EIGHT PERISH WHEN SCHOONER CAPSIZES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 407, 16 July 1928, Page 1

EIGHT PERISH WHEN SCHOONER CAPSIZES

DISASTER AT HOKIANGA Isabella De Fraine Lost TURNS TURTLE AFTER CROSSING BAR (From Oxir Oxen Correspondent.) KOHUKOHU, To-day. EIGHT men perished when the auxiliary schooner Isabella de Fraine turned turtle while attempting to cross the Hokianga Bar at 4 o’clock on Saturday afternoon. Drifting into shallow water, she was smashed by the heavy swell, and it is thought that the vessel’s hull became the sailors’ tomb. * Captain Mitchell, Hokianga harbourmaster, and his assistant were spectators of the tragedy.

The Isabella de Frame left Onehunga late on Thursday afternoon, carrying the following crew: A. BERRIDGE, master, aged 47, married. D. TEIXIERA, piate, aged 53, married. BERT KENDRICK, engineer, aged 32, . married. H. TREVARTHEN, assistant engineer, aged 22, single. E. MERRIT, cook, single. FRED LIEWENDAHL, able seaman, married. AMOj3 SUVANTO, able seaman, single. M. KENNEDY, ordinary seaman, aged 19, single. HARBOURMASTER’S STORY Captain Mitchell said he sighted the schooner first at 10.45 on Saturday morning. She was then coming from the north, under sail. At 1.30 he signalled her to keep to the south, but shortly afterwards he notiefed that tho engines had been started, and he signalled again for her to wait until the 1.50 tide. At 3.40 the crew reefed in the mainsail, and the vessel then turned toward the south channel. The signal to take the bar was given, but no notice was taken of the semaphore. She carried on past the bar, and went south to the edge of the main channel. Another signal was ignored, and the schooner made a run for the bar. She was broadside on, and did not seem to be under control. The booms swung over the decks, the schooner took a heavy list, and caught in the swell. Captain Mitchell and his assistant, helpless to give immediate aid, set about notifying the police and townships of the disaster. The assistan, Mr. W. Briers, who kept his telescope trained on the vessel while Captain Mitchell was telephoning, saw the Isabella de Fraine heel for the last time—he saw the final act of the tragedy. A moderate south-west wind was blowing when the schooner first answered the signals from the Hokianga Heads. Captain Berridge stood in tho fore-rigging with his eyes on the dangerous southern channel, while he called his commands to the man at the helm. The tide was running almost to the full when the schooner took the bar. but her mysterious hesitation is perplexing to seamen. It is thought that her rudder may have become loose, for no rudder was seen after she had heeled over. THE LAST SIGNAL After the tragic capsize, the schooner drifted near the bar for 20 minutes. Deck cargo and wreckage was washed from the derelict, and as she came into shallower a big roller turned her right again. The bedraggled sails made a fast sad signal to the world as the sun went down. Again the ship staggered, and this time she disappeared beneath the waves with her freight of dead. SEARCHERS ASSEMBLE It was dark when the hastily summoney search parties from the townships along the Hokianga Harbour arrived to give what aid they could. The vain search for survivors began, but all that met the eyes was the flotsam from the wreck. Tho searchers broke up into small parties, and 14 miles of the bleak coast was thoroughly searched during Saturday night. A thick mist from the sea made the task doubly difficult, and, with darkness on them, the men carried on hopefully by the light of torches. When morning came, no sign of the sailors had been found, and the melancholy tale of disaster was told by wreckage which was strewn along 16 miles of the coast. VICTIMS OF DISASTER MASTER KNEW MENACE OF COAST RELATIVES IN AUCKLAND Both the master and the mate of the Isabella d© Fraine were men whose experience of coastal navigation had given them expert knowledge of the treacherous condition of bars on the West Coast. Captain Berridge was born in Tauranga, and for many years his home has been in Burnley Terrace, Edendale. He leaves a widow and one son and one daughter. His father lives at Norfolk Island. Before joining the Isabella de Fraine I he had been owner and part-owner i of auxiliary vessels trading from Auckj land. i Mr. Teixeira, the mate, leaves a | widow, one son and two daughters, who j live at Taupiri. His mother lives in j Western Springs Road. He has had i command of an auxiliary vessel and was, at one time, in charge of tugs and lighters used by the wfiakat/sne Freezing Company. THREE MONTHS MARRIED There is a tragic circumstance in the death of Mr. Kendrick, for he has been married only three months. His wife is living in Hamilton Road, Ponsonby Mr. Trevarthen, the third son in a family of five brothers, was relieving

engineer on the schooner. The tragic voyage was the first he had made. The other merjibers of the crew are believed to have no relatives in the Dominion.

ADVENTUROUS DAYS SCHOONER’S HISTORY The Isabella de Fraine, a vessel of 110 tons register, was carrying about 50 tons of cargo including fruit and case oil. She was owned by A. G. Frankham and Company. She was built at Camden Haven, New South Wales, in 1902. At one time she was trading between Auckland and Gisborne, but recently her run was from Onehunga to Hokianga. On May 30, last year she had a mishap on the Hokianga harbour, striking a snag off Tarka Point. A hole was knocked in the hull for’ard, and pumps had to be manned to save her. Her heaviest trip was in July, 1919, when she took 22 days to run from Gisborne to Auckland. On that occasion she was hove to for six days. TOLL OF THE BAR LAST WRECK IN 1914 Although the Hokianga bar has an exil reputation among seamen, it is 14 years since the last ship was wrecked there. On August 7, 1914, the barque Joseph Craig, while being towed outward, broke the line, and became a total wreck inside the bar. A member of the crew was Mr. W. E. Sanders who became famous during the war, as Lieut.-Commander Sanders, V.C. SEARCH FOR BODIES

PATROLS ON WATCH NONE YET RECOVERED (From Our Own Correspondent.) KOHUKOHU, To-day. Large parties under Constables Dyddy and Nehoff are still patrolling for miles. Wreckage is still being washed in, but up till mid-day no bodies had been found. Hokianga business people will suffer as a result of the wreck, for there was little or no insurance on the cargo. CAUGHT BY BREAKERS THEORY OF HOW SCHOONER WAS WRECKED An Auckland sea captain, who is familiar with the New Zealand coast line and particularly the Hokianga Harbour, said this morning that he is almost certain that the steering-gear of the ill-fated Isabella De Fraine must have gone wrong. ‘•I can picture what happened,” he said. “The vessel evidently got through one of the big breakers successfully at a good speed. “As the second breaker caught the vessel she must have broached to, that is, turned broadside on with the oncoming breaker, which just rolled her over before the crew had a chance to do anything. The steering-gear must have gone wrong, thus allowing her to turn broadside-on with the breaker.” The captain said that the breakers usually come in threes, and on the Hokianga Bar are 10, 15 and 20 feet high. There is sometimes 30 or 40 feet of a solid break. “It is the worst bar on the New Zealand coast.” he continued. “The crew would have no chance in the breakers when the vessel turned over.” TWELVE HOURS ON ROCK

SCOW CREW’S ORDEAL SMART RESCUE BY TOFUA After spending nearly 12 hours clinging to Canoe Rock, in the Hauraki Gulf, four castaways from the wrecked scow Herald were rescued by the Tofua at about 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon. The Island steamer brought them back to the Rangitoto Reef to meet a rescue launch which was dispatched from Auckland. The four men spent a very cold and wet night on the rock, with salt spray dashing over them frequently. The men rescued from the scow Herald were: Captain E. Sellars. J. Davis. R. Frodig. H. Hansen. The scow left Onerahi at 2 o’clock on Friday with 105 tons of coal for Coromandel. There was a heavy south-west wind blowing off the land 1

and the ship, which was not injured, , made heavy weather. About 3 o’clock on Saturday morning, while the scow was keeping close to the land for smooth water, she mis-stayed in coming about, the wind carried her on to Canoe Rock, off Kawau—the scene of the Rona wreck some years ago. The scow swung on the rock, but with the rising tide remained there for only three-quarters of an hour, and then the captain and crew were compelled to abandon it. INTO THE NIGHT As they remained on the rock the scow slid quietly off and drifted into the night. The four castaways remained in the cold with the ocean spray dashing over them, waiting for daylight. Just before daylight a steamer passed about three miles away and endeavours were made with an improvised torch to attract its attention. This was unsuccessful, and the four seamen waited on, without food or drink. Shortly before 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, when they were just contemplating another night in the cold and wet, the Tofua hove into sight. They then tied a shirt to a piece of stick which they had with them and waved it furiously aloft. Those on board the Tofua observed the signal and immediately hove to. A boat was despatched and the difficult business of rescuing the men was successfully undertaken. A wireless message was sent from the Tofua to Auckland and a rescue launch immediately set out. The Tofua meantime turned about and brought the castaways back to Auckland, the launch eventually picking them up about two miles off Rangitoto Beacon at 4.30 p.m. The men were let down from the Tofua on a rope ladder. As soon as the castaways boarded the Tofua from the rock Captain Sellars and crew were treated sumptuously with food and hot drinks, this being their first meal since the tea-hour on Friday evening. They were ultimately landed in Auckland at 5.45 o’clock. “We were just wondering how we were going to get on to-night.” said Captain Sellars as he saw the lights of Auckland appearing in the distance. “And I was jolly glad to see the Tofua come along.” Captain Sellars speaks highly of the treatment he received at the hands of the captain and officers of the Tofua. “They were very good to us,” he said, “and gave us everything we wanted.” CAPTAIN IN THREE WRECKS Mr. Davis, a member of the crew of the Herald viewed the situation philosophically. “There was no use giving up hope,” he said, “but I would not like another night like the one we spent on the rock.” Captain Sellars, who has been on the scow Herald for four years, has been in three wrecks. The Teteko, a sailing vessel, which was wrecked off Slipper Island six years ago, and the steamer Wairoa, which was wrecked on the Tairua Bar about 10 years ago. Captain Sellars explained that the scow hit Canoe Rock very heavily, but it was impossible in the darkness to tell how badly the ship was damaged. “When daylight came we saw her about seven miles away, but at that time only the masts were visible over the horizon and we could not tell how she was settled in the water,”

he added. The ship would be fairly badly damaged, he judged. There was no shelter for the " castaways on Car.oe Rock and during the early part of their time they were marooned there the rising tide and heavy seas splashed them liberally with salt spray, drenching them to the skin and chilling them to the bone. The Tofua, after transferring the four men to the launch, turned I quickly and resumed her voyage to the Islands, six hours late. The Herald which was owned by A. \W. Bryant, coal, lime, cement and I shingle merchants of Auckland, is a wooden scow of 73 tons register. She was built at Aucki land in 1898. Her dimensions are 83 feet long, 22 feet beam, and four feet deep. The scow is used by A. W. Bryant for carrying shingle to Auckland from various points in and about tho coast. A search for the wrecked scow was made yesterday by the tug Simplon, but the only indication of the mishap 6 was a few pieces of floating timber which were identified as having once . belonged to the vessel, j A warning was issued to shipping I regarding the scow, which was con- . sidered a danger to navigation. The vessel, however, is now believed to have sunk.