BARQUE TOTALLY WRECKED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2267, 29 September 1914, Page 7

BARQUE TOTALLY WRECKED.

* -•..- AT KAIPARA HEADS. . VESSEL STRIKES ON THE "GRAVEYARD." CREW SAFELY LANDED. (By Telegraph.—Prese Association.) Auckland, September 28.' The l.wque Anglo-Norman is a total wreck at Kaipara Heads. She was driven into the breakers upon a strong flood tide, which carried her on to tha beach. At low water she is high and dry. The crow of twelve men landec , eafely with their , effects on /SaturdaJ evening and walked to the lighthouse. LATER DETAILS. STORY OF THE WRECK. ' Auckland, September 28. Ten members of the crew of the Anglo-Norman arrived ot Auckland by train from Helensville to-day, and reported to tho local Norwegian Vice--Consul (Mr. R. Millar).. "T can't see that tho wreck was tho captain's fault, or anyone else's," said one of the crow (an Enp;lishriian), in describing the occurrence ;to a reporter. "We had a pretty bad passage up from Dunedin, with liea.d winds pretty-well all the way, Wo had to lie off Kaipara Heads for pretty nearly a yfevk before we had a chance to get in. On Saturday morning a westerly wind came up, and we made for tho ontrance. It w« a fairly clear day, and one could see the beacons quito well. The wind couldn't have beeu better, and it seemo3 as if we wore going to be ncross.tlie bar in a vory short time. Suddenly a heavy rain squall camo clown on us, and' completely blotted out. the |and. Wβ '■Quid see nothing but , mist "and rain all' round, and in a short time we were in -the breakers. The wind'.was jrusty and fitful, and sometimes It dropped to a calm. The oaptain did not shorten, tail, but tried to steer by the compass That waa tho only' thing hp could possibly have done,! because there was no room to put the ship about, arid when you are.on the bar you htU3t keep wny on. I krow thp Kfl-fiWn bar well,-", he remarked, "for.l have been over it scores of timea.

Aground on the "Graveyard." , "The part wo were on is what they call the 'graveyard.' Welj, we kept a sburp lookout for any sign of land through the squall, but there was absolutely nothing to be seen, and about an hour later we struck the bottom, evidently on sand-. • The barque seemed to settle firmly, and the spray began to break over ber. Not many seas camp' aboard, and wo were nevar iu any reni danger.. Tie captain did , everything possible after she struck, but-wo could do nothing for nn hour or more, for tbe -weather was still'thick,'.and no land could be seen. About thTee hours aftoi striking, that is, about the middle of the afternoon, we lowered a bint, and took a line to the beach, wliich was less than a hundred yards away. We got all our goods together, and by keeping the boat goine to and fro on the lino we wero soon all'ashore, the captain cominjr. off last of all. "At the'lighthouse thoy treated us splendidly, and gavo us hot food, and helped' us .to dry our clothes, 'for wp were all wet through. We slept; all night at the lighthouse, and yesterday rriorning -we left for the .pilot station, whore we got another warm welcome, imd then all of us, except the captain ■nnd the mate, caught the boat to Helonsyille. When we saw the' last of her the.'-barque was full of , water,- and was burying herself iri the soft sand: Probnbly iri a week or two there will be nothing but her masts to be seen."

Question of Inquiry. The Anglo-Norman, being a .foTefen vessel, the law does not require a nautical ■ inauiry to be held. The Norwegian vice-Consul is not empowered to hold a consular inquiry, and at his request, tho Collector of Cußtome has v-irbd to 'tie Secretary for Marino on the subject. If an inquiry is held, it will probably bo a Departmental one. ■ The Anglo-Norman was an iron barque of-839 tons gross , and 762 net register. She was built. 4n 1876 by Russell and Co., of Port Glasgow, and originally sailed iinder the Norwegian fliMt.- Heir dimensions -were: —Length, 1512,4ft:";-breadth,' 32.2 ft.; depth, 18.9 ft.