NGAHERE WRECKED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17349, 14 May 1924, Page 12

NGAHERE WRECKED.

POSITION HOPELESS. CARGO STREWN ALONG BEACH. (Special to the “ Star.”) GREVMOUTH, May 13. To-day the iNganere lies wun a list to port. The port liteboat has been washed overboard amt tne onslaught ot tne t waves has smashed the greater part or that side or the vessel to matchwood. The deck cargo ot timber is fast disappearing over the side and is linding us way. with the other wreckage, a tong t»ae Cobden beach. The hatches have gone and the vessel has settled down in the water. There is no prospec t ot sal'age, nut us soon as tne sea, which is still somewhat stormy, moderates a tow boar will be taken out to the wreck and an attempt made to reclaim the crew’s effects and the two bags of mail Irorn Hokitika and Greymouth, which were put aboard the vessel for transport to W ellington, xiu >,iuu . jg> ui. locked away m the snip s sate and will be easily reclaimed it a hoarding can be effected.

_A message was received from thel head office of the bnion Elem“ Ship‘ Company by the branch manager (Mr \\ . n. Linun'mghnm) asking whether it would be advisable to send the Ternwhiti, the company's salvage ship, l 0 Ureymouth. Alter consulLatiun withi the halbourmaster \Lapcoin F. W. Cox) Mr Cunningham replied that the Ngahei-o'nu‘s doomed and that ii, wuuld be useless to go to the expense of sending on the ’lorawhiti. ‘ An attempt was made this‘ morning to get the mails off, but the sea was found to be too rough. ']t is unlikely that- it will meet. with sllCcL‘Ss as yet. The I'nion Company had not. decmeu this alternoon to tune the rlsk of sending a row boat out for the crews’ of.‘euls. ’l'be attempt will, howeu‘r. be made at the earliest, possible momenL, as the Ngahere is fast breaking up. Timber is strewn allvover the Unb—den‘beach and the companies concerned have issued warnings to ’the public that prosecutions will be instituted against. any persons detected re—moving timber from the beach. For Lhe benefit of those who do not recollect. the prosecution's taken at the time-of the wreck of the PenLh, it may be mentioned that the public has no legal right to timber strewn from :1 wreckage and a penalty~ follows detection. The abandonment of the last' hope of reclaiming the (‘u‘l‘gu means that With the ship and the cargo thousands of pounds hare been 1051.011 the rocks of the-North Tip. . The _\’ ahere arrived from Wellington on lgiday morning and proceeded to load 750 tons of (‘O3! find 440 tnns of timber for V\\'elliugtnn rind Miraman The timber represented 185.000 super feet. of which 175:000 feet was com signed by Messrs \Vild and Robertson and 10,000 feet by the )lidlzind Timber Companx. Messrs \‘l'ild and Robertson’s consignment Was insured' for £650 in the British Truders' Insurance (“om—pany and for £7OO in the Alliance Company. The Midland Conmany's vonsignment was insured. in the Alliance office for 180. The insurances on the coal cargo and on the ship itself were not available this morning, as the arrangementswvere made in “'ellington, '

"Arf‘i'A‘ePl-‘lg'a'l’lé-I:é.n{rva; 50 tons short of a fuil load when she left the wharf and she_ wg‘s dyawing 15f; Gin.

AS in the case of every wreck 0: other kind of calamity strange stories began 'to be circulated about the Ngahere after she came to grief on the tiphead yesterday Ore of these. apparently well authentiqated (names being givan), wa< to the effect that a Mrs— had pr‘edicted on Sunday that ‘the Ngaherg wpuld be wrecked yesterday. So impressed was one of the ship's complement with the ‘prophécy that he is stated to'have left a new suit ashore instead of taking it with him on the vessel, remarking that it would come in useful when he again ‘got ashore. fl VVhat_ “{oqu have been a spectachar

"stunt" by the Avro aeroplane withl the object of establishing communica tion between the wreck and the shore yesterday was rendered gnnecessary b) the ‘success of the rocket gear. The aviators (Captain M. “Y Buckley and Mr W. Harrington) had the Avro handy on the beach and offered, to take up a light line. Flying seaward and then heading for the wreck in a line with the North Tip the 'plane was to ‘ drop one end .95 ’the line on thai wrecked vessel and carry the other to 1 the tip. Captain Buckley stated that l he could take a light line up to 400 yd: ‘ long. Meanwhile, when a search was being made for a. suitable line, the‘ rocket gear was obtained and the flight became unnecessary. The preliminary inquiry opened this afternoon with the exaxmination of the ship’s officers. The harbour officials lwere examined at {our o’clock. It will wrest upon the decision made at the linquiry whether a magisterial inquiry lyrill take place some time this week. All the officers of the Ngahere are meanwhile being detained in Greymouth, and their subsequent movements are uncertain. The crew are also detained for the present. and the Union Company are awaiting instructions from the head office, “'ellington, as to their orders. The; men are being provided for adequately. (‘aptain F. \V (on. harbour master, when approached this morning bv a re» porter. declined in make any statement regarding the circumstances of the. wreck. The matter, he said. was one for inquirv. He would state, however. that at the time the Ngahere left the port there was. a' good working bar, and in ordinary" circumstanres the vessel should have passed over without difi‘lcuit)‘. '