MARGIT WRECKED.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143646, 14 November 1911, Page 3

MARGIT WRECKED.

THE CREW GET ASHORE. DISAPPEARANCE OF CAPTAIN. By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. ADELAIDE, Nov. 13. The harbourmaster at Kingston reported this morning that a three-masted vessel was aground, half a mile from shore, thirty miles north of Kingston. There was a heavy sea and surf running, and a quantity of wreckage was washed ashore. Alter reporting, tho Kingston postmaster left the office, and details are therefore unavailable. The lifeboat from Victor Harbour left early for the scone of the -wreck, a sixty miles journey. It is supposed that tho vessel is the Norwegian barque Margit, which sailed from Victor Harbour on Friday for England with a cargo of 23,385 bags of wheat shipped by the Cave Company. There are no further details of the wreck. Tho identity of tho vessel and the fate of the crew is unknown till the return of tho lifeboat.

(Received Nov. 14, 10.0 a.m.) ADELAIDE, Nov. 14. The wreck is the barque Margit, which ran ashore on Friday. On Sat : urday the crew took to the boats and sought lauding, but were prevented by the heavy surf. On Monday all hands got ashore, with the aid of lifebelts and hatches. Tho Margit has her sails set and has been forced close in-shore. , She is a total wreck., A few days before she sailed, the captain disappeared mysteriously. Ho started for the shore in a boat in order to secure a pilot, and the boat has since been found bottom up on tho Middleton beach. The Margit was a steel vessel of 1242 tons gross register, and was owned by Chris Nielsen and Co., of Lavik, Norway. The ill-fated vessel was a visitor to New Plymouth in July last. The vessel left Liverpool on March 8, and after a voyage of 119 days reached here on July 6. The captain, O. Pettersen, came ashore and reported to the local police that he had had trouble with his crew, one of whom had been in irons for several weeks. Later several of the crew deserted, and on top of this two of the remaining seamen, were imprisoned for trouble on board. The captain managed to secure a crew, who, however, when they saw the vessel, refused to put to sea. The vessel then underwent various repairs, and on August 3 the vessel put to sea for Port Victor, South .Australia, arriving there on September 13—a passage of 41 days. Considering the long -voyages from England and to Port Victor, the vessel did not seem to be possessed of great speed.