A STORY OF THE SEA.

NZ Truth, Issue 59, 4 August 1906, Page 7

A STORY OF THE SEA.

(BY "OLD CHUM.")

The New Zealand coast i 3 responsible for the loss of many good ships, wrecked when m sight of a haven of safety, and not always lost m bad weather; but In many instances with an appalling loss of life. Amongst the notable ships that

< "Major Fitzsiniinons, as a lieutenant ,t\ the 40th Regiment, served m tlie'l^apri Vars, He returned to Australia, ' ojnd vas appointed Major m the regiment, of established by the Government of Sir James Martin, m 1871, and. ■which was dubbed by Sir Henry Parkes "a regiment of paintea soldiery.'-' When 'Sir Henry Parkes came into power m 187(2, he wiped out the regiment. Before .it was disbanded, Major Fizsimmons died very suddenly m, the Paddington Barracks (on Oct. 7, 1872, aged 38 years), and was buried with military honors m St. Jude's Cemetery, Randwick. jaave gone down "full fathoms five"- was H.M.S. ORPHEUS, which became a total wreck on February 7, 1863, on the Mfmakau bar, on tha West Coast of New- Zealand. * * ' • Many Australians will remember how popular Commodore Burnett and his officers were upon the station m the early sixties. How at Sydney, at Melbourne, and at Hobart Town they; were received with feelings of warmth and welcome, and how news of the loss of the vessel .and the drowning^of so many .well known In Sydney was received everywhere. * . * * ■ . • f' The OrpMeus ha;d~' a somewhat'; peculiar record. She was put into commission on , a 'Friday,- counted an "unlucky 1 -'; day by sailors, though the exigencies of commer;cial life have somewhat blunted , the superstition.' She was commissioned- ; for, the Australian . station, but the Trent affair caused the authorities at the Admiralty to alter her destination, and she .was or-; dered to America. She left England m - December,- 1861, convoying the "' ■ '-'''-. MELBOURNE TROOP SHIP : - r to Halifax ; she experienced very severe weather m crossing the ; Atlantic* and was more than once m danger of foundering. At St. Johns' New Brunswick, she went ashore. and narrowly escaped becom"liig a total -wreck. When, her work on -tne : New Foundland coast, was completed,; ,ihe^commenced her Voyage' to Sydney by way of the Bermudes and the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived m safety m Port Jacksoii. **' - # .'The Orpheus was the largest Warship on the Australian station up to her year. She was 1700 tons, 21 guns, and 400 horse power. She left Sydney on a cruise which was to include New Zealand, on .January., 3.1,. ; 1863-.,. Shu ...experienced fine 'breather, with fresh sea breezes. She was sailing by Drury's' chart, but appears to have kept, top far north. On arriving at Paratutai, the signal to "TAKE THE BAR was flying. Commander Burton 1 and the master were on the bridge, and the former determined to steam m. The jship's luck was out, for at half-past one m. the afternoon she struck upon a sand SDit and. heeled over. The seas, made a clean breach, the mainmast with the Arst wave going by the board: Many men on the yard were swept overboard and perished. The guns were - knocked from the t carriages, and many- men -mafened through collision with them, one man 'being killed outright. . . '■ * ' * _•' .'■.■■;••,. When the vessel struck, the pinnace, launch and cutter were hoisted out, the Commodore ordering Paymaster Amphlett to secure the ship's papers, which he did. The launch, which' contained eighty .men promptly FILLED AND WENT DOWN, : all m her being drowned. Commodore; Burnett steadfastly refused- to thei vessel, as did Commander Burton and the, other, officers, all having determined to stand at the, post of duty. Tne Commodore, the Commander, the Master, and the First Lieutenant were amongst the earliest swept off and drbwned. Those saved were mostly m the fore part of the ship. -A rush was made for the rigging, •but many m the main rigging were washed off, those m the mizzeh soon following. Men jumped off into the boats or into the sea, a great number being drowned m these attempts to save themselves. The men m the pinnace and cutter were safely landed. Of the 260 officers and men on board but 70 were saved. ' This fearful wreck occurred m broad •daylight, close to the seaport of Onehunga, and yet it is said not a signal was flying from the pilot station, nor was any assistance rendered from that quarter. H.M.S. Harrier, 17 guns, Commander Sullivan, was lying at her moorings within 23 miles «f the disaster, the i colonial steamer Avon was at - the Onehuirga wharf. The only pilot at. the t ßort was scarcely blameable, as he was on duty on hoard the Wonga Woriga, intercolonial mail steamer, but it does seem, passing strange that m such a busy locality so many . BRAVE OFFICERS, Am..SEAMEN should be drowned within 1 ; 4bo-ee of the shore. Amongst the strange flvents of the catastrophe was the death of John Davy, captain of the foretop, by hanging. He was coming down the<Viggiog amidst a confusion of ropes when ' jiis head and neck got entangled, and losing his hold he was literally hanged until he was dead,.Immediately on the news of the wreck reaching Auckland, the ■ ' GOVERNOR, SIR GEORGE GREY, and the Commander of the Forces, Sir Duncan Cameron, accompanied by Colonel Gamble and other military men, rode to Onehunga, and took the steamer Avon to the wreck, with them being Midshipman Barkley, a son of Sir Henry < Barkley, Governor of Victoria, who was one of the first saved and taken to Onehunza. » • • Governor Barkley's experience of the colonies was unique. He was at one time the representative m the House of Commons of Leominster from 1845 to 1849. He was Governor of British Guiana before his appointment as Governor of Victoria m 1856. In 1840 he married Elizabeth Helen, daughter of J. T. Timihs, of Hilfield, m Herefordshire, the mother of the middy saved. Lady Barkley died m Melbourne m 1857, and In July, 1860, Sir Henry Barkley married a daughter of General Pratt on the eve of the departure of the latter to take COMMAND OF THE TROOPS m the Maori war, which broke out m that year. A sou of Sir Henry's was :

the last Governor of Heligoland prior to , that "flyspeck" being conceded to Ger many. I * • * • ! On the Sunday succeeding the wreck the catastrophe was mentioned m all the pulpits, and measures were taken -to afford relief to the sufferers. : A PUBLIC MEETING | was held m Auckland, the Superintendent of the Province m the chair, to devise means of relief, the Colonial Treasurer, 1 Francis Dillon Bill, being amongst the speakers. The enthusiasm was great, and a sum of no less" than X6OO was raisedin a few hours. . Amongst those who were saved were , Lieutenants Hill and Younge, Paymaster I Amphlett, Midshipmen Barkley, Hunt and Treeling, Mason the boatswain, John Beer, the carpenter, 53 seamen, 7. boys, and two marines, a total c f 70. .', The losses were : — Commodore W. F. Burnett, C.8., Commander R. H. Burton, »tV. T. W. Mudge, First Lieutenant Ar-i thur Jekyll, Lieutenant W. D. Strong Martin, Rev. Hazelwood, Chaplain, the engineers, surgeons, and other officers with men and boys making a total of 185. HiM.S. Miranda brought the survivors to Sydney.