The Wreck of the Elingamite

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XXII, 29 November 1902, Page 1367

The Wreck of the Elingamite

Nothing has been heard of the Elingamite’s missing boat, which is being searched for by the Government schooner Countess of Raniurly and the tug Sterling. The Countess, which has steered away to the eastward, may search the Kermadecs, on which it is suggested the beat’s crew may have landed. The survivors from the raft are now getting on splendidly v. ith the exception of the man Jordan, who continues to make but slow progress towards recovery. The men are now able to spend the warmer parts of the day on the hospital verandah. A chat with the men, who are now becoming clearer as to the events which occurred during their four days’ drift, revealed nothing that has not already been published. Half of those who lost their lives during the four days’ drift were, as has already been stated, insane before the end came, and therefore left no sages for their relatives and friends. In the case of those who did not become delirious before death the exhaustion was so gradual that they, too, passed quietly away without bidding farewell to their fellowsufferers, or without leaving anything by way of messasre. Probably had any of them thought of doing so the hopelessness of the situation would have been so borne in on them that they would have retrained. None of the men on the .raft who have been spoken to saw anything of Mr Chadwick, one of the saloon passengers, after the wreck, and he was certainly never on the ra r t. nor was he on the raft winch managed to reach the shore at the Three Kings. LADY PASSENGER’S NARRATIVE. A graphic account of the Elingamite disaster was told in a letter to a friend by a lady passenger who was returning from Australia with her little boy. Many of the incidents that she relates, and which have as yet not appeared in print, are of interest. She was one of those in Captain Reid’s boat. Speaking of fits departure from the ship she says: — •'When lowered there was great difficulty in getting it free. In the long run the ropes were cut with pocket knives. Mrs. Chadwick’s husband was there with agonised face. Captain Reid called to him to come down by the rope; perhaps he did not understand—any way. he came not

He was afterwards seen on a raft, that was all. Captain Atwood called out that he thought we were on the Great King—the largest island of the Three Kings—and Captain Reid said he knew of a landing, and promised to return to the ship as soon as possible. Once clear of the ship the men pulled round the rocks in search of a landing place, but none could be found. There was no compass to guide us. and there were no provisions but a keg of water and a box with the ship's papers. Now and again the fog lifted, and we would see another boat and then lose sight of it again as the fog closed round us. After rowing about and resting by turns, when we lost sight of laud. Captain Reid found a sheltered place where we might remain till the fog for it was impossible tq land. We had made up our minds to spend the night there when two other boats came in sight. The fog had lifted and the sun shone out, showing an island opposite (also wrongly supposed to be the Great King) with a good landing place. The other boats were making for it, so Captain Reid decided to run up a sail and join them. We were all but beaten getting round the outlying reef—the men were rowing by this time, such squalls came upon us —- when we heard Captain Atwood's whistle, and we *took it to mean that he had found a landing. With this hope our men pulled on. and so it was. There were some people scrambling on the ledge of rock as we approached. Imagine a narrow inlet, the sea having broken through the cliffs on one side, a ledge of rock as hard and sharp as rocks are made, some 20ft above sea-level, the sea roaring on three sides, the spray dashing uip on the ledge and the seabirds screaming and screeching all night long, with fog and rain in addition? Ah, me! I never wish to hear those sounds again, dreary, cruel, desolate, eerie. Captain Reid kept the men and boats well in hand; the women folk missed him the following day, when at daybreak he and

Captain Atwood left in two ijouts to return to the wreck if possible. Chptain Atwood put back, unsuccessful, tome hours later, hie men utterly exhausted warring- with tides and currents. He made a second attempt later in the day with the same result. Captain Reid got near enough to the scene of the wreck to rescue one of the crew wffio had been left on a rock all night, and to plek up a case each of onions and oranges and some gin, but his men grew sick at the sight of dead bodies floating about. He made four gallant attempts to get round the reef to return to us, but was beaten back. \\ e saw no more of him till he come in the Zealandia’s boat to our rescue.” THE RAFT DEATH LIST. The two passengers who jumped from the Elingamite’s raft (says the Sydney "‘Daily Telegraph” of last Saturday) were two Melbourne tradesmen on their way to Auckland to take up work there under a twelve months * engagement. Their names were James Pretty and Herbert R. Rogers. Both were wood carvers. Rogers was a single man of about thirty, and engaged to be married, and the brother of his intended bride, when, after his three or four days of anxiety, he had the sad intelligence communicated to him on calling at this office last evening of the fate of his fast friend and brother-in-law that was to be. broke down lyMr C. M. Dixon, who died while on the raft, was twenty-three years of age, and joined the N.S.W. Tramway Department in 1900 as a conductor on the Ocean-street line. He was subsequently transferred to Newtown, and qualified for a driver in 1902. He 1 ft the service, in which became highly esteemed, on October 23 to join the Auckland tramway scr-

▼ice. Deeeased lived with parents in Marriekville-road, Marriekville. Mr Albert Edward Muirhead, who met a tragic death on the raft, was twenty-seven years of age, and was attached to the Bridge-street Depot of the New South Wales tramways. He joined as a conductor and qualified as a driver in 1902. He resigned his position to go to New Zealand under engagement to the Auckland City Tramway Department. Mr Muirhead, .who lived at 50, Perry-street, Marriekville, left Sydney mainly in the interests of his wife’s health. She. with her two little girls, three years and thirteen months old respectively, were to have followed on by a later boat. EQUIPMENTS OF RAFTS AND LIFE-BOATS. It is not unlikely that strong representations will be made to the Government requesting its insistence on the permanent equipment of lifeboats and rafts with everything necessary on board in the way of provisions, thus minimising in a great degree the agonising hardships of castaways as exemplified in the case of the unfortunate beings who underwent such dreadful privations after the sinking of the Elingamite. It is urged that the Government should appoint a qualified inspector of deck appliances, whose special duty would be to see that not only are the rafts and boats and launching gear in first-class order, but that adequate provision is made for having a supply of food and water on rafts and boats in readiness for sudden emergencies. a seafaring man here, who holds an important position under the Government, avers that the plan is easy of adoption, and is stringe/itly carried out on the Atlantic steamers. Bread and water are carried in airtight compartments, and are renewed every six months, experience showing that both are kept in a perfectly fresh condition during this longperiod. LIFE SAVING AT SEA. At a meeting of the Napier Chamber of Commerce it was unanimously resolved “That this Chamber considers it desirable that the Minister of Marine be requested to have the shipping laws so amended that all vessels must have a certificate before obtaining their clearance from the main ports that their boats are properly provisioned and all appliances for life saving- are in order in case of accident; that the Minister be asked to get the co-operation of the Federal Government of Australia in this direction.’’ Copies or this resolution are to be sent to Chambers of Commerce throughout New Zealand, and also to the member for the district. REGULATIONS CONCERNING FOGS. Tn his Waikouaiti speech, Mr Thos. MacKenzie referred to the wreck of the Elingamite. He said he felt that some amendment of the law was required regarding the responsibility of a captain of a vessel during the prevalence of a fog. He might say that the opinion he was about to give was practically the views of a competent shipmaster. The regulations now provided) that masters should slow down during a fog. That might mean a very different rate of speed in different vessels, and these regulations, according to competent authorities, were far too vague. He suggested that during a dense fog, mist or falling snow, when those on a vessel could not see her own length ahead, she should be stopped, and when the master was aware that he was near land. Casts of the lead should be made. The vessel should not only be stopped, but be compelled to stop until the weather cleared. The position of a captain under existing conditions was a terribly trying one. The owners expected the captain to run to time, and, if any other vessel, by risking something, got through safely, the delaying captain lost his reputation for smart seamanship. Captains were also frequently urged by passengers on board to proceed during times of fog, and, under these conflicting conditions, they -were at a loss to know how to act. But if the law was made iin-

perative that vessels must be stopped, a captain would be relieved from responsibility either to passengers or owners, and fewer disasters such as the one chronicled would be recorded. ' THE LATE MISS MeGL'IUK. The Sydney ‘Telegraph’ of Tuesday last gives the following particulars concerning Miss McGuirk, the heroic stewardess, who died on the Elingamite's raft: — "ft is generally acknowledged that Miss Margaret McGuirk, the forecabin stewardess of the ill-fated steamer, performed noble and courageous work in handing out life-belts, just as did Miss MeQuade, the stewardess of the Wairarapa, also wrecked some years ago on the same coast. Both women perished, anil it is on record that the principal reason why they did so was because they neglected themselves in a time of danger to help others. Miss McGuirk was cool and collected all the time, and many of those who were in the forecabin of the wrecked Elingamite have admitted that they owe their lives to her bravery and devotion to duty. “The courageous woman was equally as brave and devoted at home. She was the sole support of her aged mother and two young sisters in Rozelle, Balmain. Naturally, Mrs Ann McGuirk, her mother, was too much overcome to supply particulars, but a photo, of the dead woman on the mantelpiece in Abattoir-road, Rozelle, showed at once that a kind and gentle face had been lost to many dear ones. "Miss McGuirk was 30 years of age. She was born at Binda.near Goulburn, in 1872, her father at that time owning a small selection. About 12 years ago, her father being dead, the family removed to Sydney. Miss McGuirk took a situation at Petty’s Hotel, and was afterwards engaged at the Royal Hotel in George-street. She subsequently obtained the position of companion to a lady who toured through New Zealand, and the sea air proving remarkably invigorating to Miss McGuirk's constitution, she determined to qualify for the position of a stewardess. She was successful in obtaining a position on one of Messrs Howard Smith's steamers,and some 18 months ago joined the Burrumbeet. The Elingamite at this time was laid up, but as soon as she was out of dock Miss McGuirk was transferred to the new boat, and remained with her up to the time of her death. She occupied the position of forecabin stewardess, and, strange to say, this was intended to be her last voyage on the Elingamite, inasmuch as she was likely to be promoted to the grade of saloon stewardess in another vessel. She was very popular with passengers, and usually received letters thanking her for kindnesses from ladies in all parts of Australasia. “Miss McGuirk had many friends in Sydney and the suburbs. It is understood that a public movement will be directed towards showing appreciation of her heroic conduct, and that immediate steps will be taken to see that her poor old mother, whom she loved so well, does not want.” MR JOHN DUNNE. The name of John Dunne was mentioned in Monday’s papers for the first time as among those missing from the wreck (says the Sydney “Telegraph”). Mr Dunne was a farmer living at Drury, Auckland. He had been on a visit to Sydney to sell some property in Woolloomooloo, which he had acquired years ago. Having completed his business satisfactorily, he took passage by the Elingamite to return home. While in Sydney Mr Dunne stayed at the Agincourt Hotel, corner of George and Harris sts., the landlord of which (Mr William Walsh) was a close personal friend. The two had known each other as boys. Mr Walsh went on board the Elingamite to see his friend off. Mr Dunne travelled steerage—not because he could not afford to go saloon, but that his tastes lay in that direction. He was a quiet, plain-liv-ing man, and when chaffed about going steerage with a big draft in his pocket, excused himself on the score that he never ate anything on the voyage, and only wanted a bed. He was 67 years of age.