FATAL WRECK

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4818, 5 December 1893, Page 1

FATAL WRECK

Rescue of the Survivors. Terrible Privations. [Per Press Association], DUNEDIN, Dec. 4. Ths Government steamer Hinemoa, Captain Fairchild, arrived at the wharf this afternoon with the survivors of th 9 barque Spirit of Dawn, wrecked ou Antipodes Island. On the Hinemoa Hearing the Island on Nov. 30 Captain Fairchild observed a flagstaff erected on the knoll on the south- wett end. Proceeding to the north-east end, whore the depdt with provisions is situated, he expected to find someone there, but no one put in an appearance. He despatched the second officer to where the flag was, and then commenced to steam round to look, for wreckage. On getting to the south side a flagstaff was observed on a low terrace, and some men walking about on the rocks. A boat was lowered and S3nt ashore, and then a piteous eight; was beheld. Eleven m n, some of whom had very little clothing, were found standing on the rocks, BOtno with a piece of raw penguin flesh, which they had been eating, in their hands. Their first salutation was, j " GOD BLESS TOTT ! j We hava been here eighty days." The whole of that time they had been living on the raw flesh of mutton birds and penguins, penguins' eggs, ioot3 of the pleura phyllium plant, and a creeping plant resembling celery. They proved to be the survivors of the barque Spirit of the Dawn belonging to Messrs Johnston, Bell and Co., of Liverpool, and bound from Rangoon to Talcahuano. After landing from the wreck they had nothing but what they stood in, and some of them had little more than underclothing. The place where they landed is about three miles from the Government depdt containing provisions, but none of them ever searched the island or went to the top of Mount Galloway, 1320 feeb, from which the depot can be seen. They were so exhausted that they could not walk about. They recovered strength as soon as the penguins came about, when they got their eggs. Their greatest hardship was BEING WITHOUT FIRE and a proper place to sleep. During the time the castaways were on the island they i saw four vessels pass to the southward ' and eastward, but their signal was not observed. Strange to say, though there are a number of goats, sheep and cattle on, the island, which is only 3000 acres in extant, none of them were observed by the castaways. On the men getting on board, Captain Fairohild managed to find clothes for all of them, and it is needle? s to say that he treated them with that characteristic kindness which distinguishes him. That the men are grateful they showed by at once getting up a testimonial to him. The foregoing particulars were kindly furnished by Mr Gordon, Inspector of Mines.

THE CHIEF MATE'S STATEMENT. The following details are supplied by Mr Homer, chief mate : The Spirit of Dawn, Captain K. T. Miliington, left Eangoon on June 17, bound for Talcahuano, Chili, with a cargo of rice. We Lad squally weather down the Bay of Bengal, and then variable winds and moderate weather to the New Zealand coast. On the morning of Sept. 4, about 4.30, the man on the lookout reported that he thought he _ : SAW BBEAKERS AHEAD. I was in charge of the watch, and at once ran forward, but could see nothing. However, finding the fog dense, I thought it prudent to call the captain and all hands. Captain Miliington, on reaching the deck, ordered the helm to be put hard up, but owing to the small sail the vessel had on her she did not pay off sufficiently quickly, and it was then discovered that she was close to a reef of rock*, upon which she immediately struck. The captain at once ordered lifebelts to be served out to all hands and gave instructions for the etarbcard lifeboat to be cleared away. As the VES3EL WAS SETTLINO DOWN very rapidly, however, we had no time to get the boat into the davita, and the captain seeing this ordered the men to take to the mizzen rigging. This they did, all but the second mate and me. We remained on the main deck, and then got into the boat as she lay on the skids, aad as the vessel went down she floated off with us. The men jumped from the mizzen rigging into the water, and thus crawled into the boat with us. The captain waß in- the rigging at the time. He did not jump with the rest. THE BHIP THEN , SANK BODILY, and Captain Miliington went down with her. The carpenter and an able seaman were abo in the rigging. The fog became very dense, and we in the boat could not see the rocks or anything else. The boat drifted out to sea with the tide and wind. We had oars and water in the boat. She was supplied according to regulations. We lost; eight of the island, the tide taking us further seaward. Next day, about eleven o'clock in the morning, the fog lifted and we saw the inland. It was perhaps seven or eight miles away, but I could hardly give the distance as the weather was still thick. We made for the island and got there about three o'clock in the afternoon. I guesEed tbat by the sun, as we had no watches. We looked about for a landing-place, but could find no beach. We, however, discovered a sort of entrance among the rocks, and got in there all pretty well exhausted. We passed the gear out and made the boat fact, but there was no place to haul her up, and during the first night she broke away. We started to look round for food and water and some chanea of shelter. We were lucky enough to find water in abundance, and as for food we CAUGHT MUTTON BIRDS AND DUG UP BOOTS, which we ate raw ; thus we were satisfied that we would not starve. The first night we slept in the boat's sails, and after that we knocked up a hut of tussocks, roofing ib with the boat's oara and sails. We also erected a- signal-staff out of the boat's mast and an oar, and set a sharp lookout for any vessels that might come that way. We had no means of getting fire at all. The people all kept in good health excepting a Rangoon native boy named Hewbert, who suffered in the feet. We attended him, and washed him. After a week or two we caught penguins, and in a month wo got eggs too. All were eaten raw. The Hinomoa came in eight on Nov. 30. We hoisted our flag, she saw it, dent a boat ashore, and all hands were taken on board. The men behaved remarkably well throughout STATEMENT BY THE SECOND MATE. The second mate (Mr Morrtsey) here said tbat the last he saw of the steward was his coming into the cabin. That was after the vessel was on the rocks. (The steward and the secoud mate shared one cabin). When the steward went into the main cabin he wa3 gettimj out stores. The steward made a remark that he was. afraid they were all going down, but the second insto advised i'im to keep cool, adding that j

all would be well. The steward then went into the cabin again, and the second mate saw no more of him. As for the cook, Mr Morrisey saw him in the galley with a light. Nothing was eeen of hiß movements after that. As the boat waß leaving the ship's side the captain called out to them to pull clear of the rocks, and they did bo.

THE CREW. The nameß and rating of those who were lost are as follow :— Captain B. T. Millington, a married man, belonging to Liver poolj J. Peterson, a Swede, carpenter; Peter Dawson, cook, belonging to Liverpool; Cetti, atewari, a native of Copenhagen (the men do not know his Christian name); Frank Vautier, A.8., of Jersey. The names and rating of the survivors are a3 follows:— R. H. Homer, chief officer; J. Morrisey, second officer; H. L. Davies, third officer; T. E. Ballard, A.8.; J. J. Peers, A.8.; C. D. Mason, A.8. ; F. M'Laughlin, A.8. : B. V. Anderaon, 0.5.; F. Hewbert, 0.5.; W. B. Clementson, apprentice; E. B. Bergtheim, apprentice. The boy Hewbeit was taken to the hospital as soon as the Hinemoa arrived. He bai lost two toes from his right foot, and a joint is gone from each of two other toes on the same foot. All the other survivors are in capital health.