LOSS OF SOUTHERN CROSS

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1932, Page 9

LOSS OF SOUTHERN CROSS

.RE i '.N OF WRECKED CREW *' ■.?: I-'"- < HEROIC WORK OF FIRST MATE. FINDING OF COURT OF INQUIRY. / NO BLAME-FOR ANY OF CREW. ,By Tilegraph.—Press Association. Wellington ,Dec. "12. Captain. Stanton and the seven white members of the wrecked mission ship Southern" Cross complement returned to Auckland to-day aboard the Aorarigi. It was learned that, a Naval Court sat at Vila; (New Hebrides) to inquire into the wreck, apd its Sliding was: — “Having regard to the circumstances we find that on the evidence, in theabsence of all records, which were lost with the vessel, no blame can be attributed: ; to the master, the officer who wag on Watch at the time or any other member.of- the crew. The-course set by tfife master should- have taken the vessel about 30 miles to. westward of Aneityum Island. “The court" is aware that very strong currents are experienced at times between the New Hebrides and Caledonian ’ Groups running to eastward during the hurricane .season, but in the absence of records it is not; possible for the court? •to state definitely the s-t and trend of the currents. During the hurricane season visibility .is often exceedingly poor owing to haze and rain squalls covering the high land. . “The court desires to direct the attention of the .Board .of Trade to the efforts nutjo ‘bythe master ' and officers to save life, in* Which they were successful, and in -• particular the action -. of the first mate, James William Scott, in’swimming to the shore through the heavy sea with ' ' a- Iffie.” ' The story of the wreck of the Southexh Cross, aS told in .Captain Stanton's report, shows that on Sunday, October 30, the weather was so cloudy that it was impossible to “take the sun” or correct’.thb". compass - deviations..’ Ten min< utes before two in the morning of Monday the second officer, Mr. R. W. Holmes, called the captain to report the loom ■of land. The indications were by no means clear, but Captain Stanton altered the course slightly. By three o’clock a heavy rain squall came up. . , . The brder to stand by Was>giveh, and'•' five minutes later slow''ahead., was .Of" dered. Five minutes later Captain'Stan- ' ton ordered full speed astern, and at the same :■moment; .'the'. lookout caught’ sight of breakers dead ahead. The ship’s head 'was promptly turned to port, but she had lost steerage way, and the wind . and the set of the sea were carrying her ohV ' The engine was put full speed., ahead to get'her round and clear ’the breakers, but at that moment ’ she scraped the rocks and piled up, and the seas flung the ship broadside on to > the re<f. , - •. /

A moment later'the engineer reported that the engineroom was filling fast. The port lifeboat was swung out, but was caught "by the wind and hurled inboard through, the sundeck, and it was impossible to get the starboard lifeboat ■ out. A searchlight switched onlrevealed low? lying rocks,; and a heavy sea, but there was ho sign of land. Fiye minuted later the dynamo gave out and the ship was in tcSal- darkness. ' She Was "pounding herself to pieces on the rocks. < It was then that the chief officer, Mr. Scott,,swkm 'ashore with-a line, but whenlfe : reached the shore he found that, the line TiS'd' been' sharp coral.' Another line was floated ashore, which, was also cut through, and there was then nothing to do but,to .plunge' in. The captain helped a passenger, Mr. Sfblte, ashore, and Mr. Holmes helped the others. They were fortunate to get ashore alive, u

Captain Stanton and the second mate walked 14 miles before they dis- - covered the home of a trader, Mr. Freeman, who, with another trader, Mr. Wilson, hospitably- received the whole party. ?'■/.'

It was ten days before Captain Stanton reached Vila," after many hardships. Mr. Holmes, who was suffering from exposure, fever and coral cuts, ,was left on Eromapgo, "and the other officers, Mr. Scott and Mr. Wilkes, were sent to hospital oh reaching Vila..