THE PENGUIN WRECK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 437, 20 February 1909, Page 6

THE PENGUIN WRECK.

HOW R.M.S. TURAKINA HEARD THE NEWS. , VALUE OF MORSE SIGNALLING. ' Tho cabled news 1 that the New South /Wales Navigation Department propose to install the Morso .signalling apparatus at .the principal lighthouses has caused tho usual commentWhy was it not.dono.befp'ro? There.'is nothing newaboutMorse. night-signalling. Every steamer, has to be provided ,;with the -apparatus, and eyery/officer,'when qualifying for■ a mate'sj certificate, .haa'td demonstrate a"certain knowledgo of tho. system by which, vessels can .-''speak-through .-the dark." An in. , stance of the (efficacy, of. Morse signalling occurred, in Wellington on Sunday night' on the arrival of the Turakina from Condon. " A rumour hadireached.the vessel,about, the'wrect; of! the Penguin, but ho details were known. ■ As ; Bome of,the officers.had friends amongst officers, who' had: been'; on the:Perigum ; they wore anxious, to i learn of their fate, and so opened up communication with Mr. C. W. Palmer,7 of ■ Goldiesbrae,: who; ,is .an expert Morse. signalman, and j has. the i proper :lamp for tho purpose. In: that manner: those on board were able, to gain full particulars, even a's-.to, how, the;',names. of "those fan'board were spelt. Mr. Palmer is strongly .in:favour ■of tho adoption. of . the Morse signalling system in connection; with, our lighthouses.. He also thinks that .the: code "should be ;taught: the 1 boys of "the Amokura,and> in that direction pas; offered ■; his' .service's: ; to: initiate some scheme of instruction on board tho Government' training ship.

ANOTHER BODY RECOVERED. V; The-body.- of - another; of;. the • unfortunate peoplo; who ' were drowned intho Penguin disaster : ,was • washed - ashore, . at Otorangi Bay- yesterday morning, andwasbrought int<v town :in tho tug Terawhiti, and, placed m-. th©;morgue., ; Deceased, who was between 25., siid 35 ■ years ; of-age, < has. been'identified ,froin-a discharge fotind t in .his pocket,', which • .bore.',the .name.of; George .Cooper, :seaman.. formerly, belonging. to ! the steamer. Jf Komati. :,; Cooper's ' name ;did' not . appear amongst 'the: list»,of -the'/' vessel's -crew, : and -discharge ( may ; nofc: be - his.. is v that of a man ;abo'utKsft.'highi ' medium' ;build r :.dark; hairy short nosb. pointed chin,, regular .'teeth,;-dressed in-black cloth coat,- with slit side pockets, no waistcoat and dark Weed trousers/; narrow; braces* . embroidered; with .red- flowers,..white cotton: :shirt; and collar ! attached;,;;TJhder the collar of the shirt' is • the • namei J. 1 ' Smith and Sons,: New House,. Wellington. •A; piece j. of .• paper; with .the • words;; - : : stewardj f Dunedin,' {'. was found.in- one of pockets. telegram' 1 yesterday; from the head office. of -.the/lJnion.'Company at ; Dunedin George; Cooper . in: our.:reoords,. nor do wo .who -: his -relatives' are./ v Does , not -; appear Koraata list for; past^.twelve months.A TRAIN HELD UP.

b; A highly-amusing and business-like: coup was made -during . the passage' of the' Main |;ftMl^^^r6ssvyesterHay^■■VAt■iPaekakaMld' ! a■ number- of attractive ladies entered, the express,' and commencing operations in a woii- : derfullybusiness-like' manner,proceeded .'i to . "go -through" tho train from either -end ,mJh;';a:-;dctMmination;j-that/l)rMfe^-n6': : V3^' 1 ! first", ( quickly ;.;entere'd "-into 1 the ; of the ithirig, and ."paid,, up!! ; with. commendable promptidispafeh; cthel: being that. the- 'ladies, the JV- Musical Comedy ; Company, {'rapidly j disposed iof parcels of ' tickets ■for/the:imatmee' benefit, thisafternoon. ° As an • up-fKhdato method of 'raisingi fundsj; this' should bo hard to boat.

* | GOVERNMENT, ASSISTANCE. .Town -Clerk ' hasreceived: the;'follow■wg/telegram from the.Premier:—'"The '.Gov'ernnient; will .bb- glad' to join in any " contributions'.i raised for.:the. relief , of. : the'-, sufferers by the-.i-'engnm disaster. .'.l will -bo glad if you'will, in the meantime, include a . icontnbution - of 1 £250.—(Sgd.) ■ J. 'G. Ward."

WILLING SETTLERS. The; praiseworthy zeal of tho Makara set tlorß Vin. rendering ; aid'. at the Penguin wreck was somewhat overlooked! in a statement .which appeared in The Dominion, on Thursday:, points out' -that their efforts, wero-very prompt and useful. Shortly;after six o'clooli on. tno' morning 'of /the; - Kennedy/, arranged that' the . supplies,-: arid'. ■ th'e/.Makara, settlers,- j Underteok: to-find rKprsesi'and^n{en!.Wi:ti:^pbrtKthMn" y ov&;:the'mountain track;. This they did; going direct ' from, their . milking; , in . .wet'clothingto. the placo appointed to start from. Mr. Nathan, referred j to in the earlier statement, ;was' not. tho .owner or; any ■ of the horses" used;for. carrying tho goods. : A second correspondent .mentions that the Makara settlers.iwere .waiting from, eight o'clock until ten minutes to cloven-o'clock, wet to tho skini?.for-'-the; motor' cars, ■ wKich' did not arrive at Makara until ten minutes to eleven.

RELIEF FUND. ;The following subscriptions to tho Penguin Relief Fund- Have boon received ■at This Dominion office:— -' ,•,

• Tho following motion was paßscd unanimously at the annual general, meeting of the Maoriland Steam' Ship -Company, Limited, held on Thursday at tho oflico of tho company: "That thi3 meeting expresses deepest sympathy with'.the relatives and 'friends 'of -those .who: lost, their : lives : in the ■ wreck of the'sa P«n?iiii> "

SOME EARLY WRECKS. Sir, —Reading' in your paper of Monday's issue" regarding wrecks, etc., in Cook Strait I think your author has.made a mistake in the barque Tyne. If it is the same vessel it was the voyage out to-Wellington in 1843, when working .through the Strait w S.E. thick weather, the captain: overrun his distance, : and went -.ashore! -Wellington side_ of. Sinclair Head, but all were saved. She had. six .boxes: of. gold aboard, and all came to light except one, which outside talk said was divided among certain persons, but they:are gone.to. their, long rest,-:.: One box was m.possession of the boatmen or salvagers for amonth,. but .they could not agree to the division; so it was brought in to the Union ; Bank, at /that ■ time :in - Lombard Street.~ opposite tile New Zealander Hotel. There was another. fatal' wreck in 1851 near Terawhiti, the Maria, bound from Lyttelton to_ Wellington,-. 29 out of 31 were. drowned. • In 1847 I was passenger .in -the . Supply cutter of ,16 tons, bound from/Motupipi to : .Wellington; laden with coal. "Wegrounded Terawhiti about' a ■ mile off,' and ; took our course to the outennost point; you could see through the port rigging, thinking this would ■take us'clear, .but we went stem on to Tom's Rock; we slid right on it. Wo, were on it' about half an \ hour,' when she gradually worised her head round to sea, the wind being N.W.—a strong; breeze, two reefs in mainsail, "when the false keel came up alongside, and.the' forefoot was' smashed: to the plank ends. Luckily, she; made no water. Of course, bur'jkipperreported'the compass was out, but, .'generally speaking, you did not sail by compass. Get a point of land on; or a 'star, that was the kind of vessels we used, to travel in in those days.—l am, eto., : ' HENRY BARLTROP. - Nelson, February 18. .

HANDLINC LIFEBOATS. Sir, —In regard to Mr. Vavasour, and his letter published, in Thursday's* Dominion, if he had only taken the trouble to look-at the • stern of: the lifeboats ho would have found a place for a. steering-oar, ;-which is only, used when there is no rudder. " Does Mr. Vavasour, think an officer has the strength of a Hercules to pull at a', steering-oar,; and how are the women and'children going to jftop their position . They, are'iiot bales of wool, and as one that has experienced a; little lif eboatwork as one of . the crew of -the late 'E.M-.S. ■ Scotsman,, wrecked -in the gulf'- of St. :.Law-: - rence, we had to , take a woman between; two' men, and- put - the between: our 'legs to: keep .'•the boat steady;: As tho -lifeboats generally-, hold -thirty persons, a ship like' the; 'Penguin, oould. give only six or soven men to each'; lifebbatj /and .how. six men can keep, a .bbati.of women'steady beats "me. : : Mr."Vavii-' sour; adcuses ;officers'and men' of; notbeing ; able to. man . a lifeboat; : Now; sir; red; tape does , not (jet positions in the British Merchant Service;, and as there are a'great many: R.N.R. men-, on tho New Zealand service, hard work and intelligence climbs the ladder under the British" flag.- Mr. L Vavasour knows moro'about shearers and their .value than 'he knows about "lifeboats- arid crows and, officers.—l am, etc.; ';

: -AN OLD COMMON BRITISH SAILOR. Mauricoville, February 19. .. SHIPS' BOATS. ; ,; Sir,-r^lt..'isvexactly. fifty years, ago\that I camo to New Zealand as surgeon to a 'crowded,-emigrant and passenger vesselj the Agra., Me were about four months 1 on. tho ■passage,; aid Awhile. becalmed on the "Line, the . young fellows among -tho passengers V asked to- bo, allowed. ajboat race, .which was ■at lirst ; refused; the. mate, explaining to me,privately: that! there was only ono boat • that. could swim, .as the others were .contract dummies ■'supplied to. satisfy the requirements .of the ; Boar,d ■■ of '. Trade, and to pass the .••-.measure-. ■ ments" of their. olßciali ' Can you wonder that ;I forestalled .'the expression, of.. Neil". Angus' M 'Todd Mn /writing■' down the - Board 'of, Trade' as-' a "hass," and their officials:'as possibly briiamental ; but "useless? Fortunately our detention- enabled a'- couple of ; clever-ships' carpenters 'to > put',themin pro-' iper.■ prHer.-. to l ' givb ':the'. pass'ehgers-'their fun.; I suppose'.Binbe'.'ihat time there . have been . groa.t alterations'; ■'■ as some. : personal. experi,'ence; with" the New:. Zealand-.Shipping -Cbm- , : papy's ' : service satisfiedme . . their , methods I igear: wero fullyi up to 1 thij -'mark/; s6' be- • causo one. unfortunate, wreck has. caused: loss of' life, confidence in : the' colonial mercantile ' ■marine need not' be diminished^—l ami -etc., F. A. MONCKTON. .:. Feilding: '.. . ~. . ' PAST WRECKS AND THEIR ,RECORDS.

j'. .Sir,~lf I.am not tho first shipwreck at or near Terawhiti, of which wo havo any account, took place' in the early -forties/ sometime before the wreok of the; Maria roferred.to by. the resident-of Makara;. ' fi; l think the name of tho vessel was the Soberonj or ; a-.name.' somewhat'.'similar. I cannot , say. now • how I many lives were -lost'.'on that pccasiorij; , but eleven bodies were buried in one grave, and;tho Rev. Mr. Cole, tho Church of England clergyman at .Thorndon, performed the :funeral service over them;'.. The Rev. 'Mr. ' Cole', I - believe, had-, left Wellington, before ;th'e wreck of the.Maria in tho early- fifties." An uncle of; mine was present at tho funeral service oyer the; eleven victims of this wreck,; and this information has come down to me from.him.i'. Are there any archives, or! ofßoial records, of ; important public events-'to -.be': found in . this - city, such as' have: been kept' an most civilised; States, ancient and modern, 'and which may. be referred to at -any. time? ; Surely . this ;.is one' of tho most 'important .duties; of-.the City Counoil. . Permit moto-say that I am .very strongly; of; the opinion that a lighthouse should- be erected as far out on the rocks 'as 'possible in this most dangerous, arid most'frequented, part of.the New Zealand .coast', and that, too, ' before' perhaps one .of the; pas--senger,boats;.goes .ashore, where 50..-many other .vessels have mot their doom'. We might just as- well say.'that 'at Pencarrow or the Brothers is useless, as to say that a good.lighthouse .atTerawhiti would be. or-no, avail and a useless waste of .money. Cook Strait- is, the most important; maritime thoroughfare in this *part of tho world, and' cannot bo' too well lighted—l am; etc., w , J- H. COLLIER/ ■ Wellington, February 17. '

V THE PENCUIN WRECK. • lSir,— ln' connection with- the failure to find the true position of a vessel under such conditions as ; pr6vailed on the night of the wreck, 1 would- it not,, be an. advantage if a small searchlight were, carried ? A searchlight:would most certainly reveal the proximity of. rocks, etc. ,_ and extra cost '.would be compensated by the additional;safety.— l am, etc., THOS. STAGPOOLE. ■ Palmerston North, February 17. At an .impromptu meeting held in Johnsonville, it was .decided to hold a sacred concert'.in aid of-tbe.Penguin Disaster Relief Fund, on Tuesday/. February 23, in the Parish- Hall. 'It was further agreed that those; who. canvassed with^- tickets; should .also, be provided with collecting boxes, in order that people who preferred to' do so could haye .the.; opportunity of subscribing in that manner, instead of .buying A strong committee have; the arrangements in hand; -tickets are selling well, and ,a full house iB confidently -, expected. The''.musical ; pro'grammo is in the hands of Mr. Leslie Fell, of Johnsonville.. ' ~ ' Atlast night's meeting 1 of-': tho Petono School' Committee; it :was- decided, on the motion of ' the chairman (Mr. D.. M'Kenzie), to. pass a vote of; condolence with the relatives of those drowned in the recent shipping disaster. , . .

£ s. d. .Wellington Working Men's Club 10 10 0 T. A. Black, Wellington ... ... 1 1 0' H.K. ... ' 0 2 6 V.G.C. ' 0 2 0 ■Two Small Boys ... : ... 0 10 A. 0 2 0

<R.D.B.' 0 2 0 C.A. 0 2 0 D., Stuirock..:- .. ... . 0 2 0 C.E. ... ' 0 10 0 C. Revell (collected in Petone) ... 10 0 D. 0 10 0 J.S 110 R.E.H 0 2-0 Infants of Clyde. Quay School ... 012 10J G.A. 0 2 6 C.G.H 0 5 0 f'riond. ' ... ... . ... ...'010 R.H.,; 0 6 0 L.M. iMa'rton ... '... ... : 0 2 6 Amelia'.Nathan;: Hobsori ; Street...;. 10 10.0 i A.. Widow's Mite (Feilding) ., ... 1' 0 0 I H. P. Park (Motueka) ... ... 0 2 6 I Two Little Maids ... ... ... 0 1 0 B 0 10 0 N.E.B. 1 "... 0 5 0 A.H. ... ■ 10 0 Boys of Gear Co., Cuba Street ... 12 0 Mrs. T. C. Williams, Hobson St. 10 0 0 i Rev. R. Inglis, Khandallali .... 10 0* M.C.K 0 2 6 J.K. ... ' ... ' 0 2 6 A.S. ' ' ... ' 0 2 6 J.G. ' « ... 0 2 6 A.B. , ...,100 J.R.S 0 2 6 A.E.J: .;. 0 2 6 J.A.S 0 2 6 B.B. 0 2 6 R.J.E 0 2 6 J.S.D 0 2 6 ,D.M. ' 0 2 6 E.A. - ... 0 2 6 A.W.D. ; ... • ... , 0 1 0 B.J. ... J . 0 2 6 A.M. 0 2 6 S.H.R ' ' 0 2 6 A.A. 0 2 6 W.J.R. , 0 2 6 H.M. 0 2 6 E.C: 0 2 6 A.J.R 0 16 C.H. ... ... ... ... 0 2 6 G.T. ... ... ... ... 0 2 6 R.J. 0 2 6 P.L.G 0 2 6 W.F.A 0 2 6 E.J. ... • ... ' 0 2 6 X.Y.Z. • ■ 0 10 G.W. ..; ... , ■ 0 2 0 Infants Clyde. Qnoy School ... 0 4 8 T.B. • <- : ... 0 3 0 vx Z'...Viv;... ...£47 2 6i