MOTORS GO TO THE RESCUE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18946, 17 December 1929, Page 1

MOTORS GO TO THE RESCUE.

PASSENGERS TAKEN TO OWAKA. WILL BE IN DUNEDIN TO-NIGHT. (Special to the “Star.” OWAKA, December 17. The scene of the wreck, Long Point, is on the coast of the Catlins district, the railway centre of which is the small town of Owaka. seventy-two miles from Dunedin. Owaka is from ten to tw r elve miles from the scene of the wreck, but there is a road from the township to within three miles cr Long Point. Down this road motor-cars '..ere running this morning, carrying sightseers anxious to see the wreck. They became rescuers, as they are being used to transport the refugees to Owaka. The motor really played a distinctive part in this work. It is probably the first time in the history of the Dominion that wrecked passengers have been so quickly picked up from a lonely coast and conveyed to the safety of a hospitable town. They will be taken on to Dunedin as soon as possible. FULLER’S COMEDY CO. WERE ON BOARD BOAT. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, December 17. All the Manuka’s mail was removed at Bluff. The passengers, whose numbers have not 3-et been ascertained, included Fuller’s Comedy Company, which is due to open here on Boxing Night. All the scenery and effects have been lost. The Union Steam Ship Company dispatched a special train to Balclutha at 11 a.m. to bring the passengers to town. PARTICULARS OF WRECKED SHIP. The Manuka was a steel twin-screw vessel of 4534 tons and 4500 horsepower. Her dimensions were:—Length, 368 ft; beam, 47ft 2in; draught, 31ft. She was built in 1903 by Messrs Denny Bros., of Dumbarton. The ill-fated ship had been in the Melbourne-Bluff service for many years, and was well known in New Zealand. -£)n a number of occasions she relieved on the Lyt-telton-Wellington ferry run.

CAPTAIN CLARK IS POPULAR MASTER. Captain Ross Clark was well known on the New Zealand coast as master of the Kurow and the Waipiata. He gave up the command of the latter vessel about a year ago and took over the Manuka from Captain Morgan. Captain Clark’s home is in Auckland. Captain Clark served four years as an officer in the Indian Water Transport in Mesopotamia, and earned a number of decorations. He is particularly popular in the service and has a reputation for high efficiency.

OFFICERS OF THE WRECKED VESSEL.

On the Manuka's last visit to Lyttelton, she had the following complement : Master—Captain Ross Clark. Chief officer—Mr A. T. Adam. Second officer —Mr E. P. Meatyard. Third officer—Mr C. R. Carlyon. Fourth officer —Mr A. S. Smith. Chief engineer—Mr E. A. Griffiths. Second engineer—Mr K. J. M’Leod. Third engineer—Mr L. V. Jellyman. Fourth engineer—Mr J. Chambers. Fifth engineer—Mr D. Gibbs. Sixth engineer—Mr A. 11. Amos. Seventh engineer—Mr D. J. M’Kenzie. Chief steward—Mr R. H. Burns. Purser —Mr F. S. Hamlin.

VESSEL’S MAILS WERE LANDED AT BLUFF.

When the Manuka arrived at Bluff on Sunday, she had 218 passengers aboard, 1087 tons of general cargo, and 140 bags of mail for New Zealand. After landing the Bluff portion of the cargo, which amounted to 140 tons, the vessel sailed yesterday for Dunedin, where she was due to-day. The vessel would have sailed from Dunedin tomorrow for Lyttelton, where she was due on Thurseday. After discharging cargo and disembarking passengers, the vessel would have sailed for Wellington on Friday, and would have left Wellington for Melbourne on Saturday. All the mail was landed at Bluff, and the northern portion of the letter mail left Invercargill on Sunday night, the Christchurch bags arriving here yesterday morning. The newspaper mail is coming north to-day by goods train.

SHIP SINKS BEFORE PHOTOGRAPHERS ARRIVE

A message received in the “Star” Office at 11.30 a.m. from Balclutha stated that the Manuka was completely submerged before photographs could be obtained.

SAFE LANDING PLACE NEAR THE WRECK.

Long Point (Irihuka), where the Manuka was wrecked, is the next projecting headland south of Nugget Point, to which promontory it bears a resemblance, but has no rocky islets lying off it. Two miles eastward of Long Point there is a safe landing in fine weather at Cosgrove Island. There are twenty, five fathoms of water two miles distant from the Otago coast at this point. There is no lighthouse at Long Point. Vessels travelling up this part of the coast generally hug the shore.

SOUTHERN SERVICE STARTED LAST MONTH.

The service between South Island ports and Melbourne was opened on November 27 last, the Manuka making the first run from Wellington, via Lyttelton and Dunedin. Two vessels were put into operation on the run, these being the Manuka and the Maheno. The Manuka was scheduled to maintain the service herself between April 23 and October 31, 1930, sailing at intervals of twenty-one days.