WRECK OF THE S.S. 'AIREDALE,' AT TUNIWHA POINT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 1063, 15 February 1871, Page 2

WRECK OF THE S.S. 'AIREDALE,' AT TUNIWHA POINT.

It is with much regret we have to record the total loss of the favourite steamer 'Airedale,' which unfortunately went on shore at a place about a mile and a half to the north of the Waitara.

The s.s. ' Phoebe' arrived yesterday morning, at about 5 a.m., and on being boarded, Captain Worsp expressed some surprise that the s.s. 'Airedale,' which had started some time before him, had not shown up. The weather early in the morning had been very stormy, heavy rain falling incessantly from one o'clock until daylight. At about half-past seven, some excitement was occasioned by Mr. Bailey, the messenger of the Post Office, who had been to Auckland on a trip, and the chief mate of the 'Airedale,' riding into town and announcing that the s.s. ' Airedale,' with the English mail on board, was ashore in a bay about two miles io the north of the Waitara. A boat was launched, and Captain Holford, Harbou)* Master, Mr. H. Bailey, the chief mate, and others, at once went off to the • Phoebe.' On announcing the fact to Captain Worsp, he hoisted the anchor and steamed off to the scene of the accident.

At about ten o'clock, Mr. F. U. Gledhill, who was returning from Auckland in the ' Airedale,' came into town, and from him we gather the following particulars :—: —

The s.s. * Airedale,' Captain Kennedy, left the Manukau on Monday, the 13th, at 2.30 p.m., having on board the English mail, via San Francisco, and about twenty passengers. The vessel crossed the Manukau bar at 5 p.m., and steamed at full speed for this port ; the ' Phoebe' following about a quarter of an hour afterwards. The sea was smooth, aud the weather continued clear until after sunset, when it began to thicken with a slight drizzling rain. It continued to thicken, and the steamer proceeded on her course at the usual speed she travels when having the English mail on board. At twenty minutes to four yesterday morning, the whole of the passengers were suddenly startled by the vessel receiving a tremendous shock. It was too dark to see where they were. Although the moon had past her last quarter, and would not have yielded much light, still, had it not been so thick, it would have been sufficiently bright to have enabled Captain Kennedy to see where he was. But the atmosphere we believe, was, to use the expression of those on board, " too thick to see your hand before you." There was, no doubt, that the vessel was on a rock, and the anxiety of the passengers must, at this time, have been great, not J knowing but at any moment they might i be launched into a watery grave. As the swell that was coming in made the vessel lurch, every moment it was expected she would go down with all on board. The water^on coming in, at once put out the fires in the engine-room, and the berths in the saloon were fully a foot deep in water. Several guns were fired from the vessel, but were not answered from the shore. Captain Kennedy also gave orders that the mail bags should be got ont of the hold. They were hooked np, but were all saturated with water. By the time a i good portion of the mail was on deck it was getting daylight, and then it could be seen that the vessel was imbedded on a reef of rocks which lie near Tnniwha Point, about a mile and a half from the Waitara. Captain Kennedy then ordered a boat to be got ready, and the chief mate and Mr. Henry Bailey, of the Post Office, were despatched in it to the Waitara, with orders to at once proceed to town, and give information of the foundering of the ' Airedale' to the authorities. Mr. W. Halse happened to be at his residence at the Waitara, and on being made acquainted with the accident, lent his own horse to Mr. Bailey, and procured another for the chief mate, who being thus mounted, galloped into town and arrived here at about 7.30 a.m. Captain Grundy and the crew of the ' Industry,' which was in the Waitara River at the time, at once went in a boat to the spot where the ' Airedale' stranded, and bronght ashore Mr. Gledhill and Miss Gledhill, Rev. Mr. Reid, a lady and a little girl. A breakfast had been provided by Mr. Halse, which was very acceptable to the passengers onlanding ; and having partaken of it, the party proceeded to town. Major Brown, agent of the vessel, and Mr. W. S. Atkinson, Lloyd's agent, proceeded to the wreck, when a survey was held on her, and they returned to town again last evening, in the ' Phoebe.' The ' Phoebe' returned to the roadstead at about 4.30 p.m., bring with her the passengers and several of the officers and crew ; also, the English mail, cargo, and as many things from the unfortunate vessel as could be put on board. Major Tuke with a detachment of the Armed Constabulary marched out yesterday to Tuniwha Bay, where they have encamped so as to protect any part of the wreck that may be washed on shore. It is curious that the day on which the vessel was wrecked, will be made remarkable from it happening so closely on the anniversary of the massacre at the White Cliffs. i

The following is a list of the passengers on board the ' Aii'edale' at the time of her stranding :—: —

For Taranaki — Mr. and Miss Gledhill.

For Nelson — Mrs. Carnuck, Mrs. Wickham, Mrs. Zohrab, Messrs. Muir, Wilkie, Kahi, Glassford, Wikham, O'Neill, Welsh, Haughton.

For Wellington — Messrs. Thome, Marks, Palmer. For Lyttelton — Mr. Crookes.

For Otago — Rev. A. Reid, Mr. Wardlow.

The loss of the ' Airedale' will be much felt, as she was the favourite passenger boat on the coast ; and we feel sure that everyone in the Colony, will sympathise with Captain Kennedy in his misfortune.