THE DEVON WRECK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 96, 27 August 1913, Page 5

THE DEVON WRECK.

VESSEL SHOWS SIGNS OF BREAKING UP.

THE CAPTAIN RETICENT.

“YOU WILL HEAR ALL ABOUT IT AT THE INQUIRY.”

STRANDED ON CRUEL ROCKS,

[Peu Pxikss Association.]

Wellington, August 16,

That the wrecked steamer Devon is a total loss is stated to ho beyond all possible doubt. The point where she struck under the Pencarrow lighthouse is as bad as any of the bad positions that lie about the entrance to Wellington Harbor. She is firmly stranded on a bottom where the many rocks must inevitably tear her hull almost to pieces.

ij.be lias already commenced to show distinct signs at the stern of speedy destruction, iho port side of the stern, the side farthest from shore, and the side consequently more open to the heavy seas prevailing, is already breaking, while the wreckage which litters the beach in the vicinity leaves no doubt that this fine big soamer is doomed to the fate that has already overtaken so many vessels in and about Cook Strait.

The captain and members of tho crea reached town late this evening, hut all refused to say anything about tho wreck to the reporters. When asked privately for a statement, Captain Caunco would only say; “You will hear all about it at the enquiry. I do nob propose to say anything in tho meantime.”

idle chief officer, Mi- Maurice, has been left in charge of the wreck, everyone else belonging to the vessel

having como awav,

THE WAHINE’S EXPERIENCE,

THE CAPTAIN’S STORY

POWERLESS TO HELP

Christchurch, August 26. Seen on board the Wahine. shortly aider her arrival, Captain A. M. Edwin gave a reporter a very dear and connected story of the happenings at • Wellington Heads from the time ho received tho first hews of the trouble by “wireless.” “Wo could,” he said, “plainly see in the red glare scar, rolling in and breaking on tho rocks close to the ship, but we could nob distinguish much of the ship or judge of her size. EfdlingVb 5 w name, we next moused the question, Gan you land?’ but her reply was obscured by the red glare aud coulcLp not ho ascertained. Then wo enquired, ‘Have you any boats ’ and in the'in-' terval of darkness wo got her reply 1 - - ‘\es.’ We then made another effort' to ascertain the ship’s name, but all that we could read of her lamp’s reply were the letters ‘v o n.’ We know that the Devon was due to arrive at Wellington last night from Auckland, so, of course, when we read those final letters we identified the stranded vessel as that steamer. In the meantime,” tho captain said, “we had sent wireless messages into Wellington informing the harbormaster, Captain Johnston, that a steamer- was on the rocks and giving him her approximate position, dose to the low-level light. I also informed him that it was impossible to render any assistance to tho steamer, except from tho shorg. Tho seas were tremendous, and so heavy that there was absolutely no chance h getting near the steamer, and it vas plainly evident from her position that there was no hope of getting her oh tho rocks, on which she must have oeen pounding and grinding very heav*l.v - About 9.30 p.m. I received a wireless message from the harbormaster stating that the harbor ferrysteamoi Duchess was being got ready to-come out to the scene of the wreck, m l asking mo to advise those on board the Devon of that fact. We moused the harbormaster’s message to tho Devon, hut we received no response to nnr signals. It would have been madness to I lave attempted to get any closer than we bad been, and no good purpose could have been served in doing so. It was perfectly evident that we, or any other -steamer, could do nothing to assist the Devon or anybody on board of her in tho hard gab which was blowing, and the tremendous seas running. The only hope of assistance for those on board was from the shoreward side, and it would 01117 have been courting another disaster for any vessel to venture close to the Devon. I stood by as long as 1' thought.wo could l>e of any assisrance in communicating with the ship, but after f had learned that the Duchess was coming out, and as there was no object in my taking the Wahino back up (bo harbor, I put her on her coni.se for Lyttelton at full speed.”

WHERE THE DEVON STRUCK. . A ROCK-RIDDEN COAST. • Wellington, August '2G. The locality of the wreck is dpsc: , i-Dc-d by tho Post as being remadcaMo 1 I >i ’ts vild, forbidding appearance. | ?«eedle-like rocks run out from tlio shore on either side to a considerable distance, and the shore appears jto bo sown with dragon’s teeth, especially in rough southerly weather. The sea boils white over these rocks, and f»r<n L

navigator’■ point of view, in rough weather there are but few uglier-look-

ing places. On the west side is Barrett’s, lleet, upon which the southerly seas break with great valence, clashing columns of vrhu» foam into the air, and on the ijggvi wks at the foot of Pencai-o.r kn.vl on ti e one hand, and Palmer ait I Dorset Point on the other, t;,e soa seems to spend- the full lores of Us fH’.V'

But though the gateway appears so difficult to enter, so repellent m aspect, there is really plenty of roan to outer and leave the harbor. The light on Somes Island shows the way. It is a threefold light, ai)d by the tune it s beams of red, white and blue reach Pencavrow Head there is » shining pathway of safety in the white sectm of some 1400 ft. to 1500 ft. in width, tapering off until it reaches the light on* the island. Within the sector of this white light there is safety, and an ample doth of water, as if it were the open ocean itself, also a liberal margin of deep water on either *ido of the white sector. In fact, big rassels can be taken through Chaffer’s Passage on the western side of the entrance between the Boiling Barrets Reef and the mainland, for there is from six to twelve fathoms of

water. Pencavrow lighthouse gleams white 822 ft above the boiling sea at its foot, and its light is visible 25 to 30 miles out to sea beneath the lighthouse, and well down the cliff is a small, dumpy light-tower, which is an additional warning to mariners, and is known as the low light. Here there is an explosive fog-signal for use in tnick weather. and there is an explosion every five minutes in foggj weather.

SOME HOPE OF SAVING.

SEA AND WIND GO DOWN

Wellington, August 27

Though the Devon is high on rocks at Ptmcarrow and exposed to the full force of the wind and sea from the louth she does not appear to be breaking ns as rapidly as was at first anticipated. She seems to have* slid on a ledge of rocks rather than on to sharp points. Her hull is pierced over a fairly wide area, as her en-gine-room stokehold and after holds are all flooded. Her bow is high out of the water, pointing practically in the direction of the entrance of the harbor. Her stern squats low in the water and the bigger waves are breaking over it. There is every indication that ehe will be a total loss, but after the experience of the Indrabarah there aeems to be hope in the circumstances, which most people would deem absolutely desperate. The Devon’s position is just at the foot of the big headland topped by the Pencarrow lighthouse and not more than a quarter of a mile out from the low'; level light—certainly only about 200 yards from the water’A'edgfeh' Thel‘# ate a good many pinacle rocks at this spot. The ship’s bows stopped short only a few yards from two big ones, and on her starboard side are more pinacles with a low-lying reef awash with breakers. The whole of this cor■•r of land is beaten to an incredible degree by southerly and south-easter-ly gales, such as prevailed, when the Dsvon wont ashore. A worse place aould hardly be conceived for - a ship to strike. The sea has gone down to-day and th* wind has dropped to a light south•a»t«rly.