WRECK OF S.S KAWATIRI.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 12016, 17 August 1907, Page 3

WRECK OF S.S KAWATIRI.

Hobart, August 16. Various passengers give thrilling naratives of the terrible _ordeal through r which they passed on the wreck of the Kawatiri. An account by Constable Wardley gives. tbn details of some.of the expsriencba I- The men passengers and crew liuddled upon the bridge of the sunken steamer the long night through, all more or less scantily clad, with simply appalling seas breaking over them. At 2.30 in the morning all lights went out, and the men were penned in what looked like a certain death-trap. They could not see each other, but to one another they spoke words of encouragement., which could be heard through the awful gale. Before the ship settled down the men on" the bridge could hear knocking forward. One ISilor managed to work his way along and found eleven steerage passengers locked in, with the door jammed. The door was brokenfopen, when the passengers inside were fond standing in four feet Jfof water. Their escape was very for they had not been long released when the ship became almost totally submerged. SfSeveral passengers were battered and bruised through being swept Hgainsft the rocks and struck by wreckage;. ■■■,;* Further details of the disaster to the women's boat show that for over an hour after leaving the ship the boat was in imminent danger of be: ingfswamped when being carried past the entrance. Women shrieked in agonising tones: "Help help! Can't you come out and help us?" hoping that the lighthouse-keeper would hear; but there was no visible or audible response. ? The wife of the lighthouse-keeper who was on the boat 'oalled out "Jaok! help me!"—a cry which was heard by her husband on the bridge of the lighthouse. He was powerless to help, but he shouted back to the occupants of the boat. They, however, did no£ hear him, and the graft was carried Swiftly by the tide to the bieakwater; ( The acting-chief mate,Mr Hausive who was in charge threw the painter to two of the crew who jumped on to the breakwater. They missed the rope and the boatswain endeavoured to limb the steep side of the breakwater. Mr Grundy, a passenger, who was on the boat with his wife and child, was knocked down and lost his hold of his child, which he never saw again. However, he saved his wife and another . woman, Mr Haiitive slaved Miss Finch, and the lighthouse-keeper arrived in time to rescue another woman and two ohildren. ■ Mra Hooper and her "child were seen to be in the water drifting way with the tide 5 and no help* could be given.