STEAMER WRECKED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23718, 27 January 1939, Page 2

STEAMER WRECKED

AGROUND ON ROCKS IN RAIN CREW RESCUED ON LIFELINE (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Jan. 20. A wooden steamer. Belbowrie (218 tons), which traded between’ Sydney and southern ports of New South Wales, went ashore at Maronbra Point, eight miles from Sydney - Heads, and in a few hours was pounded to piecesby heavy seas.

All members of the crew of 10 were rescued by climbing along a lifeline which had been floated ashore and secured. One seaman, John Joseph Duffy, was injured when he fell from the side of the vessel.

The Belbowrie, which was 28 years old and was valued at £6OOO. cleared Port Jackson shortly after 7 p.m,, and struck heavy rain and a choppy sea. The vessel ran hard aground on rocks 60 feet from the shore, and It soon became apparent that she was doomed. Distress rockets were fired, and a crew of life-savers from the Maroubra Beach Life Saving Club put out in a surf boat, but were unable to approach close enough to be of assistance.

An attempt was made to throw a line from the ship to the shore, but failed. Another line, however, was floated ashore on a buoy, and was secured by watchers bn the cliffs. Hand over hand the men pulled them-' solves over the boiling surf until all were safe.

“I was lying on my bunk," said Captain P. R. Dixon, “ when suddenly there was a terrific crash. I thought for a moment we had hit a heavy sea. but then realised it was more than that. I rushed up to the bridge, and found that we had hit some rocks. I gave the order to reverse engines* hoping that the ship would back off. The engine room, however, had flooded in a few minutes, and I realised that it was hopeless. I fired off about a dozen distress rockets to attract assistance. An attempt was made to lower a boat, but in the heavy surf is was quickly swamped. A rope was thrown overboard and made secure by on* lookers on the rocks ”

Edgar Ladd, the mate, who was on watch, said: “Our.speed was about six knots and a-half. When I saw the ■ rocks ahead I thought it was only a break in the weather. Then we were right on them. It was raining so heavily that we could see nothing, and did not have a chance. The sea was very rough, and when we struck wavef broke right over the ship.”