THE TASMAN WRECKED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17780, 13 May 1921, Page 6

THE TASMAN WRECKED.

LOST NEAR WHAKATANE.

ALL ON BOARD SAFE.

SHIP STRIKES A REEF.

SINKS IX FEW

MINUTES.

MAILS AND PAPERS LOST. [BY TELEGB.APH.—OWN COP.EESFOXBEVT.] WHAKATANE, TUursdar. • The Northern Company's coastal steamer 1 asruan, of 179 gross tons, Captain W. J. (Jrigg, bound from Auckland to Whakatane, struck the reef at tie Rurima Islands, ten miles noitli of Wkakatane, (luring a change of watch ;it. ten minutes pas! four this morning, when all (he officers were on deck. The ship gave a great heave, and i here was a crashing of timber. Investigations showed that the vessel was making water rapidly. She did not stay on the reef, but floated free, and the course was changed , towards the share. The Tasman then began to settle down fast, and the captain ordered the pascongers and crew to the boats. The four male passengers dressed hurriedly, but ihe three women appeared in night attire. There was no panic, all behaving,admirably, although one sailor apparently lost Ins head and began throwing the luggage overboard. All left in two lifeboats about live minutes before tho vessel disappeared bow first. The whistle was blowing as she took the last dive, 24 minutes after she struck. A Cold, Hard Row. One boat was in charge of the second mate, the other in charge of the captain. The sea was fairly calm at the time, bnt before long a cold southerly wind sprang up. .All those in tho boats,' especially those who were scantily clothed, suffered severely from cold. By dint of hard rowing and the occasional use of the sails, the boats reached the shore near Tarawera outlet, but were unable to outer the outlet on account of a heavy sea on the bar. They rowed along the coast until they sighted some public works men, who, with t lie aid of ropes, helped the party ashore. Passengers and crew then set off for Matata, five miles away, and were soon met by motor-cars, who took them on to the township. The Matata residents treated the unfor(unate party hospitably and provided them with warm clothing. All the passengers later came to Whakatane. The crew of 13 went on to Tauranga.

No Sign o! Panic. The male passengers state that the women behaved admirably, one elderly lady, Mrs. Clegg, being very helpful in bailing out the lifeboat. Tho passengers seemed none the worse for their experience, except Mr. Niuman, who had his thumb nearly severed by an axe falling on it while scrambling into a boat. All the papers and mails were lost. The Tasman carried a full cargo for this port and, as little of it was insured, local business men are expecting heavy losses. Tho whole of one man's furniture and personal effects, which he had brought from the South Island, were on board. Another loss is a propeller and Bhaft for the scow Vesper, recently disposed of by tba Harbour Board and laid np here. Several tons of flour were also among the cargo, - °

Statement by Captain, Captain Grigg stated that when the boat struck she was going dead slow, as theyhad plenty of time to catch the&ide at Whakatane. As soon as the vessel struck the reef she was backed off and was headed far the mainland. It was soon apparent that they would not. make it, and he then ' ordered the passengers and crew to the boats. The Tasman settled down bow first with a list to starboard.

The passengers state that they -were awakened by a lurch and a dull thud. Thinking an extra heavy wave had struck the vessel they prepared to go to sleep again, when they were ordered out by the officers. Tlie scene on deck was very • quiet, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Owing to their hasty departure the women were only in their night attire, and two were without footwear. Only two of the men wore boots. The officers on deck were the only ones fully clothed. The passengers saw nothing of the rocks. , Four Hours to Beach Shore. A strong southerly breeze sprang up when the boats were half-way to the mainland, and drove them out of their course. The passengers state that if the breeze had sprung up earlier they would probably have found it impossible to make a land- " ing. Hie boats took four hours to reach the shore.

All speak well of the hospitality of the Matata residents, who provided food and warm clothing. .The ship sank in 50 fathoms of water, and there is no sign of wreckage. The Rurima Islands are merely a number of rocks 10 miles north of Whakatane, and seven miles from .Matata. The Tasman had a crew of 13 and seven passengers—Messrs. Niuman, H. Withers, J. Grieve, H. Kasper, and Mesdames Glegg, Moody, and Miss Meyers.

The Tasrr&T) was built by Mr. E. Logan, Sen., of Auckland, in 1903, for Mr. J. C. Burfcrd, of Nelson. She was a. wooden twin-screw steamer of 179 tons gross, 102 ft. in length, 21ft. in breadth, and 7ft. depth. She was purchased by the Northern Steamship Company in Wellington some years ago. Her loss is co-vered by the company's marine insurance fund. She left Auckland at 7.30 a.m. on Wednesday, for Whakatane, with a full cargo. The officers are : —Master, Captain W. J. Grigg; first officer, Mr. W. McManus; Recond officer, Mr. Olsson; chief engineer, Mr. W. Westwood j chief steward, Mr. 8. Wright. When first built, the Tasman was engaged in the Cook Strait trade.

CREW COMING TO AUCKLAND. THE RURIMA ROCKS. (BY TELEGRAPH".— OWN COTIIIESPOXDTENT.] TAURANGA. Thursday. Captain _ W. Grigg, master of the steamer Tasman, and the crew of the lost vessel arrived in Tauranga at twenty minutes to six this evening, where they joined the Ngapuhj for Auckland. The Northern Company's vessel Torea is due to leave Tauranga at eleven o'clock .to-night with a view to locating the wreck and picking up two lifeboats. Seamen interviewed here to-day express the opinion that the Rurinin reefs are a menace to navigation. It is a very difficult matter to pick up the reefs at" night