THE COUNTY OF AYR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13421, 23 October 1905, Page 2

THE COUNTY OF AYR.

TOTALLY WRECKED ON DANGER KEEK

NO LIVES LOST.

The Australian-owned barque County of Ayr, which left Port Chalmers on Thursday for Lyttelton, ran on to Danger Itecf on Friday morning. There was 'not a particularly heavy sea running, but a dense, intermittent fog prevailed along the coast at the time.

The County of Ayr had aboard a cargo of lmrdwcod, loaded. at Southport, Tasmania. Built at Glasgow in 1E63, she had been owned in Australia for some time post Her master, Captain Tulloeh, owned a fourth share in the ship, and as she was not insured he must, lw a heavy loser. Her tonnage was Sl6 gross, and her cs,tgo was underwritten in Australia. THE RESCUE PARTY. Tho County or Ayr left. Port Chalmers for LylteUon on Thursday, cleaving the Heads about 2 p.m., and at 7 p.m.. on Friday Captain M'Ca.llum (the harbourmaster) hoard that flic had- gone ashore. Captain M'Callmn at once eomirsunieaied with the post.office at Shag Point. Tho news of the wreck was confirmed, but dcfinil.u statement on other matters was not procurable. It was rumoured that Captain Tulloeh's wife and daughter (who were travelling with him) had been got, ashore, and that tlio officers and erew had stood by the ship to remove the sails and do whatever else might bo possible by way of salvage. This was merely rumour, however, and wheal Captain jU'C.illum was making inquiries the fog had again shut down and hidden the wreck. In plain fact, no one seemed to know very precisely what was happening, and no definite information as to the condition of the ship and her crew was available. Caplain M'Callum had to come to a decision rapidly on vagne and unsatisfactory evidenre. If the crew had safely left tho .ship, or could safely leave the ship for tho shore at need, there would be nothing to justify the sending of a relief .steamer along that coast iu dirty weather. If, on tho other hand, the erew could not land, and were at lwst exposed to the peril of an open boat, then—especially in view of tlio fact that two women were aboard tho ship-to H»ncl along a rescue sfenmor was a matter of t.lip greatest urgency and moment. Add to that the fact that the channel through which news might yet come was about- to he interrupted The local telegraph office was lo close at 8 o'clock, and Captain M'Callum was informed that he could get no message through after that hour. That, was a grave matter. The heads of theTelegraph Department certainly never expect regulations to l>e adhered to rigidly when tho lives of human, creatures may depend on an oflice being kept open. Cuptain M Galium s position became proportionately more difficult, but his 'immediate duty was not to stand and admire the unflinching regularity of the Telegraph Department, but rather to.find means to rescue the crew of the County of Ayr. Roughly estimating probabilities, in the light of his own knowlodgo of the coast and the conditions, lie decided that the crew bad not been able to land, and oil that ho ordered away the Koputai. Thanks to various delays and the fog, the tug was was not- able to get away from Port Chaltill 1 o'clock on Saturday morning, and it was sonio time later before she had felt her way to' tho open. Off the Pilot Beach Captain M'Dougall was picked up. Then the fcg fell again, and there was a further period of waiting. About 3 o'clock a blue light was reported a- few hiiles lo the eastward. Willi that, indication tho Kopulni stood out. After 40 minutes' .steaming no sign of a lmat was discovered in that direction, and the tug headed away towards the wreck. About 5.50 the tug was hailed, and after a little a boat was picked up. In the boat were the whole of tho officers ami crew of the Counly of Ayr, with Mrs and Miss Tnlloch.. It was a smallish boat, and, with 35 people on board, with the long swell running, there were considerable risks of the boat being swamped. -The cn-staways had been in the boat for 20 hours, and were Wearied out. Mrs TullocJi, who had left the ship very thinly clad, suffered most from the exposure. Miss Tulloch, who is quite a .voung girl, was in somewhat better case. On the Koputai, having been cared for and doctored with tho universal pHJiacca of fagged womonkind (a cup of tea), they soon ieyivwl, and .showed no seriotis marks of their rough experience. The athletic young ladies who - get "awf'lly done up"

at a water picnio and " feel half-dead" after a dance are made of other stuff, and do not accompany male relatives who do business on the great waters. The Koputai camo sir-tight up to town, reaching Rattray street whnrf at about 8 o'clock on Saturday morning. Here Mr E. D. Grace (the secretary of the Shipwreck Relief Society) met. tlio party, and took charge. All lunds were at once provided with a hearty meal at the Leviathan Hotel, where Captain and Mrs Tulloch are at present staying. Miss Tulloch is a guest of Mr and Mrs D. M. Fea. CAPTAIN TULLOCII',S STORY. Captain Tullock made a very concise and direct statement to n representative i Ul ° Times yesterday: ''We cleaicd the Heads at 2 o'clock on Thursday, and things went right enough in a general way till something after 8 on Friday morning.. llic fog at that time was very thick, and we got carried right in towards the and near the Moeraki lighthouse. A heavy sen was running—that is, you'll understand, the sua got heavy directly wc got into that foul water. 1 went below about half-past 4, leaving the mate on deck, and when they called mo I could see the breakers and know that we were in a dangerous position. I did all that was possible to boar off and.head her out to scii again but it was 100 lute for that. About 0.30 she crushed heavily ou to the rocks. As every sea rolled in she bumped again, and as the masts threatened to go bv the board every time she strained, I decided that we'd better take to the boat at once. There was already 3ft of water in her hold, and we could do no good by standing by hor. Then, of course, every minute wo stayed added to the danger on board and tho difficulty of putting off in the Iwat. Wo had a hard job as it was, with the heavy sens breaking all round her, and it was a narow squeak before wc got clear. With that sea running inshore thcro was no hope of landing on the beach. Wo stood oil" and on during the morning, in the hope that we might get an easier sea and a chance of lumiing; but we couldn't do it. Wo got in pretty close among the kelp, but the fog was thick, and wo were not. able to find any place that seemed safe enough. I decided to stand out aftuin and keep the boat's head to the sea. About 6 o'clock a slcumcr (the Talune) passed us about half a mile or so In seaward, and we tried to attract her attention, but our signals were not seen. It fell dark, and wc had to make the best of it. lu.that small boat with the swell that was running it was not an easy job, as you'll understand. We had to keep our eyes skinned all tlio time, because & very little mistake might have resulted in our being swamped. The men had been going hard for a long spell, but they stuck to the oars splendidly, turn and turn about, four at. a time, all ihrough the night. .About 2 o'clock we sighted the liirht at the Heads through lhe fog and made towards if. It was a long niirlit. Al half-past 5 we saw the tug, and hailed her. A few minutes later we wore taken aboard Captain M'Callum did everything he could for us, and for the kindness we received on lhe tug and afterwards—especially the kindness lo Mrs Tulloch and our daughtcr--I am deeply grateful." INTELTJfiENCE AND T'RO.MPTITIJOK Captain M'Callum, indeed, merits special credit in this matter. Had not his skill

abd experience been at hand, had he not grasped tho situation Mid a6tcd. on it promptly at a time whdn the reports were contradictory and ■ vaglle, .the Koputai might probably not have gOno oltt in time to save tho shipwreoked folk. Had tho Koputai riot gone out {ill hext day there is more than a probability that the whole party would have been drowned. Exports at tho Port, are unanimously of opinion that a small boat so heavily laden, manned by a fatiffued crew, could never have pot through tho Head* without disaster. Still, tho action was taken, and it is needless at this stage to spend time in lugubrious conjecture of what might have been. Captain Tultoch merits sympathy. 116 Was [iophltf iuitsitg Ills fttciuaUitattces— A working shipmaster Vrith his savings invested in the vessel -lie commanded; As the County of Aviv was not covered by insurance. Captain Tiilloch's loss is severe, and tho blow cannot fail to bo heavy to a man.no lonsror in his youth. " • ! Captain M'Calhim, seen at-Port Chalmers yesterday, deprecated tho idea that any praise is duo to him. " I sized up tho position id the best of my ability," ho said, "and did what I thought was tho right thing. That's What I'm here for. I'm glad tbimrs turned out as well as they did. The fog . that delayed us so much necessarily itiade lis doubly anxious. I did not think the crew could Have got ashore, and I knew that a boat at sea in such thick weather must t>e In a dalicerons position. We .had some little diflicuHv at tho start, taking tho ladies on board in tho hpavy swell out of a small and crowded boat, but they woro got aboard, and they revived wonderfully soon. By the way, a I wrong impression was put about in town on Saturday. The barque did not go ashore on the Fish Reef, so far as my information goes, hut en the Danger Beef, which is about five litiH sohth of the Fish Reef arid the Mocnki lighthouse. She struck about a mile from the shore." TIIR SI-T-IP W HECIC RELIEF SOCIETY.

Special mention is due to that admirable ami humane association, the Shipwreck Relief Society, and its energetic secretary (Mr I'!. I). Grace). News of the wreck reached Mr lirncr. who had been up lato fct niffht on ofcl'er business, very early on Saturday morning. He got up at once, sleane'd ali tho information available, made his preliminary arrangements, and was at the wharf to meet the Koputai at 8 o'clock. After that there was neither delay 'nor bungling. At tho Leviathan Hotel Mr Connor exerted himself, and the castaways got. a liearty and Ifonielv welcome and (what they needed most) an abundant meal. At 11 o'clock the committee of the Shipwreck Relief Sceiety met. There were present—Mr C. W. Chamberlain (chaircall), Cantairis Strang and Beaumont, Messrs T.'W. Whits™,' W. Belcher. F. 0. Bridgeman, and W. A. Moore, and tho secretary. It was decided to give tho crew a week's board and lodging, with orders to procure necessary clothing. Two uien, shipped locallv, were eiven special grants of money. These sailors lost, everything except tho clothes tlv.y stood in, and if humane persons (of the great number ef humane persons who do not direetlv support the society) should caro to help ihc men with other eifts it is improbable that tho societv would object. Only the men who luve linen before the mast in.a sailing vessel trading in deep water can know how hard the. life is even under the : best conditions, and how ereatlv Saltwater .Tack merits the sympathy of his brother-men ashore. Ashore there is not such a necessity for winter garments ss there was a month or two ago. Before next winter the fashions may have changed. Saltwater Jack is very indifferent of fashion. These are purely Gratuitous Micee-tions. thrown out for whatever they mav bo worth. Only, when men are shipwrecked at the gates of our port, Dnn"din would probably prefer that they should go back to their hard life decently oquiDped.

Into the canso o! the wreck anil the possible lilanw of it this is neither trio time nor Iho lihw to inquire. An nffie'al inoitirv will l' 7l hold sltortlv. Obtain Tn'.looli, as already montioiird, was Mow \vlii>n tho danser hoeamo imminent, and had Iven below tor some time. When he took chareo tho flanjrer was apparently liayont? remedy. Ho went to iho wheel himself so tlinh all hands roiffht he free to work the ship. Tito wontlior does not wm to have lieon r-artieidarlv had from a seaman's point of view, hut the fotr wns dome at times—apparently too dense lo "ormit of snfo roast.il navigation, as the Kopntai eonlt! not steam thronrh it. The seenn of the wreck is. nupnrcnUv. two or three miles southeast of tile snot where tho Tblinn U-n'One Antioeee Aeeame was vrer-l-rH in Octotvr. jSHI, There is a lot nf fowl CTtmwl .'iloncr that, seetinn of 'he emit, and it is dan'erons water for sailing emfh in foirgv wea.ther.

WHAT WAS SKF.N: puom the shore. Resident l ! at Shag Point f.tnte tlwt the !wq»o was first seen between 7 and 8 o'clock nil Friday morning within 200 or 309 yards of the point where |]h» s.s. Sling formerly loaded roil. Several of those who observed the vessel immediately railed out warning those on hoard of their 'danger. Previous to the fir?t view of tlic liarnue from the shore a henv\ mist. enshrouded tho ?ea, but from 8 a.m. Hie mist lifted, and Hie captain pot the ship about, uml stood out. !ownrd<s tin l roof, which is alio'rf; o mile nud a'-httlf distant from the point. After proceeding some distance the "hanged her course. and stood in for the shore again, but jot. about for the second time, and stood towards the reef, eventually stranding herself on tho centre of it (it a point where it is about a quarter of a. mile long. At. the time the vessel got on to the reef tho sea was very smooth, and ns the wind' was light, some of those on shore expected tho barque would come to anchor in tho comparatively smooth water l>ctwoen the reef and the shore. Shortly after the vessel got on tho reef tho mist came on again, and hid her from the view of the landsmen. Very soon after tho vessel stranded' tho shoresmen lit fires cm tho beach and in favourable localities to indicate to those on board where fl landing could ho made in safety, but tho mist no doubt prevented the captain or his crow seeiiiK these 'shore signals. It is stated by some shore observers that some time previous to the barquo stranding herself on tho reef what appeared to he an oil launch or small steamer was close beside her. and it w.i 3 'conjectured from this that negotiations wereproceeding. for towing the barque clear. What afterwards became of the Jaimeh or steamer is not known, but it is supposed she proceeded either to Moeraki or l'ort Chalmers. When the vessel was straiided on the reef the mainmast was observed to go over the side, and the foremast afterwards went over. Although the water was niooth during- portion of the day a heavy sea afterwards came in from the south-east, , and this, together with the mist, lii'oventod assistance being rendered from tho shore otherwise than by means of tho tires before-mentioned, v/hieli were kept constantly burning. After 7 o'clock on Friday evening nothing further was seen of the barquo from shore; but at the hour named her stern was dipping from the side of tho reef into the water, and waves were breaking over this part of the vessel. At an early hour next morhing the people on shoro were surprised to find that not a vestigo ot the barque was to bo won, and a number of the proceeds*:! along the beach at various Tiours of tiio day to ascertain if anything had been washed ashore which would give a duo to what had bccomo of her. Not a scrap of timber or flotsam or jetsam of any kind was found, however, and a rumour gained currency in tho forenoon that during tho night a tug from Otago Heads had como upon tho scene, and, that tho County of Ayr had been towed safely to Tort Chalmers. As the day wore on this optimistic view gavo plneo to a settled conviction that tho barquo, Jcavily laden as she was with ironhark timber, slipped off the reef stern first, and disappeared bodily into tho deep water adjoining. The position of the barque oil the night previous gave colour to the latter view, which is generally borne out by what is now known of the unfortunate occurrence. It is difficult to liirdcprtand how tho barquo got into tho position where she was first observed from (ho shore—viz., 200 or 300 yards off Shay Point—without first bumping on the outside reef, and some shoresmen hazard the conjecture that this is what' actually happened, and in support of their contention they assert that, prior to flic vessel stranding she. appeared to be wearing heavily, as though there was water in her hold. What value,- if any. is to be placed on opinions formed ori shore, with a niore or loss prevailing mist to view incidents through, will, no doubt, be settled at fho inquiry which is likely to be held into the circumstances surrounding the loss of the vessel.. '