STORMS AND SHIPWRECKS ON THE EAST COAST.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 173, 19 February 1868, Page 2

STORMS AND SHIPWRECKS ON THE EAST COAST.

WRECK OF THE STAR OF TASMANIA AND LOSS OF LIFE. {Condensed frow the Ocimarn Times.*) On Monday last, 3rd inafc, it came on to blow heavily from the E.S.E., and the sea rapidly rising, it was soon evident that the roadstead was becoming unsafe. The vessels in the roadstead were signalled to start to sea. The Star of Tasmania, with 2095 bales of wool on board, was at the time riding by her own chain attached to the swivel of the Government moorings. This suddenly parted, and she then drifted some 400 or 500 yards. The starboard anchor was then let go, and the vessel brought up, but the cable parted and she came ashore on the shinglo beach, and the masts fell over into the sea. She now began rapidly to break up, and her dew and passengers crawled to the starboard bow, where, to the number of soma twenty souls, they were seen clinging to a rope. Among them was a lady passenger, a Mrs Baker, supported by Capt. Culbert. Thia lady had two little boys, one ag«d three and the other five years, on board with her, who were just previously to this time washed out of the forecastle,

to which they had been carried by Mr Culbert, as the safest sp.'t in which they could be placed, and drowned; Mrs Baker herself having a very narrow escape; Captain Culbert, too, who was upon the vessel's poop at the time she commenced to break up, had only just time to clamber forward ere the after part of the vessel was carried away. The position of the crew was an exceedingly perilous one, the sea making every now and then clean breaches, over them, carrying with it spars and timber, portions of which struck some of them very heavily, seriously injuring the mite and Captain Culbert. Several attempts were made to heave a life-line to the ship, but they were all frustrated by the force of the wind, which prevented the rope From reaching it; weighted lines were then tried with the same result, and all the time there was no greater space than 30 or 40 yards between the ship and the shore. Mr Stevens, the mate of the vessel, was then observed to jump into the water, and was seen battling manfully with the surf. As a wave receded he was seen on his hands and knees about midway between the ship and terra firraa. Another wave was just rearing its huge front, bristling with hundreds of pieces of timber, and must soon have swopt the poor fellow away, when, just at the critical moment, several bystanders rushed in, and seizing him dragged him ashore, barely in time to prevent the loss of their own lives. Ringing cheers rent the air when it was found that one of the shipwrecked men had been saved from destruction. But Mr Stevens seemed to have no thought of his own life, his first woris being, as he felt the grasp of friendly hands, "The line, the line ! I've lost the line." It appeared that he had jumped into the sea holding the end of a line, which he was endeavoring to bring on shore, but which in the effort to save himself he had let go. Seeing that the mate had safely got ashore, two other men, one after the other, jumped into the sea, despite the shouts of the bystanders to remain where they were till a line could be got to them. Much anxietv was felt as they were seen struggling in the surf, lest they should be sucked under the bows by the after sough and carried out to sea. However, they were'each saved by persons rushing into the water, at an imminent peril of their own safety, and dragged ashore. A fourth now leaped into the water, but he unfortunately chose a very inopportune moment, and was almost immediately, though a good swimmer, and seen to battle hard for life, carried under the bow and forty or fifty feet further out. He was a splendid swimmer, and struck out boldly, but was tossed about upon the breakers, rising now to the top and now almost overwhelmed by the immense masses of water, and it was soon seen that every wave was carrying him further and further out; at last he disappeared from view, either exhausted by his efforts or, perhaps, stunned by some of the floating masses of timber by which he was surrounded. A fifth man then dropped himself into the sea, and he also was carried towards the bow. Here he was washed up against a bale of wool, to which he was seen to dins', and with which he was rapidly carried out. It then became evident that it was far safer for the remaining survivors to continue where they were than to attemptto swim ashore, and a hundred voices were raised to entreat them to do so. Whether the warning was heard, or whether the fate of the last two showed them the hopelessnes of making another attempt, fortunately no more left the wreck. At this time a boatman named Mackenzie went into the surf with a line round his waist, and endeavored to throw another to the vessel, and though many times carried off his feet and several times dragged ashore halt drowned, he persisted in his noble endeavor time after time until exhauste 1 , but without success. Darkness was now setting in, and Mr John Hardy went into town for the purpose of procuring materials to make a fire on the beach, and soon afterwards returned, with Messrs. Eotheringham and J. T. Anderson, bringing bundles of oakum and a quantity of turpentine. Willing hands soon collected heaps of timber, and in a few minutes the whole beach was lit up by the glare of an immense bonfire. Sergeant Bullen of the police, then made a fresh effort to carry a line to the crew; venturing boldly into the surf with a line round his waist, and with another, which was made fast by one end on shore, and weighted at the other, he several times attempted to throw it on board. Once he succeeded so far that the weight fell right in the midst of tho shipwrecked men, but in the fitful light they did not see it till too late, and it fell into the sea. The Sergeant was now washed off his feet, and was towed ashore, being

very nearly drowned, while doing so. There was not a rocket procurable in town, and it now became evident that a line must be taken aboard or the rest of tho crew must perish. Hours had now elapsed, and every effort hitherto had been fruitless. The tide was now ebbing, though little difference could be seen in the state of the sea., and Geo. Mackenzie again attempted to throw a line aboard, and, with a line about his waist and the other in his hand, he advanced into the breakers and time after time essayed to throw the rope over the vessel. He was for a long time unable to do so, but at last—about half-past ten o'clock —the rope was seen to fall among the crew, and to be safely grasped, and a cheer rent the air as hope began to appear of the ultimate rescue of them all. The line having been made fast to the vessel, a man named Duncan Young, in the employ of the Boating Company, clambered aboard amid renewed cheering, and sent the crew one by one down the lifedine. Mr Stevens, the mate, also returned to the vessel, and brought a young lad named M Lean, who was aboard, and whose parents reside in Oaruaru, safely ashore on his shoulders. He then returned for Mrs Raker, who was still firmly held in the grasp of Captain Culbert, and with the assistance of Young, succeeded in getting her upon his back. He then commenced descending the life-line with bis burden, but just as he reached the water an immense wave dashed over the vessel and hid them for a moment from view. As the wave retired Stevens was seen banging to the rope with Mrs Baker still clinging to him. Aijain a wave submerged them, and it was feared that they must both be carried awav. but on its subsidence they were found to be still safe, and hi a few moments Stevens had got near enough to grasp the helping hands held out to him, and the lady and her preserver were brought safely ashore ami I loud cheers. The first words uttere I by the brave woman on landing were, " Never mind me, save the poor dear Captain." There now remained upon the vessel two sailors, Captain Culbert, and Duncan Young. One by one the sailors got safely ashore, and now Captain Culbert prepared to descend. In a few moments he was also safe, and the bold man to whom the survivors owed their lives was seen standing alone upon the wreck of the Star. Watching his opportunity, he ran to the waist of the ship, jumped upon a portion of the mast which was wedged upon her keel, and plunging ashore just as a wave had retired, came ashore amid cheering again and again renewed. The following was the number of persons on board the Star at the time of the wreck: —Three officers, ten A.B.'s, one ordinary seaman, the cook, carpenter, boatswin, and steward, Mrs Baker and two children, and Master M'Lean, in all twenty-two souls, of whom eighteen were saved ; those lost being Mrs Baker's two children and two sailors, viz.. David Petrie, of Arbroath, Scotland, and AVilliam Brooks, of London. The vessel and cargo were nearly covered by insurance.