POSITION OF THE WRECK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16748, 1 June 1922, Page 8

POSITION OF THE WRECK.

NEAR SOUTH END OF BARRIER. [Pjcr Prim Association.] AUCKLAND, June 1The Wiltshire ran ashore at the south end of Great Barrier Island, while trying to make port after her voyage from Liverpool. She was commanded by Captain B. G. Hayward, the company s commodore. She carries 90 officers and men. There were no passengers. It was a dirty black night when the vessel struck at Rosalie Bay, about three miles north of the extreme southern end of the Barrier, which at this j*oint is one of the rockiest and wildest of the gulf islands. As soon as the news reached Auckland the harbour master took steps to intercept vessels in the neighbourhood, and despatch them to the scene. Later a message was received stating that, two holds were full of water, and that the ship was very exposed to the gale. Two and a half hours after the Wiltshire struck came a message that the steamer was badly on shore, rocking about, and that immediate assistance was required to save life; that several steamers were coming, but were too far off. The nearest steamer was the Union Company's Katoa, on the way from Auckland to Whangarei. She was 25 miles off Rosalie Bay. The Dundala, coming to Auckland from Newcastle, was about ten miles away and the same distance off was the Arahura, bound for Gisborne from Auckland. A party provided with rockets and other life-saving gear for transport to the Wiltshire left with the Moeraki, which left port at 1 p.m. to-day. They are aJso taking rockets and other lifesaving appliances. The steamer will call at Tryphena and land the material for despatch to the Wiltshire. At 11 a.m. word oarae that all the crew were still hanging on, as it a human impossibility to communicate with the shore. Heavy seas *ere pounding over the vessel, w'hich was full of water. She has a large number of holds, all separated by massive bulkheads, but the pounding of the rocks had knocked her about to such an extent that she was full of water from end to end. The wireless was still uninterrupted, end those aboard were able to communicate the news of their dire peril. The position of the crew was then most critical, owing to the violence of the sea«.

A still later message gave the position as worse and desperate. As the tragic messages came through the radio the situation of the men on the wreck grew graduallv worse, as is indicated by the wireless messages.