A WAIKARE EPISODE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14728, 11 January 1910, Page 5

A WAIKARE EPISODE.

— «t» A HAZARDOUS FEAT. THE VESSEL'S POSITION. (From Our Owx Cohrespondekt.) INVERCARGILL, January 10. A representative of the Southland Times, who hits just visited Preservation Inlet, found that one of the chief topics of conversation there in connection with the loss of the Waikare is the exploit of tlic second officer (Mr Appleyard) in landing under the Puysegur light in order to send tidings of the disaster over the telephone. Puysegul Lighthouse stands on the summit of a. bold promontory, sharp, narrow, and with cliff-like sides. The point is rock bound, and the breakers roar against it day and night. Mr Appleyard did mot enter the inlet and get into touch with the telephone at Tc- Oneroa, but landed the lifeboat right tinder the light, scaled the cliff, and entered Uie lighthouse itself. He again descended, launched the boat through the boulders and breakers, and returned to Dusky in safety. The people in Preservation Inlet regarded Mr Appleyard's feat as quite extraordinary. So far as they know, no boat has ever landed on Puyfegur Point before, and somo of them who are accustomed to handling boats on dangerous shores say that in ordinary circumstances the landing accomplished by Mr Appleyard and his now would be regarded as quite impossible. Tho. story of the storming of the PuyEcgur Lighthouse in defiance of Nature's sternest obstructions is likely to bs told in Preservation for many a long day.

On Sunday a party on the s.s. Invercargill visited the scene of the Waikare wreck; One of the party writes: "Here were found the half-dozen men who are slandiiK' by tho meek under tho second officer (Mr Appleyard) and Mr M'lntyre. The beach was piled with miscellaneous salvage, and the Waikare herself lay on her, port side with her starboard bow. heaving up out of tho water and a large pa.rt of her forecastle deck high and dry. Like most of the islands in the Sounds, Stop Island is precipitous, and in proportion to her length it is only a small part of the steamer that has it restingplace on the solid land." The visitors pulled over tho -submerged .afterpairt of tho Waikare in a boat, Down in the clear depths of fhe sound the foremast and funnel could be seen, but the stern lay at too great a depth to bo visible to a non-exnert. The ship's position appears to be extremely precarious, but she is regarded as quite secure as lons as fine weather lasts.