STEAMER FOUNDERS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10416, 31 March 1910, Page 2

STEAMER FOUNDERS.

SWAMPED BY THE ROLLERS

| (Per Press Association.) I Nelson, March 2S. Tho steamer Koi, owned by Lhe i Anchor Shipping Company, 53 tons , riett, capsized half a mile westward of Nelson entrance a few minutes after three this afternoon, and now lies on I her side submerged to the rail, which is just awash at low water. The botI torn is sand, and there, can be no j damage to the hull. ' The circumstances of the capsize are very extraordinary The steamer was coming from Motiieka with a cargo of I hops and produce and a deck load of | 287 sheep and lambs, which is within 1 the regulation number. There were .no passengers. A heavy south-east wind was blowing, but this makes little sea in the bay on account of the formation' of the hills. A heavy swell, how--1 ever, was coming down from the north- ! east, the effect of a big sea in tho Straits. For intervals of a quarter of an hour at a time the sea was quite calm off the entrance. Then a few rollers of extraordinary height would come down and break on the bar to tho westward' of the entrance. The Koi was struck by one of these rollers, and put on her beam ends, and before she could recover a second came aboard and flooded the engine'room. A third came over her, and sent her down by the stern. She lies out pi'tho'-fairway in about 12ft of water.

The crew of six clung to the side of the vessel, and some were washed off. Franklyn, the steward, who could not swim, was brought back'by...the: two mates (Dave Stewart and Hugh Fowler). The engineer (J. Weir) and seaman Hendry were washed away from tho vessel. Weir kept ..alongside Hendry, who is an indifferent .swimmer. A. J. Glassan was cruising inside the harbor in an oil launch, and was first to the rescue. Ho picked up Weir and Hendry two hundred yards from the steamer. The pilot crew in a whaleboat took Captain Scully and the rest of tho crew from the side of the vessel just as she was disappearing. . The whole thing took about a quarter of an hour.

There was eat excitement ashore, many being witnesses of the whole occurrence; The company have an insurance fund of their own on the vessel, and she is not "insured in .any office. The consignees of tijc sheep were not insured, and stood to lose £l5O, but during the evening the consignor (MiThomas Pnttie, of Riwaka) generously telegraphed that he would share the loss. Good hopes are entertained of floating the vessel. The pilot crew made a line fast at low water, and this was connected with a winch on the boulder bank, and an attempt to draw her in to the boulder bank will probably be made in the morning.

Tom Lawson, tho sculler, s :a member of-the pilot crew, was nearly drowned while making fast a hawser. It is understood it took him to the-bottom.

Great sympathy is felt foi" Captain Scully, who is a great favorite with the public.

The phenomenal character of the rollers coming from an apparently calm sea is the subject of general remark. A large crowd was attracted, from town.

Pilot Collins says he has seen the same thing twice during heavy south-east gales. '