Aground on Tiritiri.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4864, 1 December 1883, Page 4

Aground on Tiritiri.

Full Account. i [Pbb Puasa Asbooution.J AUOKLAND, Nor. 30. Great exoitement was oaused in town thia morning by a report whioh obtained epeedy oiroulation, to the effeot that the direot ; Bteamer Triumph had gone ashore at Tiritiri. That it was substantially oorreot was, however, soon proved beyond a doubt. A resident oi North Shore brought the intelligence that not only was the vessel hard and fast on one side of Tiritiri, but that she had beon firing guns sinoe daylight. Tho flagstaff at Mount Viotoria only too clearly showed the signal denoting a steamer in distress. It was well known the Triumph had left the Queen Street Wharf about 8 o'clook last night, Pilot William Burgess being in charge. The night waß a clear starlight one, and there could be no difficulty outside in seeing tho land on either, hand. This faot it was whioh inclined people to doubt the statement that the vessel was ashore at Tiritiri, it being considered highly improbable that she would have run on to aB island whioh must have loomed up large, and on whioh there is always a bright light burning. When, the report of the catastrophe was made known,, it was remembered as a moßt fortunate ciroumstance that the emigrants for the , South were shipped on the Manapouri, and left by that vessel yesterday; consequently the exoitement ia town was not heightened by fears for the safety of passengers. From tho vessel's papers it appeared that there was only one pa»senger aboard, and he was a Mr Thompson, who had oome through with the ateamer from London, and was bound South. The Triumph had, of oourse, a considerable quantity of oargo, shipped at the commencement of the voyage, for Wellington, Lyttelton, and Port Chalmers, and, iv addition to this, about 22 bales of wool, threo bales of. basils, besides aome ourioa aod pictures taken in at Auckland. Although the aooident must have happened about 10 o'clook last night, nothing ■ was known of it until this morning. At - daybreak J. Sanders, signalman, made his cus- : ternary inspeotion of the entrance to the harbour, when he was astonished to observe a large ateamer close in shore on tho eastern sido of Tiritiri. It was apparent at a glance that she was injudiciously near to land, and various indications favoured the conclusion that sho was aground. There was no means of ascertaining the name of the unfortunate ship, but he at once dispatched a message to Captain Burgess* chief Harbourmaster, informing him of the oircumstances. There was at thiß time a signal at Tiritiri station for a steamer to come down, and Captain Burgess at onoe made the necessary arrangements for chartering the Iforth Shore Perry Company's Victoria. Steam was got up on board, and the Victoria left early in the forenoon, under the oharge of Captain Olarke, and having Captains Burgess and Wearing on board. The Viotoria returned at noon. Mr Thompson, the passenger by the Triumph, came to Auokland with her. This gentleman says he was asleep at the time of the ooourrence. * The steamer left the wbarf about eight o'olook, and aoon after ten o'clock he was awakened by her striking heavily. The Bhock naturally oreated a good deal of exoitement on board, especially when it was found that water was making fast. The captain was on tho bridge at tho time, and the pilot had left more than an hour previously. When she etruok the Bteamer was going at the rato of 11 miles per hour. When he left thero was about 12ft of water in the Bmall fore compartment where ehe had struck. Blue lights and rookets were burned during the night for assistance, and this morning guns wero Are-. Captain Olarke states that the Triumph is lying on the south-east end of Tiritiri. She ie fixed on tho rooks under the south-east point, and in the fairway for the lighthouse. She struck at the foremost water-tight compartment, whioh is now partially filled with water. Captain Burgess, after taking soundings, advised that the cargo should be taken out of the forehold and placed aft, so as to lighten her as much as possible forward, in the hope that she might bo got to float oif. This was to be done when the Victoria left. There is 17ft of water abaft the fore rigging on the inner side, while there could not be less than 17 fathoms under the. stern. The Government steamer Stella left for the soene at 2 o'clock, with a outter in tow. The Macgregor wont down later. Theße vessels will render any assistance required in the way of removing cargo or towage. Mr Seed, of the Oußtoms department, Mr Hill, snd Captain Burgess went down in the Stella. Messrs Nathan and Co., the ship's agent?, gent down ratohes for lightening the oargo. The WaitaVi, coming from Whangarei, stood in to Tiritiri and offered assistance, but Captain Brotherton declined. Ho offered no explanation of the oasualty, probably reserving his evidence for the Oourt; of Inquiry. The Star to-night soys : —" Xhe disaster to the Bteamer Triumph to-day is certainly one of the most extraordinary casualties we have ever read of. By what conceivable error the vessel's head could have pointed,. on a fine night, straight for a large island with a lighthouse on it, we cannot oonjeoture, and uatil the official inquiry has thrown tome light on the subjeot it would be improper to make any comment. Tho fact, however, remains, that the ordinary course of a ateamer bound South should havo taken it ot least six miles away from Tiritiri ia a perfectly open passage, with no dangers anywhere. Why the vessel was driven head-long on liritiri witbin an hour after the pilot had left her, is a mystery whioh the offioers of tho _ vessel have as yet declined to explain to anyone who has visited the ship in her preterit dangerous position. Captain Burgees, Harbour- master, who went down to tho Triumph, states tbat he considers it a bad position, more especially if it were to blow from the north-west. Bhe is lying about 50 feet from the cliffs, and close on the southeast end of Tiritiri on the rooks. Her fore compart went is full of water. He cori eiders the only chance to get her off is to shift the cargo, and put her down ao muoh as possible by the stern. Ho made an inspection, but oould not discover if any of tho other compartments were injured besides this. Soundings which were made showed 9 foot of water under the fore hatch, 18 feet atthe beginning of tho main hatch, 27 feet at the ond of the main hatcb, and 77 feet at the stern of the veßeel. Tbo Captain informed the Harbourmaster that bo was on deck when the steamer struck, but he could give no explanation regarding the caßualt-y." Captain Hopkins, of tho steamer Blanche, from Orewa, made the following statement to the Star reporter: —" I was coming from Orewa early this morning wheu I obsorved over the end of Tiritiri a Bteamer's mast, with a distress signal on it. I hove away in that direction, and found that tho ateamer was the Triumph, and tbat she was ashore on the island. Those aboard began to fire gun«, and continued to do so until I not within half a mile of them, firing about baif a dozen guns altogether. I steamed right across the passage and under the Triumph's stern. She was jammed right on to the eastern corner of Tiritiri, so that when she struck Bhe mußt havo been going north north-west, while she shoal-i really have been heading north-east. Her bow was right on the rocks within 25 yards of the cliff. I went alongside, and asked if I could give them any assistance. They told me the Captain was bflow, and I wen!* aboard and aakud him if I could do anything for bim, but he replied that the Harbour-master would be thero presently, so that he did not want any assistance just then. Although I had gone three miles out of my way hi did nat even say ' Thank you' I went forward and Lad a look st the forehold. It was partly filled with water, and there was a lot of broken timbor, which I suppose waa emigrants' fitt.tngß. floating about. Ihere was about 14ft of water in the compartment, but as it wns dirty I could not see if the rocks were through the bottom. On the port bow thero wove »*. lot .-it broken rooks, one peak not havinß more than four feot of water over it. After the Harbourmaster had made his soundings, I asked the Captain again if ho wanted any assistance. He replied " No." I left at a quarter past eleven. The third mate told mo that the Captain was on deck at the time of the occurrence. Blue lights were sent up for assistance during the night. They had a ledge out ovor the quarter on a wire rope, but it was not well out, being at an angle of, ' 45." Captain Hopkina added that tho

steamer had no bnsiness within wro auletof where she struck.