WRECK OF H.M.S.S. ORPHEUS, AT MANUKAU.

Otago Witness, Issue 586, 21 February 1863, Page 8

WRECK OF H.M. S. S. ORPHEUS, AT MANUKAU.

ONE HUNDRED A.VU KIGHTY-SEVKN LIVES LOST,

(Prom the Wellington Spectator, February 12 )

'ihe s. s. Wonga Wongt, Ciptain Kenner, from Mamiknu vw Tarauaki, Nelsou, and Piuton, arrive in this harbor on Sunday afternoon, bringing intelli ueiiee of the totni loss of H.M. S.S « rpheu«, 21 guns, Commodore Baruett, on the south ppit of tbe Alanukau bar, on Saturday, the 7th February, by which catastrophe ]87 lives were 10-t, including the (Jomino'lore aud all the ollicers ex^e^t tne 2aa Lieutenant of the Orpheus, three Midshipmen, t'se Paymaster, and Lieutenaut Young who was on bis way to join the Miranda. Captain Uenner proceeded to Sydney in the Airedale immediately after his ariiv.il, and we are indebted to tbe ritewaid of the VV'ougi for the f Uowiug nairative who was nil eyo witness to ihe sad event.

'lhe on a Wong '. sailed from the t/nehunga wharf, Manukau, on Satuidoy last, the 7th inst.. at 12 noon. On ai riving at the bar at 2 p.m. she noticed .i vessel in the oHinpr, apparently a man-of-war, but the siuiiid being up to tak« the South channel, the \V vga {miceeded on her course. On getting well c'tar of the channel, Captain Itenner noticed the ve^sd to be laboiing wry heavily, and .ipdiivnily ashore. Cuptiin Ite.iiier then proceeded to the outer ui'iance of the No th eh mnel, and sigjj[ iial fd her, a.-kiui( it he coul I be of any assistance : but, receiving no an*wi-r, and bii 1 g 1 unable to take •he North eh innel on account of the heavy sea on th--bar, he rt turned to the pilot's btation l>y the iSouth thiimel. On reaching 1 lhe pilot's station he found two boats,' tbe pinnauce and cutter, belonging to tin- ill - fated ve»sH, in c aige of the second lieutenant and a, midshipman, who had landed the until atid shij/s paj ers. Captain limner then le.iriKd that the Vcs el on the rojih suit was fcl.M.S.ri. Oryhrus, '21 guns, Commodore Burnett, euht days nut lioin Sy ney, witn stores for II. M. bhipd on tlu: New Zeaiai.d btati"ii. The pilot then went on hoaru the Wonya Wonga, took the two boats in tow, and^rccecdeii to the scene of the disaster, un arriving then 1 he found that ihe sea was making a complete b each over the vessel, ami she was ot couise laboring very heavily. He then found it wo.-, impossible to get alongside with the beats, in coiibequence of the hea y aea ; the boak> weie therefore pulled as close as possible under the jib-boom, and the officers in chiirge of them called to the crew to jump into the water, and they would pick them up, as it was the only el'ance lefc ut saving their lives. Several of the men juinptd into the water and wire j> eke' lup by the boats ; but some were unfortunately drowned \n the surf by the drawback. At this bta-.'e of the proceed ings the scene was most appalling, the only chance of jjrhe crew gettiug saved being to jump into the boiling surf. All the men at this time weie clinging to the rigging. The Wonga was steaming as close as possible to tne scene of the wreck, and was fearfully tossed a hour, by the tumultuous sea. The boats then returned to the VVouga, h «vin{r succeeded in picking up about fourteen of the drowning men, seviral oi wham were nearly exhausted, and every means were adopted to rc*toi c animation, by the application ot hot blankets and other remedies. Several who were wounded and very much bruised had their wounds <lies»rd and every possible attention shown them The boats in charge of tbe second Lieutenant again gallantly put oft to the wreck, and succeeded ii rescuinf; several from a watery grave. By this time it was becoming dark, and the pilot not deeming it prudent for the Wonga Wonga to remain in the position she was then in. proceeded a short distance into the channel and anchored. At this time, the cries of the sufferers were most agonising and appalling, the crew of the ill-fated vessel thinking that the VVonjia was about to leave them to their tearful late. At about 9 o'clock, the night being very dark, the fore mast went l>y the board, casting all the poor fel ows who were clinging to it into the muring billows, immediately after, the main and mizen masts fell over tbe side, carrying the last of the crew with them During all this time, the in< st superhuman exertions were being made by the second lieutenant and his gallant crews to rescue his unfortunate shipmates. The two boats and a boat belonging to the Wonga were pulling about amidst the breakers until past midnight. All hopes of saving aay more lives having vanished, the piitnance in charge of the second lieu tenant returned, with several more of the unfortunate crew, to tbe v> onga, and the cutter proceeded into the pilot station, Being unable to fetch the Wonga, and lauded seven tnora of the crew iv safey, including the son of Sir Henry JJarklv, the (ioveruor of Victoria, who whs actimras mdshipman onboard the Orpheu* at the time of the wreck, and who was saved after clinging to a spu for upVards of two hours. The Wonga burnt blu« lights, and showed other .signals until daj light in hope of picking up any more of the unfortunate crew who might be floating about the wreck. At daylight, the Wonga proceeded towards the wreck, but liy ttlis time a very small poitimi ot the ill-fated vessel was to be seen. The Wonga then stenmed in towards the pilot stition, and was there met liy H.M. steam tender Avon, which had Captain Jenkins, of H. .vi 3. Miranda, on board. The whaleboat belonging 1 to the pdot station, on learning the disa-ter, had immediately proceeded to Onehunga. and inf iruied those in chargs of H M S 3. Harrier of ifc, when a message was immediately despatched to Captain Jenkins, of the Miranda, who lost no time in immediately issuing- orders for the Harrier and Avon lying in the Manukau, to get up steam and proceed with all despatch to the wreck

Unfortunately, on the Harrier getting under w.'lgh. .-lie 10 >k th. ground, and wa-i thereby unable to render any assistance. Capfc tin Jenkins then proceeded in the Avon, and on arriving at the Heads, iminpillitel,' pr emled on board the Wonga. Finding that everything iud been done that could possiily b done under the ciieumsiauees, he transhipped the leinainder of the unfortunate crew into the Avon, which immedutdy proceeded towards the pilot's station, tock oa board the crew of the cutter, the roit ol the sj who were snved, and proceeded to Onehunga about neon, lor the purpose of obtaining fur-th-r nieliea! treitraent tor the crew, Tfie Wonga then proceeded on her cjurse to Tarmaki, leaving the Heads niwut no'<n. Tiiere »era 07 taved, and 1«7 live* lost, out of a orew of -257 Commander Jenkins returned thanks to Captain Ilpuutr, Jih offireir, an) the crew of the Wonga Woima for their piauewortliy exertions and unrtinit ting kind in Sj to the suffai ers One of the cfii'toiiis of the ra'zentop, who wns one of the boat's eivw, gallantly jumped overboard hx tunes, and on encn occ<>sioii in Baying a &bipniatc'fiom n watery grave. The Commodore was iaut seen in the inizen rigging, and is supposed to have been killed by the falling of a spar.

_ One boat, under the charge of the first Lieutenant, in leaving the ship with about 40 men, was diyen by a sea against" the bower nnclior which was hanging •dyer the bow and the boat capsized iind "the boat and crew lost. . ..-, > '-';..;• ■ Amongst those saved were the secqnd Lieutenniit of the Uipheus, and L^eurenant' Young, vvho waa onhis Why to join the Mirauda, three midshipmen, the paymaster, carpenter, aud boatswain, the test of the fiß-we» a portion of thacMw, -- „.- -...- ,-,.%..>.