HURRICANE AT THE TONGAN GROUP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10599, 20 February 1896, Page 7

HURRICANE AT THE TONGAN GROUP.

NUMEROUS SHIPPING .DISASTERS,

THB AVOOSUJfG AND WEST AUSTRA-

LIAN BLOWN ASHORE.

(Sydney Telegraph.)

Our ToDgan correspondent writes : —" The Friendly Islands have not escaped the hurricane this season. Ou January 3 a very heavy blow passed over the Hapai portion of the group, cauoing widespread destruction on iand and sea. Oa the same day a gale of wind occurred at Nukualofa, but no damage of importance was caused, the fall force of the hurricane passing away to the northward.

"In Hapai hundreds of houses have been levelled with thegronnd, which is, however, nothing much by which to judge of the force of a wind, for a native hut is not a very substantial erection; but the coeonnut trees have been what they call 'stripped'—-that is, denuded of their foliage. Herein lies the principal damage a hurricane does to a copraproducing island.for it takes from two to'three years for the'trees to recover their fall bearing .power.

" The damage to shipping was serious, two barques which were in the port of Lifuka at the time loading copra' having been'driven a*liore in such positions as to cause their abandonment. The two barques were the Norwegian AVest Australian and the German Woosung. The formor was half loaded, but the AVoosung had only about 20 tons on board. Both the wrecks have since been sold by auction, the AVooauug bringing £100, and the West Australian £20. It is not known here yet to what extent, if any, the copra en the latter has besh 'damaged;"- '" ■' a ''_' 7*". ":

The Union Steam Ship Company's steamer Ovalau brings full particulars of the disastrous hurricane in th& Tongan group. The storm,' which was of exceptional severity, burst over the centre of the island group oh the night of Js.nuary 3, and caused serious damage both afloat and aihore." Of the vessels in the harbour, not one weathered the storm, and on the following morning the reefs which encircle the harbour wero strewn with wreck... The islaud was completely devastated. Many of the houses were levelled with the ground, trees were uprooted, and those that s'.oad through the gale were completely denuded of their foliage. Happily, however, not a single life was lost, although the greatest sufferings and privations were experienced by the residents of the island. '

"The island," "said a passenger by the steamer, " presented all the appearance of having been bombarded. Everything had a burntup appearance, aDd the white residents fear that it will take two or three years for the cccoanut trees to recover their full bearing power. The lots to traders is considerable."

The storm commenced early in tho eveniug of the 3rd ult., and the work of destruction continued until midnight. Then the hurricane subsided. The shipping disasters included the loss of the barque Woosung, flying the German tricolour, and the Norwegian b&rque West Australian. These vessels were moored in the harbour taking in shipments of copra for Europe, aud were driven by the fury of the storm ashore. The crews, fortunatsly, .were naved, though they had a thrilling experience on their vessels af tsr they struck. The Ovalau, ou a visit to Hapai, embarked the crows of the vessels mentioned, and then cameon to Sydney, arriving yesterday. On the steamer reaching the wharf Captain Munro, of the Sailors' Home, proceeded oa board and arranged forthe accommodation of the shipwrecked people ponding arrangements for their return home. how the. woosung., was wrecked. Captain. Schsde, .the master of the .Woosuog, told a Daily Telegraph reporter that the hurricane was the worst he had ever experienced' during his lengthy career at sea. The Woosung. he said, went from Santos to the islands to load copra, arriving at Hapai after a passage of 111 days. She immediately commenced loading, and at the. time the storm .burst she had 24 tous of copra on board. When the hurricane swept over the harbour tbe vessel was Jyiug with two anchors down with 75 and 55- fathoms of cable out respectively. It was- then 8 o'clock in the evening, aud the wind was from the north-east. She began to drag, and at 9.15 p.m. she fouled the barque AVest Australian, whioh was anchored a short distance astern. In the collision the Woosung lost some of,her top hamper. The Woosung swung clear in the next squall and a few minutes later struck the reef stern first, aDd was thrown by the sea broadside on to the reef. At this time to» hurricane was at its height, and there was ■■-. terrible sea running iii the harbour. Thf ,vaves made a clean breach of the vessel, ami fcii«s crewbad to lash themselves to tbo bulwarks to prevent their being washed off. Distress signals had been made, but it would have been impossible, even had a boat beeD available, to, effect the, rescue ot fehose on board in such wild weather. When the Woosung struck the mast went by the board, and she quickly settled down broadside on to the reef. She remained in this position until midnight, when the Iwind shifted to the southward, and she floated off, and it seemed likely that Bhe would be smashed up on tbo rocks on the other side of the harbour. Fortunately the rigging had become entangled with tho rocks, and held the vessel until assistance arrived. About dayliijht a. boat put off from the shore and took off the crew, and the vessel was soon after secured and moored safely in the harbour. She •hiss,, however, found to be beyond repair, and was condemned and sold at .auction for a nominal sum. The storm, the captain stated, was feverely felt all over the islands, and the damage was very considerable. The copra shed and ■ native honses were completely wrecked, the iron roofing of some of the buildings being torn and twisted in all directions.

To give some idea of the storm the captain mentioned that the spray was lifted by the wind clean ovor the island. The crew saved all their -effects from the vessel the following day. .

Captaiu Schade has brought with him a report signed by the white residents of the island, of which the following is a copy:'— "On the night of January 3 one of the severest hurricanes that has ever devastated this group blew with terrific violence from the north-east, veering round to south-west. AH the shipping in this harbour suffered more or less, boats being dashed on shore, and the barques AVest Australian and AVoosung became total wrecks on the inner reef. Nothing could withstand the violence of the storm. Houses were blown down and trees uprooted in every direction. No lives were lost, bnt while every precaution was taken, no ship could Btand the terrible violence of the wind that night."

The Woosung was qn iron barque, and hailed from Blankness, where she was owned by Mr J. J. Breckwoldt. She was built at Glasgow in 1863. and has a net register of 745 tons, her

dimemious being :—Length, 17« l sin ; beam, 31tt *in ; and depth of hold, 19ft 3in. She was insured in German offices. THE LOSS OF THE WEST AUSTHALIAN. When eeeu by a representative of the Daily Telegraph, the captain stated that no vessel pould have, weathered the storm. The wind when the hurricane burst was from the east, and afterwards veered to north-west, and .-finally blew-from the south-wesb. -The West 'Australian,'he said, ,was holding well to .both , anchors when the Woosuitg ".came 'down on her, aud, as a-result -of thp,, impact, all the headgear and rigging of the vessel were carried away. The, vessels remained together for some time, and the captain aud cook of the AVoosung jumped ok the ;West Australian. llt was at this time f,s dark. »3 pitch, and i the rain was coming down in torrents, and i the. crew had to hold on to the side of , I the vessel to prevent thamselvas from being | : carried .overboard .by ; tho . wind...When tho I i Wuosuug struck the AVest Australian, she im-.j ! mediate), began to drrg down towards the reef, j ■ Then the windlass was torn: out of the deck, | and an h_ur afterwards the vessel sipuck the | reef with her starboard, side, then swinging | round on to ber port side, and heeling over ou ! her beam endi. The ne*, which was increasing : all the timo, aoon swept the decks,- aud the crew had the greatest difficulty in preventing thcmsnlves from being carried overboard. \ Life belts were served out", and the captain gave the order, __• Ev«y man for himself." . Tho crew lashed themselves to ttte,rail, sad spent a very anxious night ou the wreck. .The vessel being on her beam ends made it difficult for them to stand, and they endured terrible sufferings until daybieak. ■ The fcidrf having by this time ebbed, the. vessel was almost nigh and dry, and two of the . crew volunteered tv awiuv- through the surf for assistance.. After a hard-struggle through the breakers they managed to effect a.landing, and wore fortunate -enough to- dincove? a boat which, had beer, driven ou the bench during ths storm. The boat was quickly launched, andcame oiih to the assistance of tha • distressed crews. The baat first wfiit to the AVaosung, which was flying distresi signals, aud which was believed ..to. be sinking.. . The crew of that vessel were.taken off, and the boat 'then proceeded to the AVest Aurtralian. Tiie ea,ptain of the Woosung, who .had jumped on board at the timo of the collisinu, theii-wuiiD off to his own vesael,. and . latrtr on, when (jjfie ssa had somewhat moderated, further, assirtasce was forthcoming from the shore, aud the effects of the shipwreckud people were landed. .. The . .AVest. Australian .was found upon, examination to be a completft wreck, and was sold for £20. The barque cirri.cd a crew of. IE all told, and'there w.ts also a passenger named Mr Banner. The AVest Australian wa? ao iron barque of British build. She was launched from the shipbuilding yard qf Messrs , Pile, Spenoa, and Co. iv 1859. She belonged to .Messrs Larssenand Kiaer, of Drammen. The AVesb Australian was a vessel of 559'feons, with a length of 160fb, and a beam of 28ft Sin. Ho,, depth .^as ,17ft. : This vessel was insured in Norway. .-■•_. ... ... ," A CiERMAK SCHOONKtt WMMKED.. . ' Another vessel lost .during the hurricane was. the Gorman schoouer Aele. This vessel, which;.had only left; Haabai the previous day, w»>i in tbe centre of the storm, aod WRS-driveu ou tv one of the neighbouring'island'-i. Iler crsw had a moet thrilling, experience, aud were Hshed to the'sides of the vessel for 12hours. They were landed by the Ovalau at Nukualofa. ,