TAIRUA BAR TRAGEDY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18364, 3 April 1923, Page 6

TAIRUA BAR TRAGEDY.

THRILLING NARRATIVE.

LAUNCHES SHATTERED BY SEA

SURVIVORS' TERRIBLE ORDEAL.

LONG DRIFT BEFORE RESCUE.

A thrilling story of disaster, tragedy, and heroism, in connection with the launch fatality which occurred on the Tairua bar on Saturday evening, was told last evening by Mr. T. Jenkins, the first of the three survivors of the crew of the launch Lorraine to roach Auckland. With Messrs. T. Cory-Wright ana W. Walsh, both of Auckland, Mr. Jenkins was rescued by the launch Elida, when the" Lorraine capsized. His Was a very close call, and even closer was that of his two comrades, who on the morning after the disaster wore not sufficiently recovered to make the long homeward journey. Mr Jenkins himself was rather severely knocked about on the head and face by the wreckage of the capsized launch, and he spent over an hour in the water be ore being picked up. His appearance last evening was that of a man who had passed through a fearful strain. t but he told a wonderfully clear and vivid account of the whole tragi- episode, giving whole-hearted praise tf the three Wright brothers, to whose tireless and devoted efforts throughout a terrible night the survivors owo their lives. "There was a tevriuc sea on the bar that night," said Mr. Jenkins "The tide was running out, and the wind was driving the breakers in, so that the waves crashed together on the bar. Mr. _i. Cory-Wright was steering the Lorraine, Mr. Kolannnon was in the engine-room,: and Mr. Chappell and I were reading in the cabin. We were pitching about a lot in the waves, but the first I knew of anything being wrong was when .a brig* breaker suddenly struck ns broadside and capsized us. We were then, I suppose, about three chains from the shore. Mr. Chappell and I rushed out into the cockpit, which was full of water and then everything happened in a flash. The dinghy had been swept away, and Mr. Cnlhai was Sniggling in the water. Mr. Walsh and 1 tried to get the dinghy, when suddenly Mr Walsh pot his feet tangled m a fishing' line. Mr. Robson seized a rone and was throwing it to Mr. Culhane when aB at once I looked; up and saw a terrific breaker curling right on top of us. It crashed down; then came another and another, washing us all out into the surf and pounding the launch to matchwood. I never saw anything more of Mr. Southernwood, who was in the engine room.. Mr. Robson or Mr. Culhane. It was . frightful. I was beaten down again and again,, and battered with the wreckage • until my breath was almost gone. But somehow' I managed to keep my senses and presently found myself hanging on to a piece of wreckage, being washed over the bar and out to sea at a great rate. .;'Carried ..Out by Current. "Somehow I saw that Mr. Cory-Wright had got hold of/a benzene tin and was swimming with it lo Mr. Walsh. After I got over "the bar, which was quite calm and clear, but bitterly cold! in the water, . I drifted out to sea with the current for about an. hour, and then I heard someone shouting from the shore. I shouted back, and presently Ihe Elida came up behind and threw me a rope. . After we capsized they had turned back 'to try to save us, but. missed /us in the heavy . surf,, put ashore, and bailed out, while one of them ran along : the rocks to "keep a look-out. I. think it 1 was his shouting I heard. : I ■was pretty well all in when they got me aboard, but told them that Messrs; OoryWright' and Walsh were somewhere ;.., ahead, r' r : ■'."■.-'■'■ "•.'..-'•■ ~•■"-•■■. "We followed the s«* M the tide, and about an hour later ; righted them still hanging on to , the benzine \ tin. ; They must have drifted over Six , miles. Mr. Walsh was nearly done for,, and but for Mr. Cory-Wright would 'doubtless"naive lost, his life. The latter' managed to clear Mr. Walsh's feet of the fishing line and helped him to keep afloat. .We threw a lifebelt, which Mr. Cory-Wright pulled ' over Mr. Walsh's shoulders and kept -him up till we could draw them both in. 'They were both in a pretty bad way then, and we had to rub them for nearly, an hour to bring them round. j Landing on Slipper Island, '. ■'&. The Elida cruised about until one o'clock, looking for the others, but with* out success. v - Then we headed for. Slipper Island, r about • S6ven miles from Tairua. When we reached it we found the breakers were too heavy for the launch to land !.-■ us. so Mr. Cory-Wright, the skipper of the : Elida, dived in . and swam ashore, got a dinghy, and brought it back to us. Mir. Cory-Wright and I made our way half aijnile , or; so inland .to the farm nouse of two Scotsmen,, brothers, whose names I do not know, but whose kindness some •of us will never forget. \ One of them got a hot meal and beds ready. The other went down to the shore with dry, clothing, and helped Mr. Wright and Mr. Walsh up .to the house. . We went to bed about' 4' o'clock and I can tell you it was the most welcome turning-in I ever experienced. I was up again at six, went aboard "the Elida with the skipper, leaving the others •at the farm, and made for Tairua,; It was perfectly calm on the bar then, and as X saw the hull of the old Lorraine piled lip on the rocks I •wondered how it could all have happened. She did not smash on the rocks as first recorded.' There wad 15 feet of water on the; bar; it was the pounding of the ■ waves that broke her up. . "I got a horse at Tairua, rode 18 miles into Mercury Bay, then by car to Thames and on up to Auckland' by private launch." ■;>' From .what Mr, Jenkins was told by the skipper of the Elida and his brother, it appears that . Mr. Axel ■ Bolandson was standing talking to Mr. Harold Cory- ? Wright, who was steering, when a heavy sea struck the launch, washing her dinghy away. Mr. Rolandson immediate- . ly went astern and was doubtless trying to recover, the dinghy when another big Bca Drone aboard the launch and washed him overboard, thus precipitating the terrible five-fold tragedy." VICTIMS op ' the DISASTER. FOUR " YOUNG AUCKLANDERS. The late Mr. William S. Southernwood resided with hiß parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Southernwood, in Newton Road, and had been for the past six years foreman at the motor works of. Messrs. Hughes, Cossar, Ltd. He was the owner of the Lorraine a.nd made regular cruises up and down the coast. During the recent Christmas holidays he voyaged as far afield aa the North Cape. Mr. Norman Robson, who was to* youngest son of Mr. James Robson, of Arthur Street, Ponsonby, embarked with the Ninth Reinforcements and - served at the front with the Rifle Brigade. He was severely wounded at the first battle oi the Somme and was returned invalided. He had served for some time at the boat- .' building trade and was latterly omployed by the Union Steam Ship Company as a ship's carpenter. He was a single man about' 25 years of age and was well known in yachting circles, having been a member of tho crew of the yacht Wairiki. Mr. Harold Chappell was' a single man 29 years of age, and resided with his parents,' Mr. and Mrs. J." 0. Chappell, at 95. ' Valley Road, Mount Eden. He was well and popularly known in the city and particularly in aquatic circles, and for the past fifteen vears had been in tho employ of Mr. J. Hodgson, woollen merchant, of Victoria Street. The late Mr. T. Culhane was a single I man 30 years of a«>, and the fifth son of the late Mr. John Culhane. of Auckland. ' He embarked with the Fifth Reinforcements and served at the front with the First Battery, New Zealand Field "Artillery. Ho was wounded on GallipoU and was invalided home, but re-enlisted with the Twelfth Reinforcements and served in France, where he was again wounded. He was employed for many ; years as a painter by Mr. J. S. Johnstone, of Willow Street, Freeman'ii Bay. ■Th?. -late. Mr. Culhane was an experienced yachtsman and a strong B^hnsnex.