HOW DEVON STRUCK

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1841, 29 August 1913, Page 8

HOW DEVON STRUCK

01 FINDING.THE FAIRWAY. DELPHIC'S RIDING LIGHTS. DID THEY MISLEAD? STORY OF NIGHT ON BOARD. TOLD BY THE CREW. The story of the night when the Devon struck lias now been.disclosed by members of the ship's company, and of how she fame to strike something is also said. Since she took the rocks she has suffered damage all the-time. Seen yeste. day, the wreck was a simple scene of desolation. Debris had been stacked up by the wash of the sea on deck, iron railings had been twisted, and both the after hatches were open. The sea was swirling about inside, tossing cargo in a'l directions, Not one of the bulkheads remained intact-. Ten feet of water was indicated by soundings in the forehold, and' 30 feet in the afterhold, and the steamer's frame . is now extensively broken. The stern plates are battered in, ' while .the alter-part .of the deck is split- right- across. Rocks liafo also pierced the hull under the engineroom, and the engines and boilers have been forced up several feet. Tho stem of the steamer has been twisted put of line. What Lloyd's Surveyor Found. Yesterday morning Mr. A. Walker, Lloyd's surveyor, inspected . tho ship, travelling down from' the city by s.s. Karaka. He found a quantity of cargo in the shelter decks aft and • 'tween decks forward, which, in his opinion, can bo- salved without much difficulty. Forward of the ship lie found 3-1! fathoms of water, and aft there was 0 fathoms. Mr. Walker states that the Devon is very badly holed, especially (under the engine-room. Asked bow long 110 thought the Devon might remain in her present position, Mr. Walker replied: "Slid might stay there for months." The Watchers on the Ship. _ Captain Johnson, harbourmaster, also visited tho . wrcck yesterday. While, lie- was 011 tho beach Captain Cauncc gave • Mr. Maurice (chief officer) instructions to proceed to town, and he came up in the Ota. Mr. Maurice had been loft 011 the beach since Monday afternoon to "take care of the ship." It was, however, deemed advisable for someoneito remain to protect the ship's property. Mr. Woods, sccond ■officer, promptly volunteered to remain, and he was asked to choose a man to remain with him. When he made the call the whole crow offered. When Captain Johnson heard of these arrangements he signalled from tho beach that it would n'ot bo safo to allow anyone to remain on hoard. The harbourmaster thought that there was probability of a heavy southerly gale springing up, and in that case the two men fin board would be in great jeopardy. The two men, however, elected to remain on board. • Speaking to a reporter-on the subject last evening, Sir. Walker stated that he"liad advised Captain Caunce to have tho men on board. He did not see how they could come to any harm, because, Ui his opinion, the Devon ill not commence t'o break up for some time. Crew Salve Tholr Effocts. Members of tho Devon's crew also went down yesterday and managed to secure all that was loft of their personal efieci* These were lowered into t-'e boat bv means of a dome.': and salciv transferred to tho harbour steamer, the Karaka was unable to ranje no alongside on account.of the swell which «as still coming in. Tlie Night She Struck. Thrilling indeed must have been Hie experiences of the crew when the ship s fore foot clawed the rocks. 'Prior to yesterday they were reticent about it, but now they are beginning to talk. .'lt socnis that when the vessel was coining/ down the coast, thick blinding ramsqualls and very dirty wcatVr were experienced. At times the steamer only travelled from five to six Kn>.its au hour against the storm, and between JCa". Cape and Cape Palliser, land was >iaht'cd on four occasions only. On rounding Cape Palliser Monday hc-ai> south-east gale and sea wv.v feli in a'i theirfury. The Devon was ir. light trim and made heavy weather of it. rolled and pitched like a cork. But she battled on. About C p.m. on Monday the. beam of Pencarrow light was divined, rather than seen, but a little later the light itself cams into view, clear.and bright. Some time after, the low-level light was picked up and all appeared to bo going well. The captain and acting-chief officer ivere 0:1 tiio bridge-at tho time. Presently some thing that appeared to bo Somes Island white sector was pi"kcd W'.i and then the red light on Falcon Shoal. At times' heavy showers of rain came down and made vision difficult- All the lights were kept in view, however, and it was thouglit that tho old Devon would make port in an hour or two. With tho harbour lights apparently opened up, and with Pencarrow's lowlevel light- bearing over the starboard bow, full steam was made for the entrance. Everything appeared to lie. safe. "Rocks on Starboard Bowl" Suddenly, however, a cry was heard from the lookout'nian, "Rocks 011 the starboard bow, sir! Rocks on the starboard bowl" The fourth officer also noticed the rocks and repeated the cry. Immediately this warning was given the green sector of Somes Island .light is stated to have, opened up, and the captain shouted to the man at. tho wneol, "Starboard your, helm." Before the order could be executed, however, the Devon was on the rocks, hard and fast-. "Went on with an Awful Crash." "She went 011 with an awful hoave and crash," said one narrator, "and immediately big seas came right over us aft." Down below in tho engine-room the engineers and firemen and trimmers had to quit for their lives. Eocks pierced their way up through tho vessel's bottom, and two minutes after sho struck the engine-room and stokehold were flooded. It was a case of "all hands 011 dock." Lifebelts were served out, and in the blackness of the night all tho crow huddled together 011 tho forecastle head. Rockets alid distress signals were fired at intervals. The Waliino answered to the calls, but she could not do anything in such weather. Those anxious men saw her steaming away from them, and hope went out for a time. Crew Huddled In the Bows. ■ There was 110 light on board, and rain came down in torrents. The wiud blew with hurricane forco from the south. All 011 board wars wot through and chiliad. Sea aftur sea came clean over tlis rail al't, and as each big ocean roll hit the stor'n the vessel rosa, and then came crashing on th« rooks. Towards midnight the gale increased. The ship rocked in the grip of the rocks and sea, and the crew expected her to break up. , It was impossible to launch a boat, 1 and any attempt to effect a landing 1 would (they thought) have meant death. . So all night the ship's company of fifty.one remained huddled in the bows,

Splendid discipline prevailed, however, md the captain's orders were obeyed promptly. Dash for a Wedding Ring. So serious did the outlook seem that i member of the crew made a rush to liis cabin, to securo a keepsake ring ivhieli he had left there. "You seo this ring," 110 said, holding up his little finger, "well 1 collared that, and that only. It was given to 1110 by my wife 011 our wedding day. I usually wear it on tho little finger of my left bund, but on Monday night I forced it 011 the first linger I. came to. I thought that if my body was picked up in the morning I. could be identified by this ring." This story from a sailor who has been through many bard times at sea speaks lor itself. It seems to show what members of the crow thought- of their chances that night. ' How Shore Tallied to Ship. When Captain .Johnson and his party arrived 011 the beach on tho morning of the wreck, tho first question which 110 asked by Jl'orsc signal lamp was: "What is your name:'." Tlie answer came twinkling back across the black space, "D-E-V-O-N." Then a message was sent telling thoso 011 board that the harbourmaster and a wreck gang were on tho beach to do all they could to help those on board. Tho next question asked by the ship's company was: "When do you think the weather will moderate?" "During the next twenty-four hours,' was tho reply. - ' Immediately the lamp 011 the forecastle head blinked out: "Wo will try to get a lino ashore at- daylight," . Captain Johnson replied: "Don't attempt to get ashore. It is fatal.. You are safer whero you are. Wait till daybreak. Wo will stand by you and render all help possible." For the next two hours the huddled forms of those 011 board could be seen in tho bows. At dawn they presented a. pitiful sight. Through a pair of glasses tho crew looked worn out with their night's vigil. The rest of tho story has been told, save that the first man ashore grasped his resellers' hands in his own, and, with tears in his eyes, thanked them for saving his life.. This pathetic scene was witnessed again and again till (with three cheers) the captain was lauded on the beach in safety. HOW IT HAPPENED. WAS IT THE DELPHIC'S LIGHT? Speculation as to how the wrcck liappered is being narrowed down to two . main theories. The first theory is that tho ship being of moderate horse-power and riding light was swung out of her course by the combined forces of wind and wave from the north-east, and driven 011 to Pencarrow rocks. Tho other theory is more interesting. Briefly, it fastens tho blame upon tho riding light of tlie Dclpliic, which was lying at anchor in quarantine off Somes island 011 the l'etonc side. It is stated that tho vessel was making her way nlong the coast and had picked up Pencarrow light, and some time later picked up Pencarrow low-level light. It is understood that a course had been set to clear tho low-level light by half a mile fully. On approaching the harbour mouth the retl Falcon buoy light was picked up over the port bow, and also what wa» taken to be the white sector.' ot" tho Somes Island light .was also picked up. With tlieso lights as a guide, according to tho chart, it -was presumed that a safe entry would be made to port. With everything considered safe sudden alarm waa caused by the look-out man suddenly crying out "Rocks ahead!" The fourth officcr called out at the same time to the same cft'cct-. Tho captain immediately shouted: "Starboard your helm," but before the quartermaster could act upon the order the ship had-struck flic rocks, and the seas were driving her hard and last upon them ~ Jt is considered, 011 the basis' of these suggestions, -that the' riding light of the Delphic, which was only a few point" away from the white, sector of the Somes 'island light, was mistaken for it aJid led to the disaster. ' When rocks were seen tho green sector of the light which is tho danger zone shone out, thus showing that the vessel was out of her course. How it happened that tho greeai light was not seen long before this remains a mystery, as the vessel apparently was within its radius practically when facing for the harbour entrance.' A reliable authority considers, however, that it 'was an absolute impossibility for those 011 board the Devon to seo the Delphic's light. In view of all these facts the inquiry will be particularly interesting. MINISTER'S LETTER. HARBOURMASTER &.HIS PARTY. The following letter has been sent by the Minister for Marine (the' Hon. F. M. li. Fisher) to the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board (Mr. R. Fletcher)With reference to the recent wreck of the s.s. Devon, I shall be glad if you will convey to Captain Johnson the thanks and appreciation' ol the ■Government for tho promptitude with which he arranged to proceed to the wreck to render assistance to the shipwrecked crew, and for the manner in which lie. worked and supervised the arrangements for getting the crew ashore from the wreck, which resulted in all being rescued. I shall be glad if you will also convoy to the other officers of your board who accompanied Captain Johnson the appreciation ol the Government for the manner in which they assisted him." (Signed) "F, 'M.B.Fisher." HELP FROM SOUTH. Dunedln, August 28. The executive of. the Shipwreck Relief Society lias sent a telegram authorising the Wellington committee to draw on it through the Bank of New Zealand up to £250 for relief of the crew of the Devon, and inquiring if furthei relief is necessary. EXCURSION TO STRANDED STEAMER. The s.s. Duchess is advertised to mak< an excursion -to the scene of the wreclthis afternoon, ahd will leave the Ferr,\ Wharf at 2.30 p.m., circumstances .permitting. On each occasion that this trip has been made,'numbers of people havo availed themselves of the opportunity of witnessing what is, fortunate ly, such an unusual, but impressive sight. '