LOSS OF THE SCHOONER AWAROA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6897, 18 June 1892, Page 3

LOSS OF THE SCHOONER AWAROA.

CAST UP ON TUAMOTU ISLAND. EXCITING RESCUE OF THE CREW. Ix our last issue we noted the dangerous situation of the schooner Awaroa, which was flying signals of distress off Tuamotu Island. The vessel left Gisborne yesterday morning in ballast for Tairau to load timber for Gisborne. The sea was smooth in the Bay, and there was a very light breeze, which died away before the vessel had gone more than a mile. Anchor was then cast, and the schooner lay quietly till about half past two o'clock, when a slight breeze sprang up, sufficient, the captain thought, to carry him clear of the land. The anchor was weighed and sail set, but the movement of the air was so slight that the vessel drifted some distance without getting steering way on. Finding that the Awaroa was coming into rather dangerous proximity to the reef, Captain Urquhart endeavored to get the vessel's head round on the opposite tack, but the wind was so weak that she would not come round, and there was nothing for it but to drop anchor. By this time the vessel was very close in to the point and near to the rocky reefs which run out about there. There was an exceedingly heavy swell running in from a south-easterly direction and breaking with considerable force on the island. The Awaroa was in such a position that she met with the full force of this swell, and plunged] heavily as each great roller caught her. Captain Urquhart at once signalled for assistance, but some little time elapsed before the vessel's Slight was observed. Those on board the lunch Snark returning from the s.s. Tarawera with passengers, were the first to observe the signs of distress on the Awaroa, but. the Snark went into the river, discharged her passengers at the wharf and took in water before setting out to the assistance of the schooner. The launch Noko was alongside the Tarawera, and as soon as the Awaroa's signals were observed started off for Tuamotu getting a start of the Snark of about five minutes. Whilst the two steam launches were coming to her assistance the Awaroa's cable parted owing to the heavy strain put upon it by the plunging of the boat on account of the swell, and when the Noko and Snark arrived, just about ten minutes too late to be of assistance, the schooner had dragged the second anchor which was put down and drifted in amongst the breakers, which were sweeping clean over the vessel. As the great waves smashed against the schooner's side a cloud of spray flow into the air almost as high as her topmast. The steamers were quite helpless to render assistance, and Captain Thomson, the harbormaster, who was on board che Snark, desired to be returned to Gisborne as speedily as possible so that he could despatch assistance from the land. The position of the crew of the Awaroa was a very dangerous one, and they spent a anxious and exciting half-hour on board their craft as she tossed about on the rocks, holes being torn in her sides with each crash. The schooner stood her buffeting about very well, one of the crew remarking that " many of those crack Auckland vessels would hare been dashed to atoms with such treatment." The waves broke over the Awaroa and deluged everything. It was useless to think of launching the boat, for she would have been swamped. The only thing for the crew to do was to hold on until the ship was driven closer into shore, and then to make their escape in the best manner possible. The Awaroa was swept over the rocks for a considerable distance, and finally stranded broadside to the sea on a ledge of rocks about two chains from the shore. Some Natives working at a Maori plantation about a mile away, observing the wreck, hurried to the scene, and arrived in time to render valuable assistance in the saving of life. The crew floated a line ashore, which the Maoris secured to a large boulder, and along this line the first of the sailors, a man named John Erickson, came hand over hand. He had a rough battle with the waves, which swept over h»m and dashed him against the rocks, but he managed to retain his hold on the line, and was assisted out of the water by the Maoris, who had gone into the sea up to their waists. Next came the mate, an elderly man named William Watts, who also had a very rough time of it, being deluged by several waves, which came in quick succession, and swept clean over him. Then came the turn of the cook, E. Schofield, and was followed by Captain Urquhart, the skipper being the last to leave the ship. The captain, who is an elderly man and rather feeble, had great difficulty in reaching shore, and it was an anxious moment for those on the beach whilst he was iv the sea. He had fastened a rope round his waist and over the line and plunged into the sea, and then had a great struggle in the foaming waters to reach land. Schoh'eld kept close to the skipper and gave him great assistance, and the Maoris and a reporter, who arrived on the spot whilst the first man was landing, went into the surf and helped them over the rocks out of the water. It shoiild be mentioned that before attempting the perilous struggle for shore (and it was perilous because of the angry force of the waves and very heavy drawback) the crew tied life-belts round their waists. There was one other life saved from the wreck. The kind-hearted mate would not leave the ship's cat to drown on the vessel, and brought pussy with him, carrying her into town. When everybody was safely landed on the beach a hearty cheer was set up, and congratulations were expressed that everybody had landed without injury. Before leaving the vessel the sailors threw overboard their kits, some of which were washed up on to the beach, but the most valuable was lost. At about 5.20, just after dusk, when everybody was landed, a start was made for town, and the shipwrecked sailors found that they had a very rough four miles of road to travel over. On the way in, parties who had started out to render assistance were met with, the first to arrive being two men from the schooner Waiwera, who had come at great speed immediately the harbormaster informed them that the Awaroa's sailors were in danger. The names of the Maoris who so willingly and bravely lent assistance should here be mentioned. They are : — Wi Warikino, Watkins, "Prince Teck," and Hori Hiki. During the night the Awaroa was cast further up on the beach, and an examination this morning showed that the bottom of the vessel had been smashed out, and that she is in many respects damaged. A gang of men •were engaged this morning dismantling the schooner. The Awaroa was of 60 tons register, and was owned by Messrs Hall, Skeet, and Harding, of Gisborne. She was uninsured, and the loss to the owners will be something over £600. The vessel has done much service, and though old, was a very useful boat for the Gisborne trade. Mr D. Johnston, Collector of Customs, •will hold an enquiry one day next week. ■ I