TOTAL WRECK

Waikato Times, Volume 120, Issue 19942, 20 July 1936, Page 7

TOTAL WRECK

CARGO STEAMER’S FATE. IWIPT UP GREY RIVER. CRE\V RES-CUED BY BUOY. GBEYMOU'K‘H, Sunday'l'orn from her moorings at a coal berth at Groymouth by a 1 strong current yesterday, swept down the river and over the bar. tho Intoroolonial cargo steamer ‘ Abel Tasman (2047 tons) owned by H. 0. Sleigh Oosetere Proprietary, Melbourne, was thrown up by the seas on the North leach and Is a total wreck. All the crow were safely got ashore. Following heavy rains there was a strong run on the Grey River and this. With the abnormally swift ebb this. caused the mooring lines to break. Captain William D. Archibald. the master, was standing on the wharf near by and he showed remarkable agility In Jumping on board. At one stage it looked as though the Abel Tasman, Would foul the Kalnial and also carry her away from her moorings, but fortunately she only grazed the Kili— L mat with her stern and drifted into mid-stream. ‘ Wreckage Fouled. j 0! the total crew of 29 there were Only it) on board. These included but one fireman and one engineer. In spite or this overwhelming. handicap the Vessel within three minutes of cutting adrift had her engines running, but they were not sumclent to resist the eight-knot current. An snort was made to back the gamer into the Blaketown Lagoon at e bottom or the wharf, and later to beach her in the blght inside the north breakwater. but without success. Quickly she drifted toward the river month. As she approached the bar her stern toulod tho wreckage of the steamer Ksponos. on the point of the North Tip, with a resounding crash. Remaining tast for a few minutes she then broke adrift and slowed broadside-on across the bar mouth. narrowly missing the tenth 'l'lp head. The steamer then drifted well clear of the bar. Drawing- Im. 3111. she had a clearance or barely a foot in the river, while with about 20ft. or Water on the bar her clearance would normally have secured a safe crossing. She bumped heavily. however. Then a north-westerly set threw her back in the direction or the North Tip, each succeeding wave forcing her into the apron on the north side or the North Tip head with her stern facing south. Pounded by Heavy Bess. Heavy seas were now breaking over} the doomed craft and the crew, who‘ had previously donned lirebelts were] 4 all called up on the bridge while the ' iiieboats had also been manned in pro. paration tor the worst. Continuing her northerly drift the vessel pivoted round the fringe of ihc‘ north breakwater and was carried by a particularly heavy swell on to the rocks on the north beach close in to the breakwater about 50 yards from the tip head, where she is now firmly embedded. it was soon apparent that the Abel Tasman was badly holed. She was swinging about freely with each such ceseire hea\y sea. being gradually iorced further inshore with the rising tide. After some time she settled down somewhat at an angle or is degrees. her stern pointing seaward in line with the North Tip. When it was realised that saving the whip was impossible the task was begun at removing all on board by means of a breaches buoy. With high seas sweeping to the vessel‘s deck and throwing clouds of spray right over the buoy this was not on easy task in the darkness. but it was safely accomplished. A thrilling Incident was prevldod when the secondary lino pulling the buoy carried away and a man half-way on his perilous Journey had to go back to the ship. working his way along the lifeline hand over hand. The rescue work was completed by 1.25 pm. The captain, “lien interviewed, haul no comment to make other than to pay a tribute to the members of the rrc“, listing that tin-y haul all twinned in a most exrniplnry lllnllilt‘i‘. A Attempt to Salvage. .\n attempt to minute the pPl‘sonnl 'm'is‘ or line inrinln-rs or the up“ in the ship's new“ um] instrument» has made this nl‘io'l‘llnmn lint iiw “V ‘nrls of Hln‘ limitsnuiin 1.. l'nnlsvn. by iliilibillg along in.- brrrrhrs illlut‘ \\(‘rr oi" no mail, [i‘ the \\miin'r mmlrrntes a fnriiirr .iiimnpl \\ill in'lilliil‘ in iM.l"1l illi' \u‘rm'i liriilurinnh inulnllrvl anion: ill" [II'i'MIIIJE i'i'it‘i'ifi or the .‘:':~\\ fili‘ largo inulnnlnal sinus of mum-i, lln' :nnunnh wrung iz'nm flit) llU\\l|. 'l'liv' i'l‘:-\\ sinuil‘ inulii) (M the coulnus~ nnii runs:rnr-m-inlnn-n J Ilupiuin \rrinlmlil .in-l Int 51.1 mm” linmiiin: All .i down-min situation. .\ iiri-linilnnr) nhlnlry \\l“ i-w Illit'lliil twmuri'n“ inmnin: |»_\ iiiv «'wiiorlni‘ of customs, nl‘ln-r \\inrfi it ll.|llilv'.li illqnn'i mil must liiwi) ln- hold in \\’rli—iiixiluii, STRICKEN VESSEL. lil l-‘l-‘i'l'l'llil lit Silh‘. lil‘lfi'l'illilxti 'l‘lii-l i.il-‘1".1.1.\1‘1. (liy Trlrgrnnti l'n-w \\‘UP‘EIIUIIJ tillll\ \lHl'Tli. .\li'ilil.i}'. Tlii‘ North liom‘ll is nirvuii) liltirml with llr‘lvi'is. 'l'iii- il.|ii‘;ii‘> 1i.1.l i‘t't‘H securely i'lin-ilt‘vl ..inl i-lnwri-il init the min. tin: of hum) mun mmn smnilnwi itivin Ivi-rn .In‘l )t'\l-i'.1..) nmrnim.r i.inln-r \\.l\ >ii'i'\\i| mm} filling iiiu- luau": I. i‘n- lit-.il‘ Mm other ili‘i‘k iiiilnas \\i-z'v .IlSii ~ln,t~!.ml. \\'iiv'n Ihu xt-‘wl Inn-in» and} Hi" crow \\u':'.- r i“:"‘ I'l'i'ihif'l'l“ (wt' l‘:<(\t‘liills’ nn-i‘; t-r i'mlin: \\lmn tho} f.lill~' ..rT HIV \\rm'it n i -l::-ii-‘.z.-.l (‘uniidi-‘n Him \\vrv myth.) FLUI I'll] \\iili i‘n' v ul.l \\:nii Jl'il tunn [l'll-y lull . tin unvmul-lw ixiwrnziw, MI! tiiry \\l‘l'l‘ {UNIS} i' unlin'lrni in MM} *muuii: .iiiii |-:~\.‘lwl will: i flange “1' ciotinn: lin- i: ~i wmlr. \|:' l'vfr‘i' [mi/Mi, just ilniv‘il in gri on lumd \\ln‘n linwssri hr-Ilu‘. allrni .nnl it \\.is write» fa iilnlitg .u . l-i'nnmi l'.l|i.l.||l‘ ill (hr-whim li‘~IU" "i”i‘diloils from the ~ Awnilnucd Lu ucat column).

m .\‘orth Tip Need. He was soon on the srr‘ne and Llirerleci and assisted in the operations of securing the lifeline and in hauling the nineteen men ashore. Seaman's Bravo Aot. it was barely three—quarters of an hour between the time the ship left the wharf and became lodged against the rocks. With the aid of a. rocket a line was soon established from the vessel to the North Tip and the first linen came of! at 6.20 pm. Many hylstsnders were anxious for his welfare iss with the rise and tall 0! the vessel the line gagged considerably and he was almost in the water but. the ‘i'eached the shore. although he was ‘iow down on the rocks with high seas wreaking close to him. Soon after the second man left the 'veswi the hauling line broke and 'he had to be hauled back to the ship. There were then no means of betting the other eighteen men ashore unless another rocket was despstched and ipi'epnrations were being made for this :“Elen one of the. crew, \\‘ho had volun-tl-ei'ed, made his way avross on the ,nmin lino hand over hand, a risky pro-‘u‘i-durox \\'hh-h was sucressi’ul. t Steady prugi‘r‘ss \\.\S then made in lH'" rescue “mi. All nineteen were Italmn ui'f by 7.2:) p.m., the captain he;mu' ilw Last in lnnw‘, . 'l‘lu- Alml Tasman is now lying lil"llil|l|l'.~,~‘ \\l'dged iil'tiiltst the ranks wi'nlh'i \\iili ihv ln'etilnvnlei'. The was .tl't‘ still breaking over her and «he :I]l]tF.’li‘> in he developing a great.‘m- .\l‘ll‘lliltll'll li.~i. .\lthongh Iliei seas remained high .\rstm'dny the \\'cnlllel‘ ;i~ line and lllllll>flilils Ivi‘ people from till Illl'i> ..i’ the <l|~ll‘ll’l ilu'ungml llm lll'Jl'li .nnl hrrnkxuxlwr Honing.- lllt‘ .\llll'thl \vssrlt l i ASSISTING THE CREW. ‘ __ f LIL-\\'iXl‘i mn SYDNEY. . . ! ..___- I l ’l‘llJl‘lS l’lll‘lYliN'l‘ SALVAGE. l illy 'l'u‘lv'gx':lpli.7rl'i'v<s Assm'iiuiund tillil7\'i\llvi"i‘ii. Mnnduy. E The \\l'lllllt‘l' \\'iis llllt‘ to—ilny \\iili liln- am nimli-iuiin'." hut owing to the Irwin‘s nothin': can he done until llllt' 'HIiS :ti‘tvi'nunn \\‘livii an «'ndvtu'nut' \\ill Ilm nimiv tn [winner the personal u-tioots and money or the crew. l No attempt will lm made in salvagi‘ lihn cai'xu xnx'nnwliilt- pending the ar—rival ui‘ llll' lllllli‘l'\\i'ilt‘i‘s' represent—.itl\i-. The hull is insured with ”11‘ l=:|t.i\l:t l-nsln‘dni'c' iioinpniiy ninl tho ltnml livhunge iI-nnpuny lnit the :iinulint l\ nnltnmui. .\‘m'i-rnl llniln‘l' I‘lilhlllllllit‘llls' nil imimi are insured I’m.‘iinnunts \\lill'll nt'u- nul l\””\\”. i\i‘l'.m:.'i-Invnis urn living: inmlu by the fillimu'm'i‘ livlii'i' .\‘lii'iv'ly in ItS>l>! .ilill illiiiit llil‘ i'i'r'w. \\lm \\'ill lt‘il\l‘ io—lilUi‘i'U\‘. i'i-z- \\'u-li:n:iwn i'nr Sulnv)‘. 'l‘hvi'.» :il'x‘ nu Injuries in the crew llil'illllll the \\i'm-l; but the svlunnli \\iilmin l’iti \\.n :idnnilnd in hospital \\iih ti yu-iwnml ilnm'tn Uln‘ lli.ill. \\liu \\.l\ Ahli‘l‘li \\llt‘ll the >llllr li'i'i Hi" \\li:u'i', \\.«s unillu‘nt'il h} the Imm]: \\.‘tl'll lhu >liip lid tlir' run-ks llllt‘ i\ .\liil slim-tan: {ruin >l‘\l'l'l: shall, it .tlllil‘vll'\ 11ml} dvtl’nilu' that llit‘ .\tn'l 'l'.i~:n.lil \\.ts Imlml tinder .\RL '1 hutch \\lv-‘n >llt’ sirrufl; tlu‘ .\nlnnci'sul lelll ul the “Nevis-:11 lxnpunaa. “‘l‘