WRECK OF THE ANN GAMBLES.

Southland Times, Issue 3085, 18 May 1878, Page 2

WRECK OF THE ANN GAMBLES.

The announcement yesterday morning that a -large barque was. on the Tewais Point rocks at thelJßJuff,jrw_ received, _ with much incredulity, for the port has* been singularly free from snipping disasters of late years, and hence a shipwreck was a 'contingency least expected. However, the report was only too true, \ and was supplemented with substantial details to the effect that the vessel was tbe barque Ann Gambles,. some time due ' here from London, and consigned to the New Zealand Shipping Company, her charterers. Mr Turnbull, the Company's agent, was soon, advised of the catastrophe, and with Mr T. Brodrick, Lloyd's agent, Mr J. W. Mitchell; Chairman of the Harbor Board, Captain Elles, Collector of Customs, and Mr McPhersdn, of the Victoria Insurance Company, proceeded to the Bluff by the 11.15 train to ascertain how matters really stood. The weather, dreadful at Invercargiii, was equally bad or worse at the Bluff. A fearful gale from the S.W. was raging, and raised a.high sea that broke at times clean over the wharf. They ; found the master of the barque, Captain Morgan, on shore, and j also that the harbor boat had been twice- to the barque, and had brought; ashore the: most of the crew's effects, and also one. of the hands who was sick. It was however too rough for the party to venture on board, but she Was to be seen plainly enough lying on the rocks' With her head N.E. about.' Several of the Bluff people, including the press representetives,~uad"boarded~iier, Pilot Smith being still on board, and from our reporter, who remained on board, we have received a few facts relative to the barque's passage .and her crowning mishap. The Ann Gambles is an iron barque of 424 tons register^built at Worthington some 16 years ago, and chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company for this voyage.' She left Gravesend on January 26tb, discharged her pilot next day, and ran down Channel with a soldier's breeze, _taking_Jier^dep_arture from ihe Start "on "the afternoon of the *2{?th; thence until the 17th February, when she ran into the N.E. trade, she experienced - variable winds and weather, with one gale from S.W., commencing on the sth and terminating on the 7th. It broke on the 6th, but came on again next day,' and whilst it lasted the barque labored -■. heavily in the heavy sea. She found the N.E trade in 1at.28, and carried it a strong favoring breeze right across the equator lon the 27th meridian. The one trade ran into the other, for as the N.E. breeze slackened, it hauled and took southing, and the barque soon had her yards bard on the starboard backstays.and careening to the strong, steady breeze lay a good courieacroßfJhe^Sputh Atlartv __ tic. The freeze held untfr sheordsseoF " the 25th parallel on March 23rd, and thence to the 35th parallel and 2lst meridian west, had fresh variable winds. After that she had,' bo far as we can gather from the meagre notes supplied us, average winds and weather until she was within 300 miles of the New Zealand coast, when a/fqriqus gale came on, and whilst laboring in the heavy sea the barque lost her forertopgallant .mast and fore yard. It took a couple of days to clear a Way the wreck and secure the foreyard. Thence until May 15th, when she sighted the S.W. Cape, very bad weather was encountered. It was blowing a hurricane, with thiok weather on the 15tb, and hence' she was dose in snore when the land was sighted, and great difaonity was ex. perienoed clawing r oflV Once it was. v feared she must go on shore. She. however, escaped,; and after weathering the land, hove to for better weather. Next day she bore away and passed the Solanders, at noon, with a. whole gale after her. As she drew up with the Blulf ii sail was- shortened and as the night was bright with moonlight, and quite ißlear be", _ t twien the Captain. 'Morgan ' «< determined to' make for the Bluff -H*Kfc& A* she rounded gtarlbg Point wfwei j , .'..- i\a» iJ-\ v

•ail was taken »ff her, and both anchors let go, the foretopsail being still on the barque Jaat then, the master avers that a heavy squall struck her, and before the anchors could bite, she was driven upon the rbeks at Tewais Point, and the tide acting on her she" swung broadside on. No signal had been made for a pilot, and none was made, hut the barque having been observed from the shore, Pilot Smith went off to her at once, and faund'ber hard and fast on the rocks. Nothing could be done to aid her, aa it was blowing to fnriously.bnt the Pilot at aid on board all night, and the pilot boat remained by her. W t hen «he waa boarded it was high water, and the tide flowed into her. She was full from aft to the fore peak watertight bulk head. She is fitted with two bulk heads, but the after one gave way under the pressure, and so the vessel filled. tAs there was nothing to be done, Messrs Turnbull, Mitchell, and the others returned to town last night, after making arrangements for a survey of the barque to be held this morning by Mr T. Brodrick, Captain Lamont ofT the Glen Caladh, and Captain Cleary of .the brig Wild Wave. Further proceedings, of course, will hinge upon their decision, but from what we can gather about the unfortunate vessel, Bhe is a total wreck, and will never sail the teas again. • The Ann Gambles comes here lull of general cargo, including, we are Borry to ■ay, the long expected and much required plant for the Invercargiii gasworks. She was; thanned with fourteen hands, all told; including the master and four apprentices. The! sick man' was sent to the Hospital yesterday. His" name is Thomas Dick, and he had long suffered from rheumatic fever.' We " understand that all hands were Janded from the barque last night . We have sot been able to ascertain much respecting her insurance. She is herself underwritten at home, and of her eargo,:£2soo worth is on the books of the New Zealand Insurance Company, and it is saxSTthat another portion is insured in the Victoria- for £1200, whilst some risk has been taken by the National of South Australia. Ah official inquiry into the cauße of her leas Will of course be held, so that meantime "we shall withhold more £han bare comment, still we must say that to attempt to make the Bluff Harbor after nightfall and without a pilot was a rash proceeding/ the brig Carl, the Ann/ Gamble* ia the only vessel that has come to grief at this port for thirteen years. As can be seen by notice elsewhere, the barque is to be sold by auction this after-noon-at 2 o'clock. Theptollowing is the cargo list -.— 3cs wtg paper 602 ; sty 24Z ; 75 drums seed:dil 67Z;11 cks leadshot 62J, 200 bdls iroa wire 2104, Ics iron safe 261 ; 200 bags fine salt 20*?; 200 bags coarse do W; I cs mnfs 81 ; 15 cs sauce 54Z; Ics cut flint ?lasß 21, 1 ck glassware 131. 1 ck china 61, 2 tcs pin flint glass 221 ; 2cs h'ware 4H; 200 cks cement 150Z ; 1 tqk; sago 241; 1 tnk tapioca 291 ; 1 ck chinaware Idl. les plated ware 37Z ; 42 bids wire netting7sZ ; 100 kegs iron nails 77Z; 300 bids. iron wire 149Z; Ics brushware 191; 99 roll galv netting 18il ; 53 rolls do 116? ; 9 cs sporting guns 580?, gun cases 42? ; 2 hhds mnfs 91? ; 20 cb galv sheets 222?; 1 ck h'ware 8? ; 4 drms pre mtls 7?; 10 csgalv cor iron 104?; 100. cs brandy; 10 cs galv iron sheets 102Z; 954 iron rails 36U, 20 bags iron spikes 18?, 2 b mnfs, 53?, 16 cks lead shot 96?, 40 kg 3 herrings 16?, 1 cs win mnfs 38?, 1 cs fowling pee 30?, 1 cs cartridges 6?; 1 ck e'ware 7? ; Ics rabbit traps 6? ; 1 cs do, 4? ; 25 bdls lead wire 52?; 10 cs vestas 77?; 12 b hops 94?; 2 tanks iron manufactures 61. 5 packages seeds- 130?; 3 iron tanks 9?; I hamper personal effects 10? ; 3 cs safes 48?, ■ mnfs 9?, cartridges 3?, 868 bars HO bdls bar iron 136?, 13 bdls bar steel 27?, 3 cs chaff cutters 25?, 75 kegs iron nails 47?, 630 steel rails 584?, 24 prs ry wheels and axleß 223? ; 90 pkgs ry waggon ironwork 324?, ry waggon 62?; 1 b paper bags 20?, irtg* paper 51?, : sty 3?, envelopes 5? ; 6 b lax canvas 137?, 3 b hemp twine 7l?; 1 cs mnfs 50?; 200 casks cement 100?; 1 cs cartridges 12Z ; 1 cs h'ware 10?, 8,250 loose and 5 cs bricks 19?, 18 retorts 24?, 66 lire lumps «?, 006 Dmas bricks 4?, 8 cka Eweli bricka^?. 1 keg iron bolts 21, 206 pkgs wrought iron tubing 220?, 355 pkgs and pcs £as plants 2,150?, 55. pkgs gas fittings 125?,3cs tiles and bricks .3?, 8 cks cement clay-S?, 1 cs hammers 10?, 2 cs barrows 15? j-U'-cs iron nails 36?, 4 pkgs engine 820?, lb a'erge^'Sß?^^4 pkgs saddlery 153?. 80 bdls iron wire- 50?, 1 cs rifles 45?, 58 bdls flat iron bars 26?, I ck h'ware 15?; II cs; chaff-cutters 125?; 1 tnk raisins ; 22 kegs wire nails 16?, 1 cask seed 5?.