A BARQUE WRECKED.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8488, 16 July 1907, Page 5

A BARQUE WRECKED.

TOTAL LOSS OF THE WOOLLAHRA. ALL HANDS ASHORE EXCEPTING TWO. The barque Woollahra is ashore at Terawhiti. Two men have walked to Island Bay, and are now coming into town. Shortly before 11 o'clock yesterday morning the Marine Departmsent received the above-quoted message by telephone from Island Bay, states the Wellington Post, and within a short time the message was confirmed by the arrival of two sailors at the office of the secretary of the department. Mr Allport, after getting the barest particulars from the men, sent them on board the Tutanekai to get a much-needed change of clothing and a meal. It was in the galley off the saloon of the Tutanekai that a Post reporter found the two men enjoying the good things that the cook was setting before them. THE STORY OF THE WRECK. The two men who had walked to Island Bay from the scene of the wreck were Parsonson and M'Phee, who were amongst the first to get ashore. Parsonson told the story of the night's experiences in an exceptionally concise manner, whilst M'Phee dropped in an occasional word. The sailors said the weather was fine from the run out from Wellington yesterday morning and along the coast during the afternoon and evening with a fresh breeze blowing. Late at night the wind freshened still more/,a heavy sea was running, and towards midnight a rain storm came along. "BREAKERS AHEAD!" "We—M'Phee and I —were having our wat;h below at the time, and we don't know just how it came about. But at midnight we heard the cry, 'Breakers Ahead!' and then the ship struck. She had struck seve-al times when we reached the deck. We swung the lifeboat out ready for, lowering, so that we could leave the j ship at short nutics, but Captain Andresen advised us not to leave the ship, but to stand by until daylight. if we could hang out that long. We decided to do so." Continuing his story, Parsonson said the mizzenmast was carried away at about 1.30 o'clock, and this misfortune resulted in the smashing of the lifeboat. The crew got the dinghy over the side, ready for escape. Then all hands—excepting M'Naughten, who was forward —went into the aft cabin. The ship at this time was labouring heavily, and sea was breaking over aft. The barque had apparently struck upon a ragged outer reef. The next incident that impressed itself upon the mind of the narrator was the carrying away of the foremast, which occurred at about 4 o'clock. The mast snapped off just above the deck. The barque had been making a list to starboard all the j time, and as this became more and ( more accentuated, it wa3 decided to take to the boat and get ashore. CAPTAIN L3FT ON BOARD. It was at about 5 o'clock that the dinghy was lowered. The launch, the only other boat left, was deemed too heavy to swing off and handle under the circumstances. Just before the men took to the boat the spanker gaff was carried away. When the boat was successfully lowered, everybody on board got into her excepting the captain and two A.B.'s (M'Naughten and King) who stayed on board with the captain. The latter was urged by the men to abandon the wreck, but he could not be persuaded to do so. He declared that he would stick to the barque to the last. THE MEN IN THE DINGHY. The following were the men who got into the dinghy, so far as Parsonson and M'Phee could remember the names: — Foote (chief officer), Golf (second mate), Jorgenson, Mylius, Dickson, Moore, Parsonson, M'Phee and another A.8., the cook, two boys (Joynt and Felton), and the cabin boy. The dinghy, after getting over about 200 yards of water, struck on an inner reef. The men who could swim landed on the beach, which was about 100 yards away, and those who could not clambered on to the rocks. A line was passed [from the scene of the dinghy's wreck to the shore, and all hands then got to the beach. At about this time the vessel began to break up badly, so the two A.B.'s\vho had stayed on the barque with the captain decided to make for the shore, and undertook the difficult task. King reached the beach in pretty good condition, but M'Naughten stopped half-way, King's last sight of his shipmate being when M'Naughten climbed on to the intercepting reef. CALLING A MUSTER. This left the captain as the only man on the ship, and he, with M'Naughten, v aa the only person missing, the chief officer having called a muster on shore. The crew then (just after 5 o'clock) spread along the beach, and called in sten torian tones for M'Naughten, but there was no response. The barque had her back broken, the jibboom had carried away, and. she was all but gone when Parsonson and M'Phee started on their long and rough walk to town. SIGNALS FOR HELP. Concluding his statement, Parsonson said:—"We exhibited lights and flares and fired rockets during the night from the ship. Wc also soaked a straw mattress with kerosene and set fire to it. But we saw no ship. There was no help from shore. When we got on to the beach some of the men scattered over the country to look for a house, but none of us succeeded in finding one. M'Phee and I left the party just before daylight, and the crew wore

then in good heart. Ido not think any rescue party can get round with help by way of the beach, for during our walk we had on one occasion to wade up to our breasts through the water." DESCRIPTION OF THE VESSEL. The Woollahra was an iron barque of 974 tons, and was built at Sunderland in 1875 by Messrs Osbourne, Graham and Co. She was owned by the Woollahra Ship Company, of Sydney, and her principal dimensions were:—Length 202 ft 4in, beam 33ft Gin, depth 20ft 4in. The wrecked barqua was a well-known Australasian trader, and had just completed the discharge of a cargo of Newcastle coal for S. Brown, Ltd. She was on her way to Australia via Kaipara to load another cargo of coal for Wellington. The tug Duco was despatched for the scene of the wreck soon after midday, and in addition the Marine Department have sent pack horses along the coast from Island Bay laden with refreshments for the shipwrecked crew. During the time the Woollahra was on her last voyage from Newcastle to Wellington a report was circulated that she had been wrecked near Kaipara. This report proved to be incorrect, but the fate of the vessel has apparently been sealed this time. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 15. The first mate and second mate of the Woollahra state that the captain I wanted to stick to the ship until daylight, and when the crew left he was in the cabin with three feet of water around him. He seemed heartbroken. As the men unhooked the j davit falls of the gig and'shoved off the ship was breaking to pieces. They could hear the plates cracking, i A seaman, named McNaughten, kept in the fore part of the ship, but when the crew were leaving one of his shipmates dragged him out of the forecastle. They reached the bulwarks just as the gig broke loose, and jumped for it. McNaughten was never seen again. As soon as a landing was effected the mate mustered the men and found the captain and McNaughten missing. Some of them went inland a little and discovered the McMenamin Homestead, where they wire treated with great hospitality. Hjing refreshed they commenced to walk around the beach to Inland Bay, and the city. When they left the ship lay pounding on the rocks. "The port side buckled up like a carrot," says the mate. "She looked as if she had been sawn in two." Captain Andresen was 46 years-of age He leaves a widow and four sons. He was fourteen years master of the barque Elizabeth Graham, and has been on the Woollahra eighteen months. The following are the names of the survivors:— Foote, first mate; GofF, second mate; McPhee, Parsonson, Jorgenson, Moore, Dickson, Krassh, Mylius, King, Joynt and Felton, seamen; Pabst, cook; and a cabin boy. The tug Duco steamed around to Terawihiti this afternoon. On the in a little inlet four milei south-west of the Cape stoacl the shell of the barque. The stern is almost high and dry. A little distance away was a piece of the stem, with a stump of the jibboom pointing southward. This jetsam was all that remained of the Woollahra. The beach was strewn with wreckage. There was hardly anything than three feet in length. Everything had been smashed to matchwood.

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Received July 16, 12.38 a.m. SYDNEY, July 15. The W )ollahra was partly insured in local offices.