RACING TO THE RESCUE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 7

RACING TO THE RESCUE.

AT THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER. AS SEEN FBOM THE AHAHUEA. (special to "the press.") GISBORNE, June 3. By the Arahura which arrived from Auckland to-day, first-hand accounts of the wreck of the large steamer Wiltshire were brought to Gisborne. These accounts covered the period from the receipt of the first S.O.S. message up till about 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. The Arahura while battling against a heavy easterly gale on her voyage from Auckland to Gisborne, picked up the stranded steamer's coll of distress and, turning at once, raced on her errand of mercy. Captain Dryden stated that the Arahura was in the Bay of Plenty going against a heavy easterly gale when the Wiltshire's first call for help was nicked up. The Arahura was then f) miles from the the scene of the wreck, and it is believed that she was the first vessel to receive the call. A turn was made with all hr.ste, and tho Arahura went all out in the direction of the Great Barrier, the little, vessel making about 13 knots. At this speed she was anything but comfortable, but fortunately the gale was behind her. The atmosphere fairly buzzed with wireless waves to and from the Wiltshire and from other ivessels which had. also received the call.

A Furious Sea. The night was very thick and the gale was increasing, but the Arahura made good pi-ogress and at 7 a.m. sighted the wreck. To illustrate the fury of the wind and sea, Captain Dryden recounted a remarkable fact as to the sighting of the wrecK In the first instance those on board the Arahura* bad their attention directed to what a& v first appeared to be smoke, and they thought that the crew had .landed and had lit fires to attract attention. It was soon learnt that the "smoke" was really caused by waterfalls of > spray which had been flung .by. .the wind up "tlie cliff. The water floated down the steep cliff in a steady stream, the gale whirling the spray up the cliff continuously. This strange effect was sighted before the ship itself was seen. When the Arahura arrived at the scene the Katoa was standing by, but ns she was a light ship she could not keep to windward off a lee shore and she was some distanoe off. The sea was terrific and the stranded Wiltshire was head on, with her bow about 60 yards from the steep cliff. The island, said Captain was very mountainous and tlie Wiltshire was right under a long line of cliffs. She had a decided list to starboard. The boat had a visible' tilt upwards and there was a rugged reef of rocks alongside. Her position was apparently hopeles3, and ehe was being herocly pounded by the huge teas which were rolling in against the cliff. The ship then was complete and the superstructure andi deck fittings were all intact. There were few signs of life on board, the crew being apparently sheltering below. With the glasses, however, some of those on board could now and again be 6©en irom. the Arahura

Unknown Dangers. Very cautiously the Arahura was worked inta within a mile of the Wiltshire, Captain Dryden explaining that they did not dartj. to go close, as the east coast of the Great Barrier is unsounded. arid the depths therefore unknown,. The master of the Wiltshire was undoubtedly endeavouring to pick up the Cuvier Light which, however, would havs been obscured from his view bv the high land of the island 111 the Yieinitr of wktre the vessel struck. The night had been very thick and Captain Dryden stated that when the Arahura passed the Cuvier Light only three milos distant it was only a blur. It was probably, therefore, that even had the island not obstructed the view, the light wpuld nbt have been risible from the Wiltshire. When the Arahura came on the scene the Katoa wirelessed to her .stating that as she could not keep to windward without losing steerage way, she proposed to try to work mto Po^Jj ry ~ phena, and to endeavour to land a party to go overland to the soene of the 'wreck. Captain rep'ied that that would be the best thing for the Katoa to do, and that in the meantime the Arahura was stand by- There was not much difficulty in holding her in that position, about a mile off the wreck. The Katoa then made for Port the course of the xnbrning the weather thickened and the sea increas.ed but the Wiltshire appeared to remain intact, though the wireless meimecs indicated that the water was mher. Eventually she eignalled bv flags that her dynamo had stopped and that the wireless was out of action for sending purposes, though she could still receivemessases The Arahura's operator (Mr Gormley) then sent a message explaining to the wireless operator of the Wiltshire how he his plant into operation far sending short range messages. He evidently carried out these instructions, for in a short time the Wiltshire's wire£B7 was again picked up by the Arahura and communication waa resumed.

Wiltshire's Terribly Plight. CaDtain Dryden enquired as to the poeitfon of tL> Wiltshire and how those cm board were faring. A despairing reply was reoeived that the situation was desperate and the danger Seat/ The sea by this time was runninK higher than ever and there was ~n7sibility 0 f a lifeboat living in a sea. Through the glasses it be seen that tfiere had evidently K an attempt to launch one of the tnr it auneared to have smashed SL'Sk tL ridK th. nip. The Wiltthen getting a terrible pounding. The sea, said Captain DrySen was as high as it could be anyJhe're, possibly with the exception of such places as Cape Certainly it was the MgMt seen he had observed on tbe for years. The Arahura stood by until 3.30

p.m. on Thursday and by this time the neather had so thickened as to cut off the view of the Wiltshire from the Arahura. Ab the Arahura could do nothing more and it was useless standing by in that raging sea Captain Dryden decided to proceed on his voyage. "We had done all we could," he said, "which was nothing, and it was time for me to get on with the voyage and land the Gisborne passengers." At 2 p.m. the Katoa wirelessed that the \\ilcshire had broken in half. While the Arahura was standing by, she was acting ae the means of communication between the Wiltshire and the Auckland Post Office. "We regret very much," said Captain Dryden, "that we were unable to do anything. ' He added that when the wreck was first sighted she was blowing off steam, evidently to get it off the boilers before the water reached them and exploded them. The voyage across the Bay of Plenty on the way down to Gisborne _ was against one of the fiercest easterlies he had experienced on the coast. The first warning the passengers had of anything amiss was when the Arahura was turned suddenly round, immediately upon receipt of the news that the Wiltshire was ashore. Portmanteaux, bags and other luggage were sent flying about the cabins as the ship rolled about and as she came round. Even when the vessel straightened out on the new course, things were not much better, for full speed was called for, and the hull lurched and strained m heavy following seas. The vibration from the engines prevented sleep.

An Awe-inspiring Sight. At an early hour on Thursday morning those passengers who were not confined to their bunks under the lnflu- < noe of sea-sickness, were on the decks lining the rails, and straining their eves into th 0 shadowy haze that heralded the first approach of dawn. As tho daylight pierced its way through the gloom tho anxious watchers were able to discern the wreck. _ There in th© distance, seemingly right under the gaunt and rugged cliffs, lay the once magnificent steamer —a wreck. Sho appeared to have run right into the cliff. Apart from the anguish and anxiety rendered to the officers and passengers of the Arahura, the scene was an awe-inspiring one in its ruggedness, lier© in one of the most exposed parts of the Great Barrier Island, and the ship lying on the rocks, water pouring over her after portion. She had <1 cruiser stern, and the water was sweeping; the entire length of the hull. Later in the day the sea increased and the weatiher generally became dirtier. Thick driving rain squalls obscured the Wiltshire from the view for period*. The experience of tossing about in the high seas was not pleasant. Spray was being blown in clouds right over the bridge and funnels. 'Tou can talc© it from me that there was a of a sea running most of the time," stated one of the officers of the Arahura. "I have been 011 this run for a good many months continuously now, and off and on at other times, but I have never experienced such a bad trip before." It was shortly after 11 when the Arahura's wireless operator gicked up the first S.O.S. call. From then on h© was at his post for many hours continuously. In fact, he nad, the telephones on for 17 hours at a stretch.