NGAHERE WRECKED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17348, 13 May 1924, Page 12

NGAHERE WRECKED.

ALL HANDS RESCUED. SHIP'S POSITION HOPELESS. (Special to the " ftiar. ) GREY MOUTH. May 13 Swept on to the North Tip by one of the most tempestuous swells that has visited the Grey bar for some time, the Ngahere, bound for ellmgton and Miramar with a full cargo of coal and timber, lies an abandoned wreck exactly where, on November 13. 1921, the Melbourne Steamship Company’s steamer Perth met her doom. The Ngahere is owned by the Blackball Coal Company, but, along with the Ngakuta, was chartered about two years ago by the Union Steam Ship Company. She was a frequent visitor to the port in the course of her coastal trade. She had been held up during the week-end owing to the condition of the bar, although her loading was completed on Saturday.* * Shortly before two o’clock this afternoon the signal was given, “ All clear,” and the Ngahere began her voyage, proceeding down the river without any trouble. The Reguhis, bound for Nelson, preceded her, and the Ngahere followed in the same track. The Regulus was badly buffeted. but managed to get out to sea. When the Ngahere reached the bar she began to pitch and toss ominously, especially when she headed for the north on her way to Wellington A heavy swell struck her broadside on, and evidently sho lost weigh, slewing on to the rocks, where she was firmly embedded amidst the remains of the ill-fated Perth.

Her position was hopeless from the start, and Captain Green, realising that all possibility of getting the vessel to refloat had gone, turned his attention to the work of getting the crew ashore. Great seas dashed merer Jessly over the top of the doomed vessel every few moments, and with even’ deluge it seemed that someone would l«e washed overboard. The vessel got up full steam, and long blasts of the fog-horn told for miles around of the ship’s distress. Soon the rise of the xido partially covered the hull of the ship. The engine-rooms were flooded, the fires smouldered, then smoke died away from the funnel. The siren sounded no more. The Ngahere lay dumbly resigned to her fate. Those on board fought a grim struggle with death. To launch a boat in the boiling sea meant that the craft and its human burden would certainly lie dashed against the rocks by tbe treacherous waves. Only a few yards separated the crew from the shore and safety, but between lay a raging, death-dealing torrent. 'The only hope was a life-line. Promptly a little boat’ with the harbour staff and the. life-saving gear came down the river, and as soon as tbe sheltered part of the breakwater was reached the men, under the harbourmaster, Captain F. W. Cox, lost no time in getting to work. Three shots were fired and the last connected. The line was made fn6t to the ship and the work of rescue began under the most menacing conditions. The waves that dashed over the doomed vessel increased in force and frequency. Even as the first man settled in the cradle that was to bear bim to safety, a gigautic wave hurled it self over the vessel, drenching him and everybody else. The line stood the test, however, and the first man. a seaman, safely landed. A heavier n.an next essayed the attempt, and he. too, wqLS safely transported over the raging waves. Tragedy almost came with tbe next attempt. A stout man, who, owing to lack of clothing was suffering badly from the effects of repeated drenchJngs, found difficulty in fitting into the cradle. The gear almost capsized, but luckily righted, itself. Tlje man when brought .ashore was, however, in a state of collapse. The work continued uninterrupted until 5.15. Many of the rescued men were severely ducked, but all were saved. The officers were the last to leave the ship, the captain and the chief officer being brought in together. t

Mails were aboard the ship for Wellington. Litt]e bop© is entertained that, the vessel can be salvaged, even if the sea moderates to-morrow*. The deck cargo v as loosened during the rescuing operations and was washed overboard. Already hundreds of pieces of timber lie stiewn on tbe Cobden beach. The crew of twenty-two were all sr.ved. and have been billeted in differ ent hotels. Clothing has also been provided for them. All of them lost Miects aboard the vessel, one mau be mg £IOO the poorer. A relief concert will take place to-morrow night. OFFICERS AND CREW. Following are the names of the officers and crew:—Master, Captain Green; chief officer. Mr H.. Miller; second, Mr ,J. Parminter ; third, Mr G. Heldebrand; chief engineer, Mr S. Murray; second, Mr D. McMurran (Greymouth); third, Mr J. W. Harkus (Lyttelton) ; boatswain, J. Panther; A.B.’s, Grayling, Upham, Barrett, O’Brien, and Garrett; greasers, Stalk, Colville, Tanner; firemen. Farley, Colville, Gosling; chief steward, R. Johnston: second, Phillips; chief cook, Ross; second, Lawton. EXPERIENCES OF THE CREW. The condition of the greaser, Charles Colville, to-night, is very much improved. He was in his bunk when the impact occurred, and had only bis underclothing on when tbe waves were tearing over the vessel. He being an elderly man. this exposure to the elements naturally had its effect. The rest of the crew are bright and cheerful. Most of their time, once ashore, was spent in procuring a newset of clothing. They state that soon after the vessel struck the tip the side was almost stove in. The, bridge jaws were wrecked, and the crew* were driven to the port side of the bridge, which afforded the only place of safety on the ship. One man was posted specially to announce the onsxreep of the heavy waves. As soon as ho gave the cry, “Hold fast!” each mau clung to the ship as tightly as he Ooulcl. and tarik drenching after drenching, until his turn came to make the risky journey to the shore The deck fittings were loosened with each wash-out, - and some apprehension was felt that the funnel, to which one end of the line was made fast, would succumb to the onslaught. Thai would have been the end of it all. Tbe men’s only chance would have been vo plunge into tbe turbulent sea and trust to luck, and their lifebelts. Had the ship not been stucic fast more trouble would probably hav o occurred. Tt is stated that the Regulus, which passed out in front of tbe Ngahere. sounded her foghorn, signalling that the hay. touched the bar. She must,

I however, have just grazed the ~and. as sho went 'ahead without any difficulty.

The Orepuki. which* had arrived »ri the roadstead just at the time of the accident, after voyaging from Wellington, stood by a while, but, finding she could be of no assistance, entered tbe port. She. has a general cargo :d?oard. One of the engineers states that as soon as the Ngahere struck, the order “Full steam ahead!” was carried out, and the impulse valve utilised. “If the engines could have taken her off she would have got away,” he declared, “but tbe sea was too strong for her.” One of the members of the crew. Fireman Farley. has been in the wrecks of the Wiltshire, Port Elliott, and Ngahere. A greaser, Tanner, was wrecked on the Welsh coast thirty years ago. THE MASTER. Captain Green was for years chief officer on the Marnroa, in the ferry service. About eighteen months ago he was promoted to captain, and was master of the Corinna in the east coast run.

A RISKY PORT.

SEVERAL WRECKS ON NORTH TIP. In soul-west' weather a very bad sea prevails on the Greymouth bar and several shps have been lost there in recent years. Tbe last one to be wrecked was the s.s. Perth which went ashore when leaving the port bound for Australia. There are two bars at Greymouth, the outer bar and the inner bar. The outer bar is about 200 yards beyond the ends of the Tips and the inner bai stretches between the two Tips. The locality is regarded by seamen as a dangerous one and the port, in bad weather, is uot always negotiable. Greymouth harbour, which is a river port, has two heads, known respectively as the North Tip and South Tip. Roth have been built up by stone ami nibble from the quarries and are at their extremities about 200 yards apart. On the South Tip is situated the signal station in which a man is always on duty. By day a system of ball signals is used, augmented hy flags, whilst at night a flashing light operates with a fixed light on the extremity of the head. In sou’-west weather a heavy sea breaks across the inner bar on to the North Tip and vessels entering the port usually in from the southward, as far as possible, though they have not a great margin of room, owing to the rocks at the head of tho South Tip, which are submerged at high water.

The danger lies in vessels losing steering way through their sterns being lifted out of the water by the big l sens. If this happens the ships, with both propeller and rudder out of the water, are at the mercy of the first cross-sea that strikes them on the broadside

/ This is what happened in tbe case of the P«*rtli which went ashore light on the Tip. All her crow were got ashore safely, but the ship became a total wreck and all that can now be seen of her is the stern-post, which lifts above the water at low tide. Captain F- W. Cox, tbe Harbour Master, has complained on occasions of tho action of skippers in entering the port against the signals. When there has been rain the Grev liver becomes very swollen and if the weather is unsettled and the wind is from either . tho nor’-west! or sou’west the bar- is usually quite unuegotiable.

Inside ihe harbour is Coode’s Point, which was at one time the northern breakwater. On this point the Opouri went ashore, but did not become a total wreck, the greater part of her machinery and fittings being salvaged The Hawea also was wrecked on Coode’s Point.

On the North Tip itself the Kotuku went ashore in a heavy sea and became a total wreck.

Greymouth holds an unenviable record for shipwrecks, about thirty vessels haying been wrecked either on the Tips or on tbe beaches. One of the most outstanding wrecks of recent years was that of the steamer Lauderdale, which went ashore on South Beach, just- prior to the war. She came right up the beach, about a mile below the South Tip, aud at low tide it was possible to walk nearly out to her. There was no loss of life and the machinery and fittings were salvaged. The remains of tbe bull of the Lauderdale are still visible on the/ beach at low water

The North Tip has a. railway line running ont to its extremity and this is aly ays available for use in cases of shipwreck. It is a comparatively simple matter to pet a line on to any vessel wrecked on the Tip as with se a » breaking over them they come close, in to the end of the Tip and are thus fairly near to the shore. The Harbour Board tug, the Westland, also is fully equipped and did good work in the case of the Perth - wreck.