TOTAL WRECK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16627, 21 April 1928, Page 8

TOTAL WRECK

STEAMER IRON CHIEF A NIGHT OP PERIL BRAVE RESCUE OF CREW SYDNEY, April 9. The steamer Iron Chief, which ran on Mermaid Reef on the night of Sunday, April 1, and was beached next morning a mile and half south of Diamond Head, is a total wreck. In the southerly gale of Saturday morning tho steamer split in half near the bridge. The 42 men on board, comprising the crew of 33 and nine members of a salvage party, were rescued yesterday morning through tho gallantry of Mr. Alex. Heynatz, launch proprietor, of Camden Haven, and landed at Laurict.oii at about 11.30 o’clock. Captain Stobo, assistant, surveyor, of the Sydney Marine Underwriters’ Association, and Captain Mackenzie, maripc superintendent of Inter,-State Steamships, Ltd., were among those, taken off the steamer, Tho. crew will return to Sydney by train to-day.

A DANGEROUS JOURNEY Mr. Heynatz, who has been in attendance on the steamer since the stranding, left Camden Haven yesterday at 7.30 in his 30-ton launch Sea Hawk for the scene of the ■» wreck, taking a. crew of two. and a passenger, Mr. A. G. Lyon, of Newcastle. On his arrival at Diamond Head he found that, owing to the rough seas lie could not manoeuvre his launch close enough to the steamer to hear what, Captain Barron, of the, Iron Chief, was saying through his meghaphone. Accordingly ho launched a dinghy, and. singlehanded rowed to tho side of the vessel. At times anxious-watchers on both vessels thought, he lyas lost, but he reached the wreck, and after a conversation with the captain, returned to the Sea Hawk. By skilful seamanship lie was then able to steer his vessel alongside the Iron Chief, and take off the crew.

The southerly gale sprang up early on Saturday morning, and, at about 3.30 a.m. the seas commenced to break over the Iron Chief, i which was lying about 500 yards from the beach. The engine-room was soon flooded, the four lifeboats smashed to matchwood, the hatches filled to tho combings,,and the whole of the housings oji the deck were washed away. Debris floated all around the ship, When the steamer commenced to split in two all the men were ordered aft. The breakwas from six to eight feet wide. Throughout the night it was feared that the Iron Chief would collapse altogether beneath the battering of the huge waves. V-The crew were in good spirits, however. A jazz band played popular airs, and, the officers, played bridge in the salpQii, in two feet of the swirling water. Many of the lppn had boon without sloop for two nights. On their arrival at Laurieton the men- gave three cheers for- their, rescuer, and: were unanimous in the praise of his- plucky, action. Mr. A. G. Lyons, who was a pas-

senger on the rescuing launch, when interviewed yesterday, said that Mr. Heynatz showed the greatest courage and great, skill: Many of the men appeared to be quite exhausted by their ordeal. SALVAGE GEAR LOST •

All that was rescued from the. ship was a suitcase containing the ship’s papers. Salvage gear valued a approximately £4OOO was on board. j The wireless on board the Iron ■ Chief was rendered useless shortly j after the gale commenced by a seasmashing the door of the wireless operator’s room and destroying the apparatus. Captain Brady, the pilot at Harrington (Manning Heads}, stated last night that at 10.30 o’clock yesterday morning the salvage steamer Doepel, on. the way to Sydney, appeared off the bar and signalled that the Iron Chief had broken her back, and that' the rocket brigade was needed as soon as possible on the scene. “There was a terrific sea running on the; bar,” said Captain Brady. “I realised that it would be impossible for the tug John Gollnn lo go out and take the crew off from the ocean side. The rocket apparatus was got ready, and two carts were engaged to take it to the scene of the stranding by -way of a track that leads round the plains at the back of the beach. Just as we were about to set out I received a telephone message, from Laurieton that the crew had been taken off and had arrived there;”