WRECK OF THE LORD OF THE ISLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2430, 10 October 1900, Page 32

WRECK OF THE LORD OF THE ISLES.

A TRYING EXPERIENCE,

AUCKLAND, October 8.

The crew of the Lord of the Isles, which was wrecked at Kaipara on Tuesday night, arrived at Auckland on Saturday night. The mate states that they left Sydney on September 10 with a cargo of bonedust tor Helensville. They had fresh northerly winds, which gradually hauled round to the south and southwest. On the 22nd the wind was blowing a heavy gale from the westward, accompanied by mountainous seas, .which broke on board and flooded the decks fore and aft, the vessel labouring and straining heavily. At midnight on the same dato the gale and sea had increased to such an extent that they deemed it nece&pary to heave the vessel to, and she was kept that way until the morning of the- 24th, when her position was made out to be off Mangonui and the Bluff Rocks. This having be-sn ascertained, she was put on her course, but on approaching the heads on the night of Tuesday last she struck outside the North Spit, and almost immediately became unmanageable.

After sinking she begau rapidly to drift into the bight, immoing heavily all the time. Great volumes of water were shipped, sweeping the decks fore and aft. The vessel soon began to settle down, and the position of the crew was perilous, those in the fore part not being able to reach the after part, which was the only place of shelter. They were half naked and worn out with their previous exertions, having to hang on to anything they could grasp in order to save themselves from being w ashed overboard. It was impossible to launch the boats, and even if it could have been accomplished there was very little hope of her being kept afloat in the heavy sea. Finally all got to the after part, where they hung on to the rigging for their lives.

It was when the vessel struck the Spit, half an hour afterwards, that she began to break up. Soon after striking the masts went by the board and the hull broke off in ah extraordinary way, the top sides being completely lifted off first, and then the vessel breaking in half, the after part still hanging on to the hull.

When the vessel broke in half she swung round, and the poop part, on which the crew were, went round to port, and thus afforded the men some shelter.

Early in the morning the vessel began to go to pieces and the men were being washed off one by one, and it was a work of extreme difficulty for those left on the wreck to render them any assistance. However, it was successfully managed, although the men who were washed off were badly bruised and knocked about.

At 3 o'clock in the morning the poop deck with the top of the cabin, upon which all the men were gathered, suddenly broke loose from, the wreck, and forming a' sort of raft, drifted ashore, all hands making the perilous journey through the heavy sea in safety,-although there Avere many narrow escapes. When day dawned on Wednesday they found that they were close in shore, so they all landed and made for the lighthouse on Kaipara Heads, which was reached at half-past 8 o'clock, all hands being- exhausted and in a half-naked condition.

Everything possible was done for their comfort by the keepers 1 , and they remained there until taken, off by the steamer Aotea on Saturday afternoon.