THE FLOODS AND THE GALE.

Otago Witness, Issue 846, 15 February 1868, Page 4

THE FLOODS AND THE GALE.

THE "WRECKS AT OAMARU AND TIMAEU.

A Court of Inquiry on the cause of the •wrecks of the ships Star of Tasmania and "Water Nymph was held %L.% L . Oamaru, on Friday and Saturday, by Mr S. Gibbs, J.P., and Mr J. Allan, J.P., with whom sat Captain Thomson as Nautical Assessor. It appeared from the evidence that the wrecks resulted- from a heavy S.E. gale aad sea — such a gale not having occurred on the coast for three years.

It was also stated by witnesses, that Captain Babot's skilful mauagement of his vessel after she began to drive — by keeping a press of sail on her, and so causing her to cant inshore after she struck, whereby all lives were sared — was praiseworthy. Of course, the decision of the Court will not be known until it has "been forwarded to the General Government, and is published in the Gatctte.

Sergeant, Bullen, who is in charge at Oamaru, has sent in a full report as to the wrecks, and the floods in the neighborhood of Oamaru. Sergeant Bullen refers to the gale, and to the small vessels getting out of the roadstead ; and he continues —

At 3.30 p.m. the Star was observed drifting, having apparently parted her chain. She was moored with her own' chain, attached to the swivel of the Government moorings. Having gone about 300 yards, she was brought up with the starboard anchor. She continued to drag this anchor, and the chain which had broken from the swivel was being hauled in, when, at 7 p.m. she parted from her anchor, her head, canting in shore. Sail was set, but to no purpose. * * * After this, she heeled over to starboard, and the seas went clean over her. Her deck was soon stove in, her masts went, and the sea came through her bilge, washing out the wool, of which there ■were over 2100 bales on board. During this time, the crew were clustered on the upper or shore side of the forecastle. Captain Culbert had barely time to crawl forward, before the after part of the ship gave way. He was seen holding Mrs Baker, a passenger, whose two boys, aged three and five years respectively, were drowned in the forecastle, their mother had put them for shelter and safety. During this time, lines were being procured, with the view of getting one on board, but the sea was so terrific, that no person dared venture sufficiently near the vessel for the purpose, the " draw- j back," and pieces of the broken spars, rendering it a service of great danger. Several persons having failed, the Sergeant fastened a line round his body, and took in his hand a line with a weight attached to its end. He ventured into the surf, and made three unsuccessful attempts. If there had been daylight, the last throw would have been successful, for the weight struck amongst the people on the ship ; but, through the darkness, they did not see the line, and they did not know what was being tried until they heard the blow of the weight on the ship's side. After the throw referred to, the Sergeant was knocked down by a sea, or by a floating bale of wool, and he was with difficulty hauled on shore. He was so exhausted, that he wa3 not again able to essay such an attempt. The crew were now hailed to hold on, as the tide was receding. About 10 p.m. a surf-boat man, Duncan Young, succeeded in getting on board with a rope, one end of which was fastened on board, and the other held by people on shore. It being now nearly low water, the whole of those on board were passed safely ashore.

Shortly after the vessel struck, Mr Stevens, the Chief Officer, fell, or was washed off the forecastle. He was tossed about for some time in the surf, and was then thrown on the beach, and was saved. A seaman was saved in a similar manner. One man who jumped overboard, was last seen clinging to a bale of wool, outside the line of surf. Breoks and Petrie, two seamen, are the only ones of the crew lost ; and the other two sufferers are the children'of Mr Baker. Whilst all were engaged at the Star, the Water Nyim-h was seen close in-shore, with all sail set. But the crew could not keep per off ; and about ten o'clock, she struck 100 yards north of the Star. Being light (she had but 244 bales of wool on board), she was washed nearly high and dry almost as soon as she struck. All hands got safely out of her, saving their effects. Owing to her canvas being set, she canted in-shore, and remained comparatively steady ; but in a short time water was seen breaking through her main hatchway, and it was evident that her outer bilge was stove in. She now [11a.m. Tuesday] lies on her beam ends, with her back broken.

" '2 p.m.— -The. , auction^ of the wrecks concluded.' That o£ts9-Q&K sold for L 40 ,. arid 'ihe wool for L 1360/ The wreefcof. the Water Nymph sold for L 172, and her, 244 balea of wool iov LBIO. The purchasers of the Star's wool are a company here, and of the Water Nymph's, Messrs Cargills and M'Lean. Both the vessejs and the wool are insured. Several seamen of each ship have been injured, but not seriously. sth February. — The bodies of the two seamen (Brooks and Petrie) of the Star of Tasmania, were recovered to-day, from the surf in front of the town ; and later on, the bodies of the children were recovered, namely, James E. Baker, aged 5| years, and Malcolm W. Baker, 34 years." The bodies are to be buried to-morrow.

From correspondence handed to us by Messrs Dalgety, Rattray, and Co. , we have some additional particulars, as to the circumstances of the wrecks, and of the result of the sales of wool and material saved. We quote only such items of information as have not been contained in previous accounts :—: —

" The sale of the wreck of the Star of Tasmania only brought at auction L4O ; the wool as it lay on the beach, 210 bales, with the wool in the bay, L1360— L1400, a very sad result as a return for 2072bales of wooL The purchasers of the wool are a company. Of the Water Nymph, the hull, masts, sails, and spars, brought L 17 2; sundries about, L 10 0; the wool, 244 bales, Benmore, LBIO— LIOB2. This parcel was purchased by Mr Holmes, for Messrs Cargills and M'Lean. This is a fair price for the risk they still have in getting it cut of the ship." " The Emu, an Akaroa vessel, put to sea at the same time as the Otago. There is nothing heard of her, but it is hoped she is all right. Our wonderful jetty has also disappeared, except a small piece of the inner end — I have not been at it since, but, to judge from hearsay, I should say from forty to fifty feet. "All the surf boats but two are smashed up ; in fact, not to be seen. This was done by the creek, which was three or four feet higher than has been remembered by the oldest inhabitant. There has also been some more of the road to the jetty washed away, and \mtil it is repaired, drays will be unable to go down with stone. The crane is standing all right, so that, when the road is repaired, and boats get to work, stone can be shipped as formerly." Capt. Clark, of Port Chalmers, who was the owner of the schooner Otago, has also received, from Mr Aitken, the following information with regard to the wreck of that vessel. Mr Aitken communicates the gratifying news that Capt. Campbell and his crew were fortunately able to save themselves before the vessel broke up. He writes :—: —

" lam sorry to have to inform you of the wreck of the Otago. She left here about mid -day on Monday, being ordered out by the Harbor-master. The wind was then south-east, with a nasty heavy sea. Capt. Campbell slipped his cable, and made a very good offing, so far as 1 could see, and I believe he continued to do so till between five and six o'clock, when the rudder head gave way. Then, of course, there was nothing for it but to run for the land, which was made about seven miles from here. The Captain and crew got ashore with great difficulty, and saved nothing but the clothes they wore, and. greater part of even the clothes they were wearing they had to leave behind when the vessel struck. All here who know anything of the sea, had lost all hopes of ever seeing the crew alive again. The vessel, everyone knew, must have come ashore somewhere on the coast, the sea was so terrific. I was quite proud to see Capt. Campbell and his crew this morning, having given them up for lost. A few pieces of the wreck have been washed down here, and the Captain picked up a part of his timepiece on the beach, just about where the Vistula was lying."

The Oamaru Times publishes the following report by the first officer of the Star of Tasmania, Mr Stevens :—: —

About 11 a.m. on Monday morning a heavy gale came on to blow from the E.S.E. About an hour before had noticed indications of its coming on, but obtained no warning of the storm from the barometer. At 12 o'clock saw the Blue Peter hoisted at the flagstaff, and shortly afterwards two little craft which had been lying in the roads stood out. About half-past three o'clock the vessel, which was shackled on to the Government moorings, parted her cable, the ship canting with her head in, owing to the weight of the chain hanging at her bow (about 50 fathoms). Canvas was spread, but owing to the ship cant, ing head in, with no effect. Let go the starboard anchor with 90 fathoms of chain, and the ship brought up ; springs were then put on the cable to enable the slack chain to be hove in ; the vessel was dragging all the time, but very slowly. Bent the chain, when hauled in, on to

| the port anchor, and let it gey the vessel still i dragging, and somewhat faster. Paid - out' all the chain possible upon the ,pori> anchor, shortly after which the vessel, parted her starboard anchor, being at this time among broken water: and rolling heavily. The sea was making clean breaches over the ship, th& hands 'not being able to remain on deck, the deckhouses . being washed off, and some iron tanks which were on deck being washed to and fro. He (Mr Stevens) was washed aft violently, strikingheavily against thepoop, and sustaining somewhat serious injuries. Two other men, who were also washed aft, were . considerably bruised. The vessel now parted her port anchor, and drove rapidly ashore. Loosed the foresail and foretbpmast staysail, in the hope of driving the vessel bow on. The ship took the beach end on, but shortly afterwards canted round with her head to the southward, the seas striking her heavily on her broadside. Mrs Baker, a passenger, wr.g then brought up from the cabin, and her two little boys and Master M'Lean were carried into the forecastle, as the safest place, and secured in the bunks. Shortly afterwards, the decks being smashed in, the forecastle was filled with water, Mrs Baker's two little boys being drowned, Master M'Lean managing to escape. The masts then went by the board, and the vessel commenced to break up rapidly. All hands, with Mrs Baker and Master M'Lean, took refuge on the starboard bow, the vessel having heeled over on to her port broadside, the water washing clean through her seams. The first officer jumped into the sea to try to carry a line ashore, but, being washed away by the backwater, lost the line and barely escaped with his life. Four men then successively jumped off, the first two getting ashore, but the others being drowned. At last a line was hove aboard, and the remainder of the crew and passengers were taken off. In the morning very little of the vessel was to be seen. The Star of Tasmania was a clipper ship, of 632 tons register, built by Hall, of Aberdeen, in 1856, and had yet 18 months to run on the Al letter.

Captain Babot, of the ship Water Nymph, furnishes the following particulars of the circumstances attending the loss of his ship :—: —

About noon on Monday a heavy gale from the E. S.E. set in, raising a very high and broken sea. At 1 p.m. noticed the Blue Peter flying at the flagstaff and immediately made all preparations, for slipping and proceeding to sea ; the Star of Tasmania lying right ahead. The gale continued until about 3. 30 p. m. when a signal to " proceed to sea without delay," was observed at the flagstaff. The wind then shifted to the S.E. and came on with the force of a hurricane. About this time when all was ready for sea the Star of Tasmania was observed to commence driving down with her head canted towards the Water-Nymph. She, however, drifted clear, until on the port quarter, when she partly brought up. The Star of Tasmania being in that position, it was impossible to cant the Water Nymph without fouling with her, so that we were compelled to hold on. Shortly afterwards observed the Star to let go a second anchor, seeing which, knew that Captain Culbert, finding that he could not go to sea, intended to ride out the gale ; consequently we also let go our second anchor under foot. About 7 p.m. the Star rapidly drifted inshore. About 9 p. m. the starboard chain of 105 fathoms parted, the vessel dragging the whole of the port chain out of the locker, riding by it at about 105 fathoms. The vessel still drifting loosed topsails, foretopmast staysail, spanker, and foresail, intending to get to sea. By the time sail was set, the vessel still dragging her anchor, and sagging in shore, and it being impossible to get below to cut the lashing of the end of the cable, endeavored with mall and cold chisel to break it, but was unsuccessful, until the ship, getting into broken water, at the same time drifting fast and heeling over heavily, being very light, and the sea making a clean breach over her, found that there was no other course than to run her ashore. The helm was put up, all sail being kept on the ship, and a few minutes afterwards she struck lightly, and after striking three or four times rolled broadside on to the beach, with her head to the north, and canted inshore. The whole of the crew then managed to escape, by the assistance of a line thrown to persons on the beach. Shortly afterwards, the port side broke, and the starboard side was completely broken in all along the bilge, the sea sweeping clean through her ; the masts still standing. The vessel was the property of Messrs Shaw, Savill, and Co, and was built in Painboeuf for a French corvette in 1855. She was never in commission, but was bought from the French Government by the well-known firm of De Pas Brothers, and was employed by them in the Melbourne trade for eight years, being one of the fastest

vessels in that traded In 1865 she was - purchased by Messrs Shaw, Savill, and Co, expressly for the New 1 Zealand trade-. She was a clipper ship,' and on her last voyage out and Home the time occupied was only seven months and , ten days.. The Homeward passage, which was. done in seventy-four days, was the fastest made' . by any wool ship from New Zealand last year. It is not known whether either ship or cargo wasinsured. Captain Campbell, of the schooner Otago, furnishes the following particular*, of the circumstauces attending the wreck of his vessel : - Slipped anchor and put to sea on Monday last at three p.m., under close-reefed canvas. The wind was blowing a heavy^ gale from the E.S.E. Kept the vessel' close to the wind, steering E.N.E., and making about a N.E. course. The vessel behaved well up to 5.30 p.m: ; was then. between five, and six miles off the land, when the rudder-head gave way, and the vessel became unmanageable. Lowered the mainsail, and got the vessel before the wind to run her ashore, finding it was the only chance left. Came ashore off the Boundary Creek, about six miles to the north of Oamaru. Beached the vessel end on, but being struck by the breakers, she filled with water in about two minutes, everything being washed off the decks. The vessel fell over on her starboard broadside, and all hands, with great difficulty, escaped to shore, saving nothing. The vessel almost immediately broke up, not a vestige of her being left, portions of the wreck drifting down to the wreck of the Water Nymph. She was the property of Mr Charles Clark, Port Chalmers. She was built at Dunedin about four yeara ago, and was of 26 tons register. It is not known whether she was insured. At the time of the wreck she had 160 bags of coal on board, consigned to Mr Aitken, of Oamaru, and 700 ft timber, consigned toMr Lemon. The cargo is also a total loss, scarcely an article having come ashore.