STORMBIRD WRECKED.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 801, 4 September 1916, Page 10

STORMBIRD WRECKED.

LOST AT_WANGANUL WORLD'S OLDEST IRON STEAMER THREE MEN DROWNED. Press Association. WANGANUI, September 3. The steamer Stormbird, of 217 tons, was wrecked on the south mole at the entrance to the river last night. Three of the crew were drowned: — G. W. Hinchey, lamp-trimmer. B. Kyle, fireman. | J. Hunter, fireman. Captain A. Gibson and the remainder of the crew of nine men were saved. There were no passengers on board. The steamer left the town wharf at 11 p.m. for Wellington. Shortly before midnight distress signals were seen near the end of the south mole by the men at the pilot station, and the harbourmaster, Captain Mclntyre, with several volunteers, immediately proceeded to the scene with life-saving apparatus. They discovered six survivors on the mole, and four others clinging to the capsized hull of the steamer, which was showing in the breakers about 20Uft off the structure. With the second rocket fired a line was thrown across the hull, and the four men were brought ashore in a basket. According to members of the crew, the Stormbird was in light trim, and on reaching the harbour entrance failed to answer her helm. The vessel was driven against the mole, and heavy seas swept over her, extinguishing the fires. The steamer eventually cut her way through the moles until she was held beyond hope of escape by rocks at a point under the engine room. It was at this stage that six of their number scrambled ashore. The vessel suddenly snapped into I two pieces, the forward part drifting 400 ft before capsizing. At the time of the disaster the night was dark, and a heavy ground swell made a lumpy sea at the river entrance. It is believed that Hunter was drowned when trying to clamber on the mole, but that the other two were washed off the wreck. The bodies of Hinchey and Kyle were recovered this morning several miles south of the wreck. / The vessel was returning to Wellington practically empty, having only a few tons of cargo on board. The Stormbird is a well-known coastal trader. She was the oldest iron steamer in the world, being built in 1854. She was owned by the Wellington and Wanganui Steam Packet Company, and for many years has been engaged in the local trade. A VETERAN OF THE SEAS. STORY OF THE STORMBIRD. The Stormbird, which is generally believed to be the oldest steamship in commission in the world, has "died in harness," and thus escaped the ignominy of the scrap-heap. She

was built on the Clyde in 1854, by Messrs Laurie and Co., and almost the whole length of her sixty odd years have been spent around the coasts of New Zealand. The Stormbird proceeded to Melbourne from Glasgow under sail, being rigged as a topsail schooner, and took 116 days for the journey. She was brought out for the Melbourne-Panama trade, but that scheme came to nothing. The vessel subsequently traded between Melbourne and Westport, and was purchased by Mr John Jones, of Dunedin. She changed hands frequently during the succeeding years, eventually being bought by Mr C. Seagar, of Wellington, who disposed of her to the latest owners, thtTWel lington and Wanganui Steam Packet Company. The vessel was an iron screw steamer of 217 tons gross, and 129 tons net register. Her length was 130 ft, beam 19.6 ft, and depth 8.8 ft. The Stormbird has figured prominently in New Zealand history. She did transport duty on several important occasions during the Maori war. Her appearance has undergone several changes during her lengthy career. In her very early days she was rigged as a topsail schooner, carrying two headsails, fore topsails, and fore trysail, and a large mainsail. In those days, too, she had a schooner bow and bowsprit, instead of the straight stem she had later. During her existence of well over half a century the Stormbird has had few serious mishaps, except for an accident at Wanganui in September of 1891, when she ran on the breakwater. There were 60 passengers on board at the time, but no lives were lost, and she was towed off by the steamer Moa.