be floated off six men who were aboard, including the captain, owner, and crew, launched a boat and left the wreck. "They pulled about for three days, and encountered vory heavy weather, luce tr twice they were almost swamped, and it was eventually decided to pull tack to the wreck and placo half the party in the remaining boat on the Epi. This tho » succeeded in doing, and the two boats, each containing three men, started to pull away from the wreck once moTe in search of land. The two boats parted company early in the morning of the day following their second departure from the wreck. * Sighted from Pott Island. "At about eleven o'clock one morning," continued Mr. Edwards, "I was on Pott Island when I caught sight of a boat at 6oa. Mi Williams, whose father has a cocoanut plantation on the island, was with me at the time. She said: ' There must have been a wreck, because f.hoso are white men rowing, and not natives.' I started signalling to tho boat, and at last tho occupants saw us and came into the harbour at Pott Island. "We made them welcome, and, after they had refreshed themselves, and had had a meal, they told us of the wreck, and related how they had been eight days at sea in boats, blown about by winds and Struggling against rough sens" Thoy then told us that threo of thoir mates, including the owner (Mr. Roxbrough), a onearmed Frenchman, and another vonnc fellow, wore still at sea in another boat. I asked thorn which way the others bad gone, and they told me that they had seen nothing "of each other since they parted at three o'clock on the first morning. They thought, however, that they would bo beating up in the 6ame direction.

Second Boat Sighted. "I decided to go out and look for tie others, and, taking my glasses, climbod to tho lookout on the mountain. After sweeping the sea with my glasses I eventually sighted the other boat. I then got a sheet, and, nailing it to a pieco of wood, put it up like a flag. "The boat appeared to be making away from tho islana, so I waved to them, and they turned back. *1 then ran down the mountain, in order to get out on a point of the reef, and while doing so I missed sight of the boat for about ten minutes. When I saw them again they had tnrnod round, and were gong away from the island again. I ran out on to the point of the reef, and commenced waving again. I then saw that one of the men In tho boat had his glasses on me, so I signalled directions for them to come round the reef into the harbour. /

Mistaken for Natives. "Whon they landed tlioy said: 'Wo did not come in at first because we worn afraid you were blacks.' Tho men wore all very much fatigued after their espericrtcos knocking about in the boats for eight days, Their hand? were blistered and cut from the continual rowing, and the onearmed Frenchman was in a rather bad condition. They had had sufficient food on board the boats, but at one time had to return to tho wreck to replenish -water supplies. " The owner, Mr. Roxbrough, remained in Noumea, awaiting news from the agents. Whether he will pot his vessel off is hard to sav. I don't think there is any hope of getting her off. She was lifted broadside on to the reef, and is now right upon it, with a foot of water in her at high tide. Sho hqs been washed a couple of hundred yards further on tho reef, and to get her back to the sea again would be very difficult. There is a lagoon on the other side, and it misrht be possible to get her into this; but then the difficulty of getting her out aeain would present itself, as there is no outlet. She has a hole in her bottom where the condonser pipes went round, and these bare been torn away." ,