WRECK OF THE STEAMSHIP OTAGO.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 198, 8 December 1876, Page 2

WRECK OF THE STEAMSHIP OTAGO.

FURTHER PARTICULARS,

The G-uardian of yesterday says : "Thes.s. Express arrived at Port Chalmers at 7.45 a.m. yesterday, having on

board about 150 persons, tue passengers and part of the crew of the ill-fated steamer Otago, and after remaining a few. minutes at the Port, she steamed up the harbor to Dunedin, and landed her numerous passengers at the Rattray-street Wharf. Oap'ain Christian, of the Express, reports leaving the Bluff at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, having used the utmost expedition to get away as sjon as possible after the receipt of a telegram from Messrs. Houghton and Co., instructing him to proceed to the scene of the wreck, calling en route at Waikawa to pick up a boat's crew tiiere, and on his arrival at wreck to place himself under the instructions of Captain Calder. The Express reached Waikawa at 4 p.m., and finding the boat had left, proceeded on, and overhauled her atSp.m. Took her in tow, and reached the Otago at 5.30 p.m. Immediately on the arrival of the Express, the Otago'e passengers, who were all on shore, were mustered on the beach, and embarked without delay, together with the chief engineer, Mr. Robertson ; the second and third engineers, Messrs. Crail and Crow; Mrs. Funnel, the stewardess ; the whole of the ship's servants (with the exception of the chief steward), and the firemen—Captain Calder, with his officers and seamen, remaining by the ship. All the luggage which could be saved, and the mads, having been put "on board the. Express, she left the wreck at 9 p.m., and reached Port Chalmers with the large number of passengers, as above. Captain Thomson, harbor-master at the Bluff, accompanied the Express round, and we are indebted to that gentleman for much information relative to the loss of the Utago. It appears that Caotain Calder kept the deck till 1.45 a.m. on Monday, when, the weather clearing, he went below-, leaving the second officer in charge of the deck, with "instructions to call him. if there should be any appearance of the weather thickening. All went well till about 2.30 a.m., when the captain heard the second officer call out, • Hai'd a stai board,' and ran aft to the wheel. Captain Calder at once ran on deck, and looking up, saw the rocks towering above hLs head, and immediately felt the vessel strike. He at once ordered her engines full-speed astern, with the hope of extri-

eating her from her perilous position, but I despite every effort to the contrary her bows remained immoveably fixed on the ledge of rock which she struck.; and after about an hour, during which time the friction caused holes to form in her bottom, she filled rapidly, the water putting out the engine-room fires in a few minutes. The safety of his passengers and crew was the paramount care of Captain Calder, who at once took measures to land them on a sandy beach about half a mile distant. This operation was safely accom- ' plished as soon as the boats could be got over the side ; while, in order that no tune should be lost in gaining assistance, the chief officer was despatched with a boat's crew to Waikawa beach, in order to despatch a messenger with the n?ws to the nearest telegraph station. Mr. Melrose, one of the passengers, who is well acquainted with the Waikawa settlement, accompanied the chief officer, and on landing at Haldane's Beach they procured the services of a miner, named James Fergusson, who rode across the country to Edendale (a distance of fifty-three miles), whence che intelligence was wired to Invercargill and Dunedin. When we take into consideration that the boat only reached the Haldane Beach at three p.m. on Monday, and that horses had to be procured for Mr. Fergusson's journey overland through a thickly-wooded country and across three rivers, we must admit that every promptitude was displayed by the Waikawa settlers in rendering assistance. Meanwhile, those on board the steamer wer~ equally |:>rompt in their efforts to save the mails and luggage by means of the boats, and from twenty to forty packages were landed through the surf at every trip made by them. An ample supply of provisions, with a quantity of bedding, was also landed, and tents erected from the ship's sails, while a party organised themselves and started in search of fresh water, which they found about two miles distant from the camping-place. One large tent was set apart for the use of females and children, and another for the males of the party, while several small ones were utilised as store-rooms and for other purposes. Too much praise cant.ot be given to Captain Calder, who maintained a steady composure during the trying scene, and for his efforts to render his unfortunate passengers as comfortable as possible. In this he was assisted by the whole of his officers. We regret, however, that the seamen left behind with the ship did not show the same manly disregard to their personal comforts which their gallant commander evinced, and actually forced themselves into the tent allotted to the ladies, where they coolly sat down and commenced smoking their pipes, refusing to leave the tent although repeatedly requested to do so ; so much so that it became necessaiy to call Captain Calder to the spot, who, finding persuasion and remonstrances .unavailing, was at last compelled to resort to force before ridding the ladies of their unwelcome visitants. Among the gentlemen passengers who were most prominent in their endeavors to render assistance were Messrs. Melrose, Holder, Huggins, and others. Mr. Melrose, who acted as pilot to the chief officer's boat, has, we are sorry to hear, severely injured his foot during the tramp through the bush. Mr. Holder, who represent Messrs. J. Harris and Co., boot importers, of Melbourne, was untiring in his efforts to render assistance, making one of a boat's crew to and from the ship, and, in company with Mr. Brook and others, forming an expedition on Tuesday to get on board the ship from the rocks, with a view to save luggage from her. Mr. Huggins, a well-known resident of Timaru, is highly spoken of for the unwearied courtesy and attention displayed by him in ministering to the wants of the ladies during their sojourn on the rocks. From a sketch taken by Captain Thomson, Harbor Ma-star of the Bluff, it appears the Otago's bows are firmly jammed on a ledge of rocks, while her stern is in fourfathom water at low tide. She has a heavy list to port, and should bad weather set in there will be but little ehance of saving much pi her cargo, amongst which we hear is 3,000 ounces of gold. How she managed to gain her present posi- ■ tion is a matter of great wonder. On each side of her is deep water, but had she struck any other part of Chasland's Point, she must have gone down in deep water. Iroinedjately ahead of her is a perfect natural dock. Her bowsprit touches the rocks, which are deeply wooded, and several of the passengers effected a landing from the bows to the shore. We are sorry to hear that most of the passengers will be heavy losers, the greater part of their luggage being stowed in the hold, to which access could not be gained- One lady assured our representative that she estimated her loss at fully £3,000. Mr. Holder has lost the whole of his sample-cases, and Mr. Brook complains of a" heavy loss, while several of the steerage passengers are left without a change of garments. One poor woman, with three little children, the eldest apparently not more than four years old, has lost everything she possessed, and sat on the deck of the Express yesterday morning in a stupor of grief ; while some others, with their little ones, were covered with pieces of blankets, having lost their garments before landing from the Otago. Mrj. Funnel, the stewardess, a person greatly respected for her obliging disposi-r tion, has also lost everything but the clothing she wears, and several others are in the same position. It is very satisfactory to hear that no accidents have occurred through the wreck, with the excep? tion of the boat in charge of the second officer tivics capsizing in the surf on Tuesday, one of the passengers in which was much exhausted, but having been carefully treated by those on shore, he soon recovered. We learn from one of the steerage passengers/ named John Russell,,

that lie entertains fears for the .safety of a fellow passenger, of whose name, however, he is ignorant. He states the missing man came on board at Lyttelton, and that he saw him after the Otago left Port „ Chalmers, but since that has missed him. Captain Calder, however, assured Captain Christian that none were missing. We must not omit to mention that the passengers speak _in grateful terms of the conduct of Captain Calder, while they were equally grateful to Captain Christian, of the Express, who did all in his power to make them comfortable during the passage from the wreuk to Dunedin, the whole of the cabin being devoted to the use of the females, and the hatches taken off the hold, which afforded a sufficient shelter for the men during the run up the coast. We hear that Captains Thomson and Christian forwarded their report of a survey held by them on the Otago to the vessel's agents, Messrs. Dalgety, Nichols, Co., yesterday, in which they state she lying with her bows into 3. gulch in the rocks very near (Jhasland's Mistake Point, her forefoot smashed to 10ft. upwards, and her bows out of water at low tide, her stern being in 22ft. of water, and lying over with a list of three streaks to port. The hull and engines appear to be moving independently of each other, which led the surveyors to conclude that the whole of her bottom must be knocked out. They therefore recommend that the ship and cargo be at once sold for the benefit of all concerned. We hear the gold is the property of the National Bank, and was shipped at Greymouth, being fully insured at the rate of £4 an ounce, but the vessel is said only to have £IO,OOO of insurance secured on her in Melbourne. The following graphic account we clip from the Dunedin Star, which forwarded a " Special " to the scene of the wreck : " Leaving the Bluff about 1 p.m. on Tuesday, with the tide and a fair wind, the steamer made Waikawa about four o'clock, only to find, from the local pilot (Campbell) tVat the boat's crew had started some time previously. Outside again—overtaking in about three quarters of an hour the ' toilers of the sea' just mentioned. They were evidently not sorry to accept the proffered 'tow' and some slight refreshment. Another half-hour or so, and the wreck is sighted—in certainly one of the most apparently unlikely pluces in the world the steamer's bowsprit being hidden in the foliage of the trees on a steep hill—it can scarcely be called a cliffrising some 150 ft. or so from the sea-level. But the wonder ceases when the peculiar outline of the coast, which obtained for place the name of Chasland's Mistake, is considered. It may be best described as forming a sort of corner, around which coasting vessels turn when going to the westward. But instead of only one headland, there are two, divided by a little bay—the entx-ance of a shallow river—with a rock rising some 80ft. or 40ft., about the centra, in a line between,the two headlands, which are not moEg i TJV. niile asunder. It follows, ofany sliip mistaking the first promontory for the second, and attempting to 'turn the corner,' would, at all events, in thick weather, run into the second—not Chasland's Mistake, but—well, so far as we are aware, the headland is unnamed. "We do not go near enough to see more just now, the first business being to take otf the passengers, whose camp on a sandy beach, about a quarter of a mile from the wreck, is plainly visible. In fact, we are shortly boarded by Captain Calder, orders are given by Captain Christian to pass a tracking line ashore, and the work of embarcation goes on steadily and quietly, although a rather nasty surf renders it dangerous. Once, in fact, one of the Otago's boats—those of the Express are not required—is capsized returning to the shore, but her orew of three cleverly climb her sides and sit astride the keel until rescued by another boat. The male passengers appear to have rather enjoyed their experience—wet, through, barefooted and hungry, they are still ' jolly as sandboys.' The. ladies seem less cheerful—some are thoroughly exhausted and faint. The worst off are the little children—one tiny one—its father a widower—giving forth the most plaintive cries for impossible food, milk not being among the ship's stores. All having been taken on board, Captain Christian, "Captain Calder, Captain Thomson (Harbor-master, Bluff) Mr. Tucker, and ' Ours' step into one of the boats and proceed to take—it is getting dark—a farewell look at the wreck. We get alongside with no more difficulty than that occasioned by the ground swell v«'hich comes in heavily at times, although the sea looks calm, and climb on board. There is everything standing, the vessel lying over- on her port side, just so much as to render walking a matter of difficulty. Forward she is high and dry, amidships resting on a bed of ugly rocks, while aft there is something over four fathoms water. As we stand on the quarter-deck a treinulaua motion tells U3 that the two ends of the ship.may part company at any moment, although the water is not yet up to the ceiling of the after saloon. It is nearly low tide now, however, but what it will look like next flood is quite another matter. Looking down the hatchway forward and into the engine-room we see daylight peeping up from below, and realise that before the Otago reached her last resting-place she passed over jagged rocks that tore off the stout iron plates as if they had been cardboard. Nothing more can be done in the meantime, and so we return to the steamer, whence Captain Calder, mindful of the interests of "rll concerned" and the fact that some 3,0000zu of £old are somewhere below, proceeds in one of his or #boa& to the shore, cheer upon cheer him from the passengers, who 1; "jflt good to say of him, wd is,' o amJs& ciently express their sew" JlthS -> j£~ courage displayed by - 1 '" ..,- '■'■■■gitj time they have pon- „ ■—— -Wk y Jvesiko axd Weekly Ma -jK ..«. at their Eesristered Printing (g!.*?2H

| The canae of the wreck has been already rfitiggested, and but little can be said on lli« subject. The night was tine with occasional clouds. Towards daylight a kiivy fog drifted down along the coast. flie oilier-r in charge at the timtr—the jcuoml mate —presumably supposed the jliip was clear of both headlands, or—-and litis ia an important fact —the nxttpasses were at fan!*., and the land was rttn into. Five hundred yards more to the southward and all would have been well. •[lie first intimation the passengers revived was when about iJ.3O a.m. the ship struck heavily and went '/rating over the rocks until brought up by the cliff. Then lliuu wiwa rush on deck— in varied cos-ine*-but only a momentary panic:, for ('itpfcain Calder, ably seconded by Mr. Donaldson, chief officer, maintained dia[inline and saw to the launching of the boats —an operation rendered ditticnlt by Hid fact that the cliff on one side was so close as to render it necessary to cany the Iw/its across. As a matter of fact all lunula could have landed safely from the bows of the steamer, bub the steeples of che clitf and consequent diftierdty [>f moving about would have rendered Ilioic stay even for a few hours* almost unendurable, ft was thought best to cross lliu little bay and land theui orv the aandy bunch at tho other side. This done, provisions and a few spare sail's for shelter wure obtained from the wreck, and the iiitsscngers made as comfortable as positive. Meantime a party, consisting of tho chief mate (Donaldson),. Messrs. Saun(lui'jt and Mtdross, the latter of whom fortunately possessed some knowledge of the const, started with a crew of six for WatU«'a. There they met with Mr. Campmil, the pilot, under whose kindly guid--1111:0 tltey made their way to ftaldane's Hunch, a distanc.! of some ten miles,, to a ;uidminers' camp, where a man was muul willing (i.avtng two fresh horses) to iiidortaku tue journey to luhndale (tittyiii'eo miles) wish the brief telegram reiui'i'e'd to above. The party, on their return, spoko in the warmest terms of the liimlly service rendered by Messrs. CampiuH and frfaldaae, Wiio, to use their own minis, 'could not do enough for them.' " Tho lirsfc thing done by ou„> of the (Hugo's passengers (a Canterbury M. 11. R.) rtuti he found himself safely on b<wiril |b s.s. fcxpixsa, and outside a 'slight. limsatum' was to- make an attempt at a jultu. Apostrophising himself lie exihviiued, ' t oug.t to have known better. jVliafc business had I to take pas.^a;e by im Otago. Tho Province atoUsheil how wild the namesake steamer be expected u survive I'

Before closing tiliis nvcussarity imp-rt'tct IWtiunS of tut; wvock it may ue us well to tembe more minutely t.-.e position in wluulx the Utugo no.* lu-s. Taoso wi-.o IliU'O t't'lld the account of til" wreck of 6:it' (lunrval Grant—and who tuv nut ' will toiuember that the sliip drifted into a :avo, or recuse, on the bk-ak and intw* ' .' 'ti sfiorus <>f the Auckland Islands, living fci.afi the eoasc lino is less el vated Mid rugged—f'iit' hilts vising- only r>i.)(> or If 4,00 fut:f. v as compared wif.ii. f,iif l,:.()v> or 2,1)00 a,b the Auukawids—She Otago uutuilly vim in hi > just auoa an indentation. A iiiiull cruek miming between steep bunks loboiic.'nss just nil her starboard bow. If iliu bad run ta two ni-.u'u points to the lurfchward she would have been lixed in a lut.unil dock beyond t!n-> r*.-ach of the finding swell thai; is now slowly- but iiruly funding her ii'ou trame. It may m added than if daw expedition bo used, uul weather permitting, there id no reason Miy overytihing valuable either in ship- or prgo shuuld not be saved.