WRECK OF THE S.S. VENTNOR.

Colonist, Volume XLVI, Issue 10568, 17 November 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

WRECK OF THE S.S. VENTNOR.

500 Chinese Bodies Lost.

Captain and Officer Drowned. Third Boat Picked Up. Men Exhausted. Fourth Boat Supposed Capsized. Auckland. October 29. The steamer Ventnor, from Wellington bound to Hong Kong, loaded with the bodies of the resurrected Chinese, struck Cape Egmont (about 200 miles from Wellington) on Sunday night, and foundered off Hokian<*a (north of Auckland, and some 300 miles from Cape Egmont). Two boats with officers and part of the crew landed. The rest of the crew were seen in two boats seven miles out. The steamer Energy has been (sent to their assistance.^ The .Ventnor had 500 Chinese bodies and 6.400 tons of coal aboard. A "Star" special wire states that on Monday, at 12.30 a.m., she struck the rocks southward of Cape Egmont. After a short time she managed to get otfj and proceeded on her vogage. The water gained in No. 1 hold till Tuesday, when the ballast tanks were found "to be full of water, and the steamer was going down by the head. On Tuesday evening she became-un-manageable* and was found to be gradually sinking. About 9 p.m. she was going down fast, and all hands were ordered into the boats. There was barely time to clear before the steamer sank off Hokianga Heads! A light was seen at a distance of about 10 miles. Two boats, containing the chief officer, Mr Cameron, the second and third engineers, and 14 of the crew, landed at Omapere beach at daylight this^ morning. •The third boat's crew from the Ventnor are reported safe . Dunedin, October 29. ]

The Ventnor was under charter to the Admiralty to take coal from , Westport to Hong Kong. She belonged o the Ventnor Company, of Glasgow, where she was built in 1901. She was a steel steamer of 3961 tons gross tonnage, and 346 (nominal) horse-power. '■ \ The Alliance Assurance Company had a risk of £4650 on the Ventnor's cargo of bodies, and of this amount j £1806 was reinsured in the South British Office. The bodies came from Greymouth, Wellington, and Dunedin. Wellington, October 29. Of the coffins carried in the Ventnor 489 were insured in the Alliance Company for £5490, and the fungus is insured for about £320 in various offices in Wellington. The Ventuor was four inches light of her marks. As she had not a full load af coal when she arrived from Westport, and as she was on time| charter, the agents despatched heri without waiting for more. - Grey-mouth, October 29. Altogether 177 Chinese bodies or bones "of those bodies were shipped at Greymouth. Some had "been in the cemetery for 20 years, while others had never been interred. The Chinese community, here are in a great state of excitement over the foundering of the Ventnor with the bodies aboard. ; Hokiaxga Heads, Oct 29 (1.30 p.m. ) The s.s. Energy has just returned with the Ventnor's third boats crew, consisting of ten men, six Europeans and four Chinamen. The boat was picked up two miles past Whangape (north of Hokianga). The crew were making for Cape Maria Van Dieman. The boat was half full of water when picked up, and the men were very exhausted, and they had to be lifted on board the Energy. The crew suppose that the fourth boat was capsized. They state that the last they saw of the captain was when he and the third mate jumped overboard together from the sinking steamer. Both are supposed to have been drowned. There are stated to have been eleven men in the missing boat. Oponcxni, Oct. 29 (3p.m.) The Ventnor sunk at 9 p.m. on ! Tuesday. When it was first found the steamer was sinking all hands were ordered into the boats, but they had barely time for clearing before the vessel foundered.