FOUR WRECKS AT TIMARU.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 747, 2 September 1878, Page 2

FOUR WRECKS AT TIMARU.

Three Lives Lost, (from the timartt herald.) Had anybody after visiting the beach at 8 o'clock yesterday morning predicted that before the clay was spent four of the vessels then ]ying"at the anchorage would be wrecks ashore, lie would simply have been laughed at. The weather was beautifully calm and quiet, and up to about 9 o'clock the ssa was very little agitated. Shortly after the latter hour, however, a few ht>avy south-easterly swells came rolling in, and proved to be the forerunners of the heaviest seas that have ever been known in the Timaru roadstead. One after the other the mountainous billows came on, breaking further and further out. Captain Mills, the Harbor Master, directly he saw what was coming, signalled to the vessels to hold on all they could, and the five of them then lying at anchor, viz., the barque Melrose, the brigantine Lapwing, and the ketches Glimpse, Fanny, and Palmerston, immediately took the hint, and dropped second anchors. By U. 30 o'clock, the sight from the cliffs, where a few people had assembled, was terribly grand. Sea after sea broke over the doomed vessels, the hulls of which at times were completely hid. The change which had taken place in the course of about two hours was hardly to be realised. The worst, however, was yet to come. THE BARQUE MEIROSH. About 11.30 a.m. the barque Melrose signalled, "Anchors carried away," and Captain Mills answered, "Do the best you can. Cannot send assistance." Immediately afterwards the boom of the gnn at the signal station, calling the Rocket Brigade together, was heard, startling the people in church, and causing all others to rush to the beach. The greater portion of the Brigade were at the station in five minutes time from the firing of the gun, and got their apparatus in a cart ready to start away to save life if necessary. Directly the Melrose broke adrift it became evident that nothing could stop her fivm going ashore, there not being a brer Mi of wind to help her. She was lyina furthest out of all the vessels, and rapidly drifted towards "Woollcombe's Gully. Soon after breaking adrift she fouled the ketch Palmerston, breaking the latter's fore-topmast, and stunning her captain (Evans). The remaining two men on board the ketch tried to get on board the barque as she drifted away. One of them succeeded in doing so, but the other poor fellow, although he was set:- battling with the waves for some minutes was unable to reach her, and finally sank from sight. In the meantime the Rocket Brigade, accompanied by some scores of people, hastened to Woollcombe's Gully, and reached the beach there while the barque was still some distance out. She struck broadside on about 50 yards from the shore, and the seas immediately hid her from shoie, there being nothing but a boiling cauldron around her. The rocket lines were fired over her, but they all fouled or were useless to the crew, who did not know what to do with them. Hardly had the ill-fated vessel's

keeltouched the ground than she began to break up, and in lesa than 15 minutea nothing but her -keel and a few ribs were to be seen. The crew had all to take to the water, trusting to planks or anything else they could get hold of. At this moment it seemed as if hardly one of them could be saved. Here and there a head would appear for a moment amongst a mass of wreckage, only to disappear again for a time. And now came the time for those on shore to show the stuff they were made of, and one after another dashed into the fearful surf and seized a struggling form, the rescuers often being carried off their legs, and washed up and down. The man who performed the most daring feats was Geordy Davis, a boa* man, who risked his life time after tim Amongst the others, Judge Ward r prominent in battling with the surf, ; he also caused refreshments to be bror down to the beach from his private he but none seemed to think- of pert danger at the time. One after ano amidst cheers from the spectators_ wrecked crew—all nearly drowned, some much injured from the floe timber and wreckage—were hauled up beach, the last, being brave old Cap Kenny hiihself, who, despite his years and grey hairs, fought hard dear life. On counting the crew o 1 it wa3 found that one poor fellowmissing, and though a long search \ made for his body, it was not fou>Captain Kenny, who has a wifr family at Warrnambool, was vc bruised and knocked about, ana gether with the rest of his crew, w. once taken up to she Hospital, win. they received every attention at the hands of Dr. Macintyre, Mr. and Mrs. Fairburn, and the rest of the staff, and were all doinss well by latest accounts. One of the crew, named Christian, had three ribs broken. We may mention that Dr. Macintyre was on the beach when they were landed, and attended to them there, directing the spectators how to restore animation, &c, in those who were half dead. The Melrose was owned by Captain Kenny and a Sydney firm. THE KETCH FANNY. About the time the captain of the Melros.' was hauled ashore—l p m. —the ketch Fanny was seen to part from her anchors. All sail was at once set on her, and the breeze having freshened at this time, she was steered for the neighborhood of the Government Landing Service. Soon after breaking adrift she fouled the ketch Glimpse, all the crew of which took to her, leaving their own vessel to hang out as best she could. By this time the cliffs were lined with some thousands of excited spectators, who anxiously watched the Fanny as she neared the shore. The majority of the Rocket Brigade, with all their apparatus, were still round at the scene of the Melrose's wreok, and were unable to render any assistance to the second vessel. A few of the Brigade, however, together with a number of other persons, rushed on to the beach where the brig Craig Ellachie struck some eight months ago, and at which spot it became evident the Fanny would strike. She was headed bow on, and grounded within a few yards of the beach. Ropes were at once cast on board; and all her crew and those from the Glimpse brought ashore in safety. At first it was thought she would not suffer any injury, but as the tide made she drifted on the rocks further north, nnd later on became a total wreck. The Fanny was owned by Messrs. Guthrie and Larnach's Woodware Factory Company, and was, we believe, insured. . THE BRIGANTINE LAPWING. For nearly an hour after the Fanny was wrecked, the remaining three vessels rode out the fearful sea, and it was hoped that as the tide was now beginning to make, they would be able to hang on till the wind came in sufficiently fresh to take them out to sea. The whole of the Rocket Brigade on duty had now reassembled at the lighthouse, and with those others who had labored so hard, were enabled to obtain some dinner. No one, however, thought of going home. About 2.30 p.m. one of the anchors of the brisrantine Lapwing was seen to part, and sail was got on her. The other anchor was also soon after seen to go, and, as afterwards turned out, had been cut, the hawaehole having been torn out. For a second or two it was hoped the clipper brigantine would manage to get out, but such was not the case, and it became evident she also was doomed. She was steered for the railway viaduct, at the mouth of Whale's Creek, in Caroline Bay, and thither everybody rushed. The services of the rocket lines were not required on this occasion, a3 the vessel struck lightly, bows on, within half a stone's throw of the shore. Lines were heaved aboard of her, and all her c-ew landed without difficulty. At this time the cliffs and beach were black with iJctople, from whom cheers for the third time went up as the last sailor stood on dry land. As the tide made, the rollers threw the brigantine further up on the beach, and she was at length left, apparently almost uninjured, within ten yards of the viaduct. She was made fast by strong hawsers to anchors on shore. Her crew were, together with those of the Fanny and Glimpse, taken up to town and provided with food and lodging ; and it is hoped the vessel herself and her cargo will be saved, At the time of her wreck, the Lapwing had on board about LI2OO worth of grain, flour, &c., shipped by Messrs. John King, W. Evans, aud Gedye and Whyte, for Auckland, for which port she was loading. THE KETCH GLIMPSE. While people had been busy with the Lapwing, the deserted ketch Glimpse had been gradually dragging into Caroline Bay, and about 5 p.m. she struck some three or four hundred yards North of the brigantine. The enormous rollers, which were now breaking up over the cliffs, soon carried the ketch high and dry on the bank of shingle at the mouth of the gully where she came ashore, but it was evident she was so fearfully knocked about she would never float again. THE KETCH PALMERSTON. Four out of the five vessels which had been lying so snugly at anchor in the morning were now ashore, and the only one still out in the roadstead was the ketch Palmerston. As already mentioned, one of her crew had been saved from the Melrose, a second was drowned, while the Captain was supposed to be stunned on board. At this time people thought they could see him walking about on her deck ; but there is little hope of such being the case, considering the heavy seas that were continually breaking over her. She was still holding on at dusk,

but it is very probable she will._be.num-. bered- with the" past *by'this morning.' She only arrived in port from Dunedin on Saturday afternoon, and had a general cargo on board for Messrs. Guthrie and Larnach. She ia, or was, a ketch of 25 tons, and commanded by Captain Evans.