STRANDING OF THE S.S. TRIUMPH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1014, 1 December 1883, Page 2

STRANDING OF THE S.S. TRIUMPH

Extraordinary Particulars. Auckland, Yesterday. Great excitement was caused in town this morning by the report, which obtained speedy circulation, to the effect that Messrs Shaw-Savill and Co.’s direct steamer Triumph had gone ashore at Tiritiri. That it was substantially correct was, however, soon proved beyond a doubt. A resident at the North Shore brought intelligence that not only was the vessel hard and fast on one side of the Tiritiri, but that she had been firing guns since daylight, while the flagstaff at Mount Victoria only too clearly showed a signal denoting a steamer in distress. It was well known that the Triumph had left Queen street wharf about 8 o’clock last night, Pilot William Burgess being in charge. Tho night was a clear starlight one, and there could be no difficulty outside in seeing land on either hand. This fact inclined people to doubt the statement that the vessel was ashore at Tiritiri, it being considered highly improbable that she would have run on to an island which must have loomed up large, and on which there is always a bright light burning. When the report of tho°catastrophe was made known it was remembered as a most fortunate circumstance that the emigrants for tho South were shipped on the Manapouri yederday, consequently the excitement in town was not heigthened by fears for the safety of tho passengers. From the vessel’s papers it appeared there was only one passenger aboard, and he was a Mr Thompson, who had come through with the steamer from London, and was bound South. The Triumph had of course a considerable quantity of cargo, shipped at tho commencement of the voyage, for Wellington, Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, and in addition to this, about twenty-two bales of wool, three bales of basil leather, besides some curios and pictures, taken on at Auckland. Although the accident must have happened about ten o’clock last night nothing was known of it here until this morning at daybreak, John Sandeia, signalman, made his customary inspection of the entrance to the harbor, when he was astonished to observe a large steamer close in shore on the eastern aide of Tiritiri. It was apparent at once that she was injudiciously near to tho laud, and

vario s indications favored the conclusion she was aground. There was no means of ascertaining the name of the unfortunate ship, but he at once despatched a message to Captain Burgess, Chief Harbor master, informing him of the circumstances. There was at this time a signal at 'lirifiri station for a steamer to come down, and Captain Burgess at onco made the necessary arrangement for chartering the North Shore Ferry Company’s Victoria. Steam was got up na boa.d, and the Victoria left early in the forenoon under the charge of Captain C ark, and having Captains Burgess and Nearing on boar-1. The Victoria returned at noon. Mr Thompson, a passenger by the Triumph, came to Auckland by her, Mr Thompson says he was asleep at the time of (he occurrence. The steamei left the wharf about eight o’clock, and soon after lea o’clock he was awakened by her striking heavily. The shock naturally creatoif a great deal of excitement on board, especially when it was found that water was making fast. The captain was on the bridge at the time, and the pilot had left more than an hour previously. When she struck the steamer was going at the rate of eleven miles per hour. When he left there was ab ut 12ft of water in the small foie compartment, which had struck. Blue lights and rockets wore burned during the night for assistance, and this morning gu is were fired. Captain Clark states that the Tiiumpn is lying on the south-east end of liritiri. She is fixed on the roc s under the southeast point, and cn the fairway for the lighthouse She struck at the foremost tight compartment, which is now partia’ly filled with water. Captain Burges--, after taking soundings, advised that cargo should be taken out of the forohold and p'aced aft, so as to lighten her as much as possible forward, in the hope that she might be got to float off. This wa -to be done when the Victoria left. There is 17ft of water abaft tho fore rigging on the inner side, while there could not be less than seventeen fathoms under the stern.

The Government steamer Stella left for Hie scene at two o’clock, wth a cutter in tow. The MacGregor went down later. These vessel i will render any assistance required in the way of removing cargo or towage. Mr Seed, of the Customs DepartMr Hill and Capt. Burgess went down in the Stella. Messrs Nathan and Co., ships’ agents, rent down ketches for lightering the cargo. The Waitaki, coming from Wangarei, stood in to Tiritiri and offered assistance, but Captain Brotherton declined. He offered vo explanation of the cause of the casualty, probably reserving his evidence for fie Court of In-

quiry. The Star to-night says :—“ The disaster to the steamer Triumph to-day is certainly the most extraordinary casualty we have ever read of. By what conceivable error the vessel’s head could have beau pointed on a fine night straight for a la-ge island with a lighthouse on it, we cannot conjecture, and until the official enquiry has thrown some light on the subject it would be improper to make any comment. The fact, however, remains that the ordinary course of steamers bound South should have taken it at least six miles away from Tiritiri in a perfectly open passage with no danger anywhere. Why the vessel was driven headlong on Tiritiri within an hour after the pilot left her is a mystery which the officers of the vessel have us yet declined to explain to anyone who has visited the ship in her present dangerous position Captain Burgess, Harbor-master who went down to the Triu nph stat ;s that he considers it a bid position, more especially if it were to blow from the north-west She is lying about 50ft from the cliffs, and close on the south-east end of Tiritiri, on the rocks. Her fore compartment is full of water. He considers the only chance to gat her off is to shift the cargo and put her down as much as possible by the stern He made an inspection, but could not discover if any of the other compartments wore injured. Besides this, soundings which ware made showed Oft of water under the fore hatch, 18ft at the beginning of the main hatch, 27ft at the end of the main hatch, and 77ft

at the stern of the vessel. The cap ain informed the Harbor-master that he was on deck when the steamer struck, and he could give no explanation regarding the casualty.” Capf. Hopkins, of the steamer Blanche, arrived from Orewa, and made the fol.owing statament to the Star reporter :—“ i was coming from Orewa in the Blanche early thi? morning, when I observed over rhe end of Tiritiri the steamer’s mast, with distress signal on it. I hove a way in that direction, and found that the steamer was the Triumph, and that she was ashore on the island. Those ai> aid began to fire guns, and continued to do to until I got within half a mile of them, firing abefut half-a-dozen guns altogether. I steamed right across the passage, and under the Triumph’s stem. She was jammed right on to the eastern corner of Tiritiri, when she struck she must have been going north-north-west, while she should really have been heading north-east. Her bow was right on to the

rocks, within twenty-five yards of the cliff. I went alongside, and asked if I could give them any assistance. They told me the captain was below, and I went aboard and asked him if I could do anything for him, but he replied the Harbor.master would be there presently, so that he did not want any assistance just then. Although I had gone three miles out of my way he did not even say “ Thank you.” I went forward and had a look at tho forehold. It was partly filled with water, and there was a lot of broken timber, which I suppose was emigrant fittings, floating about. There was about 14ft of water in the compartment, but as it was dirty, I could not seo if the rocks were through the bottom. On the port bow'thero was a lot of broken rock, one peak not having more than 4ft of water over it. After the Harbor-mast, r had made his sounding I asked the captain again if he wanted any assistance. He replied, “No.” I left at a quarter past eleven. The third mate told him that the captain was on deck at the time of the occurrence. Blue lights were sent

up for assistance during the night. They had a kedge out over the quarter, or wirj rope, but it was not well out, being at an angle of 45. Captain Hopkins added that the steamer had no business within five miles of where she struck. Later

Tho steamers Stella and MacGregor have returned from the stranded Triumph at Tiritiri, and report that a jutting point of the reef is piercing through the bottom of *die vessel just at tho foremast, and the vessel' is swinging on the rock with tho forehold full of water, but the after compartment is uninjured, as she is afloat aft. Ihe railway material is being shifted from tho forehold to lighten her forward and deepen her astern. The cargo is being lightered as speedily as poss.ble. Fears are entertained that she will not be got off. Fortunately the weather remains fine. The steamers Ilese Casey and Argylo, and the schooners Vixen and Golden Isle leave for tho island to lighter the cargo. The second mace of the Triumph was only shipped yesterday. Captain Brotherton seems completely dazed with his misfortune. He is reported to have said that after discharging the pilot off Rangitoto Reef he stood down towards Tiritiri lighthouse to get a good offing, and then lay his course for Capo Colville. Ho was some five miles out of the usual course, and the vessel is lying within some 300 yards of the lighthouse. At low water people can walk from the Triumph on to the reef and go ashore.

[by telegraph.} Auckland, To-day. There is very little hope of getting the

Triumph off, and she is expected to break in two. The officers are very reticent as to the cause of the disaster. Captain Brotherton says they went ashore at fifteen minutes patten p.m. The pilot had been discharged, however, previously having given the course. It roust have boon through some error or misunderstanding that the bungle occurred, for the captain states that he kept up to the island light (Tiritiri) to get a straight run to Cape Colville, How it occurred may be explained in the future, or may bo never explained, but at all events the Triumph got ashore across a rocky reef stretching a short di-<-tanco fiom the south-east of Tiritiri, and immediately under the lights of the lighthouse at a quarter-past ten. Immediately after sho struck r.n attempt was made to back the ship off from her position, As to who gave orders for this there are conflicting statements. The engineer says that he felt the vessel graze and reversed without waiting for orders. The second mate says that sho was being backed astern when she struck, and the captain says she was going full speed ahead, that is to say eleven knots an hour, and this seems the most likely st >ry from the fact of the vessel having gone so far on the reef as to remain swinging jn*fc under her foremast, or probably morn than 60ft from her bows. The captain took apparently the moat prompt attention to get the ship off. Some 300 tons of ballast wore pumped our of her forwa d compartments, and an anchor got out aT. When it was found that the ship was in danger rockets were sent up at frequent intervals and guns fired, but the former were m t seen and the latter not heard until daybreak. Meanwhile it had been found that the ship was making water in her forehold, and the crew wore sent to wo:k to lift the cargo, and they worked energetically until worn out. A large quantity was saved, hut the water rose to the height of lift in this compartment, and although the engines were kept working the men were manifestly fagged out when the Stella arrived. The Herald to-day says:—“ Mr Ediott, Under Secretary for Immigration, came to Auckland some weeks before the arrival of the Triumph, for the purpose of making some new arrangements in respect to the Immigration Department in Auckland. He decided to remain in Auckland . till the arrival of the Triumph When that long expected steamer came in Mr Elliott and Mr May, the newly appointed immigration officer at this port, went on board to receive the immigrants and see if the regulations hid been carried out. They were dissatisfied with much they saw, and on making enquiries found out not a little t-> make them think that the conduct of some of the officers had been, not to put too fine a point on it, no better than it should have been. It is the custom to give gratuities to the officers of vessels, and to several of th se who have been in charge of immigrants when it is considered that they have faithfully done their duty. In this ciso smaller amounts were paid to subordinates, bur we believe that the L 25 each which it ii the custom to pay to the captain, chief officer, and doctor were withheld. Inquiry was made by Messrs Elliott and May, and as a result they declined to pay the amount pending farther investigation. This fact if s unewhat significant, and will lead people to conclude that government and management of the Triumph were not such as should have been the case on board of such a vessel.” Excursions to the scene of the wreck to-day are being run. The Triumph was built in 1880 by Clayton, Dixon and Co, of Middlesbro-on-Tess. Her dimensions are—Length, 350 ft; beam, 35ft 2in ; d?pth of hold, 27ft; registered t .linage, 1,707 tons, but she is capable of carrying 2,997 tons. Her engines were manufactured at the workshops of Blair, nt Stockton-on-Tees, and are compound direct action on the vertical inverted principle. Her nominal horse-power was 400 and actual 2.000. Her hull has a full heavy appearance, she having been built with the main object of being a large cargo carrier. The saloon accommodation is small, bho is schooner-rigged with double topsail yards and is fitted with both hand and steam-steering apparatus. Sl.e is divided into six watertight compartments, and provision is made for 500 tons of water ballast. There is a large refrigerator aboard. She came ou° to this colony under charter to tiie Shaw-Savill-Albion Company. She finished discharging the Auckland portion of her cargo on Thursday afternoon, and proceeded on the voyage to Wellington shortly after 8 o’clock on Thursday night, with 1,200 tons of cargo aboard.