THE CARNARVON BAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 932, 27 September 1910, Page 5

THE CARNARVON BAY.

STORY OF THE WRECK AND RESCUE. THE COMPLETE ACCOUNT. Details of tho Carnarvon Bay wreck.aro to hand, by the Sydney mail. It up pears that, as the 6teamer Tarcoola, on her way to Melbourne from Sydney, was ploughing her way through the heavy seas kicked lip by the northerly wind off Cape Liptrap on Sop'tember 17, somebody sighted a boat under sail, 1 apparency making, ■for the steamer. A heavy sea'; permitted only fleeting glimpses of tho lioat as. she climbed the tops of tho waves, but the watchers on the steamer goon Saw that 8b 6 was m distress. Hoisted on an oar there floated a pair of trousers and this weird flag was being waved to and fro. Tie boat was crowded.With tho men who had left tho ship Carnarvon Bay. Ship Piled Up. The ship left Liverpool for Sydney with 4000 tons of general cargo on Juno 20 last and despite bad weather and several minor acoidents, she made, a fairly fast voyage out to Australasia,-and was only 85 days ■out when she struck the.reef off King's; Island. . This took place some time between six and seven o'clock on Thursday evening. Land had been' sighted some hours nefore, but Captain Griffiths, expecting it to bo Capo Otway, had held on a southerly course to make sure. When he discovered that it was King Island, he sought to go round: the 1 southern cor- ' ner, and then, when'about a mile from the known reefs, the "essel struck a reef of submerged rooks, and stuck .there fast,quivering, with every blow from tlio heavy sea which was running. Crew Become Panicky. Extraordinary coolness.was shown by ill the officers. The captain calmly took v oigar from his - pocket, bit gfl tho end. end lit it. Then, strolling about the poop, and, smoking, he issued orders, for the launching of tne boats.The weather was coming from the port side, and ho had; the port lifeboat brought round , to the starboard side. The mates vrero superintending the launching of tho boats, Tiut even the their l lack of fear did -not allay some'degree of panio among the ;meh.. They hurried into tho boats, and the port lifeboat pushed-off with only seven men in her and no officer, while i.there were,22 men in the second boat ;The /captain ordered the men in the boat! to ■come alongside, but they refused.lt/was. no time to argue j the men in the starboard boat) which hung on to the ship, werevroaring,. that, they must shove on, or the masts wonld.soon fall and crush them. Captain Griffiths'dashed down to his cabin, and gathered up the ship's papers; the mates:entered the boats and" the captain followed. . ••; , Boats Hurriedly Provisioned, Mr. L. P. Coe, tho third mate, had been acting as steward, and ho had hurriedly collected Some - stores. Ho also looked the bbndi ; locker, ; after ■ first tak-" ing from' it two bottles of whisky, arid : half a bottle of brandy. .These supplies he took into the boat .with , him, and the men •at once pushed off from the ship; I The . oaptain ordered the' port lifeboat to Come alongside him. 1 The starboard boat was overloaded with twenty-five men, and the 'captain accordingly transferred tho whole of the port.watch, to their- own boat. This, left the starboard, boat with seventeen men—the' captain, and the; starboard watch, which included the second a%l third mates. .'-.When' the, men were passed over, tho provisions were shared between: tho two ; boats, and both wero furnished with two water beakers,] the water in them having been renewed only the day before. . " ■ Black and Wild Night. . It was dark before, all those arrangements had been completed; the sea-was still high, and the captain's intention 'was that,-.both boats: $nbuld remain in : .company: under the lee; of the island till daylight: showed a - convenient place of beaching, but a- very few minutes after these instructions v,had " been ;'riven"';the boats ivere: separated.- The-wind changedr and the captain, finding, it impossible-to keep ,to!:the island,'.,deoided;'tp .'run .for Launceston. Another ohange of wind ,ensued, however,:-and. ; the-impossibility of moving: the (heavily-laden boats with oars forced Mmu toVaUer ;'th'i6 -plan," and turn the" boat's"head::wth''> ior'- Port Phillip. - In the scantiest-jof:.-clothing,-aid-:with only, a few mb.uthfuls qfrfood, they- navigated the Strait, -sailing when- the; wind was '"favourable,^arid-;.-when--it 1 : was'; not,'; keeping the boat's head to . the: sea : with a couple of: oars.. Tho; voyage was over 100 miles, and occupied .nearly 48 hours.' Lighted Liner Passes. . The captain's chief hope all the time was. that they would: be sighted by some passing - steamer, but the . first V steamer' | bound 66uth. passed in the darknessahonttwo o'clock on Saturday'/morning, : and, i:the. cold, hungry ; men' in" the boat, had I the experience of. seeing her pass-j-alight from etem -to stern,'the picturo , ; of . warmth and comfort..', Most of ;~the .men bore' well, but: some, were very weak from exhaustion and exposure. when' the- .Tarcoola .picked them.i up. ' With; seventeen men in- such Sri all boats all wero cramped and un- ' comfortable/' .■;. The; • captain, the second , mate, and the third mate took it in turn to steer, but none of them could endure ' a longer shift, than 'an hour'before, cramp Overcame them. ; Tho tiller, indeed,, had to be chopped short before it could be worked in- the limited space left for it. Tie other. men. were kept constantly baling with empty .biscuit tins. ; ; A Nonchalant Passenger, ; As already reported .by. cable,' the . other , boat has;since been, picked up. There, was one passenger on board the' Carnarvon Bay. He was taken off in tho: port lifeboat. His : namo is .D. W.; Hardie, and ho appears to bo a man of resource, After the ship had struck, and all handß 'were busy getting the. boats '.out. and away, ■Hif. Hardie appeared : on deck fully dressed, his overcoat thrown across his shoulder, and his - portmanteau in his hand, as though he had reached tho end of his journey,- and: was merely "waiting I:to go ashore. Ho went of! in the port lifeboat. , ■ - - ■v" ■ 1 . I The German Crown l Prince intends | next _ Novenfber to start upon "an esI pedition for study and'information" in | Eastern Asia. Ho will probably visit ICiao-ohau, travel in China and Japan,' i and make a tour in India on the return journey. . . I lIOTOE CAES FOR EARLY DELIVERY. Highest grade English and Continental Motor Cars, including Renault, Napier Crossley, 8.5.A., eto., for 1910-11 season'due to arrive shortly, Orders booked at London' price,, plus landing charges, Tuition free. Scott Motor Agency, 57 Cuba Street, Wellington. • • ~; Peports received: by "Tho : Times" from every pari of tho country* show that this year's crop will bo bettor than was anticipated. Tho general British averages per cent, for August I 1, 1910, aro: Wheat, 03; barley; 99; i oats, 92.96; beans,- 05.2; potatoes, 96 ;| and roots, 95.18—figuroa Mich in each | case exceed the ton years' averages for 1900-1909. Wheat prospects have improved, but Devon,. Glouoester, Monmouth, Somerset, and Witts appuar to have suffered. In Kent the: wheat crop has beon described as "tho worst on record," and hops have ' deteriorated seriously ' through the varied weather and its attendant blights. IMPORTANT NOTICB. % I* 611 „ , Sole Awnts in Wellington. «. and ... District, for famous Siddelev Motor-Car, made by The Wolsely Motor-Car Co., Ltd, of Birmingham, England, and. are now'n™. pared to book indent orders tor this or' oeedingly' high-grade: Car. All information regarding prices, snivi ficatione, oto./will bo supplied on apDii; cation to '' INGLIS BROS., 21-23 HARRIS-STREET. WELLINGTON;'