AUSTRALIAN WRECK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18678, 7 April 1924, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN WRECK.

COASTAL STEAMER LOST. A' PASSENGER DROWNED. PALLS INTO ENGINEROOM. The steamer Benandra, of 345 • tons, when bound from Moruya to * Sydney, struck a sandspit near Moruya entrance and became a total wreck. One life was lost. The Wreck occurred on the afternoon of March 25. The vessel was proceeding from Moruya to Sydney, and had missed the high tide in crossing outward. At half-past two the tide had been ebbing for three hours. The vessel was carrying a fair cargo, and was drawing 7ft. lOin. of water, her total loaded draught being Bft. 4in. A gentle north-easterly breeze prevailed, but a rough sea was coming in over the bar. It was after crossing . the bar that the vessel encountered a big breaker and struck a sandspit end on, and in between the seas was turned broadside. In tliis position it was impossible to save her. The next sea that struck her brought the end. ! In the rough seas the Ben indra became very quickly a total loss. ,With seas breaking over her, it was decided to abandon the vessel. It was at this time that the passenger, William Ward, met his death. In order to obtain shelter from the seas which were striking the vessel, he entered the engine-room. In the lurching of the vessel he fell down into the machinery, which, however, was stopped. The en-gine-room had filled with water, and the fires' were out, and it was impossible to save the unfortunate man, who was drowned. In view of the fatal occurrence there was no undue haste to leave the ship, and it was only when it was seen that nothing more could be done that one boat was launched. The wreck of the Benandra was observed from the pilot station, and the pilot immediately took steps to help the crew to land. ■ Fishing launches in the river were requisitioned, and they \ proceeded toward the • vessel in an effort to render aid, bat the launches only succeeded in meeting the boat coming ashore from the vessel.

The whole crew of 15 came ashore in the one boat, but it was related on landing that extreme difficulty had besn experienced in inducing the master, Captain ichmond, to leave his ship. He wished to stay and see if anything could be done. It took some minutes' persuasion to get him to join the waiting boat. The crew lost everything they had, for immediately the Benandra struck all hands were summoned on deck, and in the seas that subsequently shivered the little craft from stem to stern it was impossible to gain entrance to the men's quarters. After her abandonment, the vessel settled firmly in the channel, and became a danger to navigation. i The owners of the Benandra, the Illawarra and South Const Steam Navigation Company, Limited, daring the past year or two, have suffered greatly through marine casualties and losses. In January of last year the company's steamer Bodalla was. blown on the rocks at BawLey Point, sustaining damage to the amonnt of about- £2500, and ©d January 20 of this year the vessel, valued at ' about ' £12,000, was wrecked at Narooma. In March last year, ' the company's steamer Duroby was burned to the water's edge in Double Bay, sustaining damage to the amount of about £9000. Early last t ' month. another steamer, the Bermagui, sustained slight damage through colliding with Pyrmont Bridge. The Benandra, which is now a total wreck, struck Naroona Bar in Feb' ruary, and prior to that went ashore in the Clyde River in April, 1921; But all these mishaps have been without loss of life. The Benandra was valued at about £12,000.