THE WRECKS AT TIMARU.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 323, 27 May 1869, Page 3

THE WRECKS AT TIMARU.

(From the Timaru Herald, May 24.) anniversary of Her Majesty's birthday in 1869 will be long remembered in Timaru; as on that day (Monday last) it is our painful duty to record the total loss of two vessels — the barques Collingwood and Susan Jane, and also the loss of one of the lifeboat's crew in their brave, but unfortunately vain endeavours to go to the assistance of a schooner — the Twilight — which was lying in the roadstead, and had during the whole of the fore noon on Monday been flying a signal of dis treSSH Tne Collingwood, barque, of 457 tons register, was built in New York about 20 years ago, and had been trading in colonial waters for the last six or seven years — principally between Dunedin and Newcastle. She was owned by Messrs Hutcheson and Co., of Dunedin. The Collingwood arrived inthe Timaru roadstead early on Wednesday morning, having taken on board at Lyttelton 1700 bags of wheat, and intended to complete her loading in Timaru with about 25,000 bushels more of wheat, with which she was to proceed to Auckland. During Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 1225 bags were shipped on board — making the total cargo on board at the time of the wreck between 10,000 and 11,000 bushels. During Friday and Saturday there was a nasty sea running, but unaccompanied with any wind, and not sufficient to prevent the shipping of cargo. During Sunday the sea rose and a very heavy surf tumbled on the beach, but still, strange to say, without any wind. At about six o'clock on Sunday evening the sea was at its highest, and during the evening, when a slight puff of wind came off the land, the signal was made from shore by the firing of a rocket to "go to sea." The Susan Jane and the schooner Twilight attempted to obey the signal, but the wind was so very light that it was found impossible to do so, and anchors were again dropped. For about two hours before midnight the sea dropped considerably, but after that hour it again rose to its former strength. Towards morning, between 4 and 5 o'clock, it is said that the barque Susan Jane drifted past the bows of the Collingwood, and it is supposed I that the latter vessel's anchor was lif ied or

the cable broken by getting foul of the Susan Jane's cable, for just then the Collingwood found herself adrift, and heading rapidly towards the land. The starboard anchor had parted previously, and now as the port anchor had gone, the barque was perfectly helpless, at the mercy of the waves, for there was not a breath of air to enable the vessel to get out of her imminent danger. Soon after five o'clock, she was amidst the in-shore breakers, and shortly afterwards took the ground about mid-way along the Waimataitai lagooa, in Woollcombe's gully. As soon as she grounded, Mr Mills, the Harbour-Master, was present on tbe beach with the rocket apparatus, and in firing the first rocket, Mr Mills, we regret to say, was severely burned about the face and right hand, the rocket going off so suddenly that he had not time to get to a safe distance. A second rocket was fired under the direction of Captain Crawford, and it was well directed, passing right over the vessel. The line having been seized by the men on board, a large rope was quickly passed to the vessel, and preparations made for rescuing the crew. A life buoy, with a species of sack attached underneath was speedily rove on to the rope, and being pulled by a smaller line backwards and forwards from the vessel to the shore, every man on board was soon landed. The men thus landed were the first and second officers, the crew of ten men, three men who were working their passage, and four men who were taken on board at Timaru for stowing cargo — seventeen souls in all. The master, Captain Lewis, was ashore at the time of the wreck. The last man to leave the wreck was Mr Green, the firat mate. The Collingwood at this time was resting on an even keel, head on to the beach, but between 8 and 9 o'clock she slewed broadside on to the sea, which then having greater power over her, the work of demolition was from that time most rapid. Between 1 1 and 12 o'clock her masts went one after the other, and an hour or two later she was completely broken up. After the disastrous loss of the Collingwood many were the anxious eye 3 directed towards the Susan Jane, which was seen as daylight dawned on Monday bravely fighting with the breakers, having drifted some considerable distance inshore from the position she was anchored in the previous evening. The Susan Jane, as most of our readers are doubtless aware, belonged to Messrs Cain, Le Cren, Turnbull, and others in Timaru, and was brought from New York in the year 1867. Since then she has been chiefly engaged in the coal trade between Timaru and Newcastle. On Wednesday last she arrived in the roadstead from Mercury Bay, Auckland, with a cargo of timber. During last week a few boat-loads only of this timber were discharged. On Sunday afternoon she was riding easily at her anchors, and did not commence to drag till late in the evening, after having made an unsuccessful attempt to put to sea by which she lost good anchorage ground. After midnight on Sunday and Monday morning she dragged considerably, and at dawn on Monday she was seen to be well into the entrance of Caroline Bay, with anchors down, and a large amount of canvas set to ease off the strain on her cables. If there had been the slightest land breeze, her safety was certain ; but unfortunately, during all Monday there was not sufficient wind even to blow out the signals which were pas ing between the vessel and the authorities on shore at the Government flagstaff. From eight o'clock in the morning till past midday the vessel slowly drifted nearer the shore, anxiously watched by hundreds of spectators who lined the cliffs. At last, when all hope was past of saving the vessel, the signal was given to " slip the cables." The barque then rapidly surged towards the land, and eventually took the beach under the cliff nearly opposite to the house of Mr H. J. LeCren. Mr Morrison, late pilot of the port, was on the top of the cliff with the rocket apparatus, and threw a well directed line between her fore and main masts. The rope with the life-buoy was rapidly rigged out, and the work commenced of landing the crew, nine in number, from the stranded vessel. All got safely ashore without mishap, with the exception of the ship's cook and mate, who both fell into the boiling surf whilst on their passage from the vessel. The cook was saved by Captain Peterson, the master of the Susan Jane, who boldly rushed into the surf and seized the man, and both were pulled out of the water by the bystanders on shore. The cook was, we regret to say, badly injured by the fall. The mate was also saved. The vessel then was lying deck on to the sea, and soon began to breakup. Late at night the masts went and she was a complete wreck, and the cargo washed out of her lined the beach in all directions. About the time the Susan Jane was wrecked, with fortunately all hands saved, another scene was being transacted on another part of the beach, which had a different and a tragical ending. We have said before that the Twilight, schooner, had been flying a signal of distress the greater part of Monday morning, and not only was the signal flying, but the crew were heard on shore loudly shouting for assistance. The crew of the life-boat were, we believe, away at the time, on the look-out to render assistance to the Susan Jane, and some time elapsed before they could be got together. Some men had in the meantime forced open the life-boat house, and were proceeding to take her on to the beach — a volunteer crew having i-een got for her — but a gentleman informed Mr Mills, the harbour master (who had charge of the life-boat) of this unwarrantable act, and he at once took matters in his own hands, and got together his own tried crew. Plenty of volunteers were forthcoming to drag the boat on the carriage from the shed to that part of the beach used by the new Landing Company, where it was proposed to launch her. The carriage was taken some little distance into the surf and after one or two attempts, the boat was fairly let go. Something however went wrong, and the boat instead of sliding down the groove in the carriage got

misplaced and stuck, hopelessly on the axles, and a heavy sea coming washed the boat off the carriage and broadside on to the sea, throwing out the crew. She was immediately hauled bow on again by scores of willing volunteers, and an attempt was again made to shove her off, but the effort failed, and a heavy wave washed her up the beach broadside on, smashing nearly all the oars. The men were either washed or thrown out of the boaton each occasion, but they soon scrambled into her again. Several times did the volunteers push off the boat, and on each occasion it was thrown back high up on the beach as a mere toy, each time drifting to the north and nearer to the reef which separates the two landing services. At last the efforts made were successful, and the boat left the beach amid the cheers of the spectators who thronged the beach road and the high ground adjoining. The moment was one of intense excitement, as the boat was fairly over the reef where the waves were breaking with the greatest fury, and it was then seen that out of her full crew only six were on board, the others having been washed out and left on the beach. The names of the crew when the boat finally quitted the shore were, Mr Mills, (Harbour Master), Duncan Cameron (coxswain), A. White, Thomas Baker, G. Newton, and W. Oxley. When just at the edge of the reef, and but a little way from the shore, a tremendous sea struck the boat and capsized her, throwing all the men into the water. The scene on the beach at this moment was one of the most fearful excitement, as all the men were struggling in the water, but it was seen that most, if not all, of them had on the cork life-belts belonging to the boat. The Alexandra had righted herself in an instant, and soon one man was seen to climb into her, and hold out his hand to assist in another. Presently five men had again climbed into the boat, but one was missing, and was not seen again. It was soon discovered that that man was Duncan Cameron. When the lifeboat capsized, all the oars except one were lost, and with this one oar, and a line which was attached to the boat's anchor, the crew managed to bring the boat on shore without being again upset. It is generally supposed tbat Duncan Cameron was rendered insensible by a blowonthe head, either from the steer-oar or some part of the boat, as he was a most expert swimmer, and could have reached the boat, even without a lifebelt, if by any means be lost it. We learn that when in the water Cameron caught hold of Newton's leg, and would have drowned Newton had he not shaken himself free. Cameron was a good Bailor, and came to Timaru some years ago from Taranaki. He leaves a wife and four children, and we thinkwe have only to mention this fact to ensure liberal assistance for them from a public ever ready to appreciate courage, and to help those in distress. This loss of life is more to be deplored when the occasion for such a sacrifice is by many persons called in question. In such a matter we do not wish to judge; it is the duty of the harbour master to decide whether he will or will not answer a signal of distress, and as Captain Mills was himself in the boat, no one can say that he in any way shirked his duty, although at the time he was suffering from the effects of an accident with a rocket in the morning. What the schooner Twilight wanted we do not know, as she put to sea on Monday evening when a light breeze sprung up, but it is generally supposed that she was short of provisions and water. It ia a most significant fact, and one which, amid all this distress, speaks a word in favour of the holding ground in the Timaru roadstead, that the schooner Twilight, riding at the outer anchorage for small craft, scarcely shifted her position, and rode out the storm with comparative ease. Had the other vessels been further out, and never taken up their anchors, they, in all probability, would now be in the roadstead. We understand that both the Collingwood and Susan Jane were well insured, and the cargoes of both vessels were also insured. The hull of the Collingwood was insured in the Zew Zealand Insurance Company for £2500, and the grain on board covered by a floating policy in the Union Bank. The hull of the Susan Jane was insured for £1500.