TYSER STEAMER WRECKED

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 13978, 10 May 1913, Page 5

TYSER STEAMER WRECKED

INDRIBARAH ASHORE ON RANOITIKEI J BEACH. SHIP SAID TO BE BREAKING UP . : : • i GREW SAFELY ASHORE. I Word was received this morning by the local police of the wreck of another Tyser steamer, which went ashore during last night, at a spot about seven miles north of th© Rangitikei River. The ill-fated vessel, which was of a gross tonnage of 7595 tons, and was under the command of Captain Hollingsworth, left Gisborne at 2.45 on Thursday afternoon for Wanganui, to continue her loading. From hero she was to have sailed for Lyttelton, thence going to Wellington, her final port of departure for England. . News of the disaster was received at Bulls this morning from one of the crew, A. McLaren, who walked several miles to Mr K. W. Dalrymple’s place. He says that, coming up Cook Strait from Terawhiti last night, the weather was very stormy, and a big'sea was running. The steamer ’is now breaking Up fast, lying about a quarter of a mile from the shore, with heavy seas pounding her. The crew all managed to get ashore, and all are safe, though one or two are in a very exhausted state. Details of the actual grounding,, and the cause of the same are not yet (noon) to hand, though doubtless particulars will be received later in the day.

WELL UP ON THE BEACH. (By Telegraph.—From “Herald” Special Reporter.) BULLS, May 10, 1.15 p.m. Nothing definite concerning the indrabarah is known as yet, further than that the boat is said to be in a very dangerous position. Eight men came ashore in a lifeboat through the night, and the others arc supposed to be safe. The vessel is well up on the beach. The salvage tug Terawhiti is leaving Wellington this afternoon to stand by the vessel. I am going down by car from here to within throe or four miles of the beach, but will have to walk the rest of the distance, and scarcely expect to learn anything further in time for to-night’s issue. THE GISBORNE CARGO. < (Per United Press Association.) GISBORNE, May. 10. The Indrabarah’s Gisborne shipments were:—264 bales of wool, 405 casks o! tallow, 132 casks of pelts, 12,542 carcases of mutton, 3129 carcases of lamb, and 1280 quarters of beef.

of which loft their bones there. Ship# sailing to Wellington from the direction of Cape Farewell were very apt to overrun their course in thick, weather, and to stand on instead of turning southwards at the proper time, with the result that they were “piled up.” With the advent of steam and the installation 'of a light on Stephen’s Island, however, disasters became less frequent, and though some of them have become wrecked, while, entering rivers, the ludrabarah is the first instance of a steamer running ashore on the open beach on the coast in question. Among the ships which' ‘ were lost between Turakina and Otaki,: the best known was perhaps the Hyderabad, a big, full-rigged ship, which ‘was wrecked a little to the southward of .Foxton, where part of her remains can still be seen. The Weathersfield, a fine clipper barque, went ashore to the southward, of i Otaki about 23 years ago, but after three yeats of strenuous effort, during which • mote than one contractor “went broke,” she was floated off, and was afterwards wellknown as a trader in Australasian waters. The Fusileer, an iron barque of poor sailing qualities, left Wellington about 29, years ago, and after being blown all over the Straits- for some days, .reached the beach close to where the ludrabarah now lies, and also left her bones there. Twentylive years ago, the ship Auckland also wont ashore near where the , Hyderabad had found the beach about fifteen years previously. • Early this afternoon the “Herald" got into coriimuniqatiph ,Tyit.U l&r .Dflrymple, who informed'us . that he had, gathered from a member of the crew ,thph ten men left the ship during, the ‘night in one of the boats,, in „charge'of the second’officer. They had a rough time, in,getting ashore, owing to the broken water, and one of the men was washed out of the bwat, which had great difficulty in picking him up again. He was in the water for a considerable time, and’ when got out was just about done up! Their exertions also told on some of the others. Who were more or less exhausted when they finally managed to win through the surf and gain the shore. Mr Dalrymple also stated that, though the sea was very rough, it was not breaking over the ship, which was lying about a quarter of a mile off shore. , The steamer Putiki left Wellington last night for Foxton, but could not cross the Manawatu bar, and- steamed off in the direction of Wanganui. She has not shown up to-day, and it is presumed that she has sighted the wreck of the ludrabarah, and is standing by. Tbe Collector of Customs (Mr P, J. Walker) and, the . local, agent, for the Tyser Line (Mr JV L. Stevenson) proceeded to the scene of the wreck at midday today. The steamer was to have-t«*ken, a very heavy .cargo at Wanganui, for which, of course, another boat Will now' have to .be requisitioned. * . ,

A FINE CARGO BOAT. Wellington, May 10. The ludrabarah was built in 1910, and it was claime,d for her at that time that there was no superiA cargo boat of her particular; type afloat. She was equipped with all the latest appliances for ■ the rapid and safe handling of cargo. Her , gross tonnage was 7395 tons, and her leading dimensions were 470 ft length between perpendiculars, with a beam of jßft, and a moulded depth to the shelter deck of 43ft. On her maiden voyage to Australasia she averaged a speed of 12£ knots.

Tho spot where the Indrabarali struck is about midway between tho Turakina and Eangitikei Rivers, and about 25 miles south of the Wanganui River, so that it will bo seen she had almost completed her journey. She was expected at Wanganui before midnight last night, so it would appear as if the disaster occurred between 10 and 12 o’clock. The land in the vicinity is flanked by broad belts of sandhills, and the beach is flat, the sea in front being very shallow. Consequently she would’strike sufficiently far from shore to make lauding through a heavy surf a matter of considerable difficulty. The Indrabarali lies within a mile or two of the spot where the barque Fusilier was wrecked 29 years ago. The coast between the Turakina and Otaki Rivers bore an evil reputation in the old sailing ship days, and was regarded as a graveyard for vessels, several