S.S. SQUALL SUNK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2685, 3 February 1916, Page 6

S.S. SQUALL SUNK

STRIKES AN UNCHARTED ROCK AMNDS SATED

Another wreck—the .third oil the New Zealand coast within the same number of days—was reported yesterday mor'nU'U- Tho Richardson-owned steamer Squall has been lost off East Cape Island. All hands, woro saved, but the vessel sank in about 20 ; fathoms of water." '•">

Messrs. Johnston and .Co., local agents for the Richardson,,Ctompauy,'retlie first local intimation of.'. the, mishap, ; \whicE : iyas. contained in the. fol-' lowing; telegram :-H-'-'Squall struck rock' oif East Cape. All .liands safe." Further particulars came to hand'in a Press Association! message "from. Gisborne, which' .read.: as 'follows Chief Postmixste'r has .been advised by the. Postmaster at Te Araroa that' the -following" message has been received from the .'captain-of - Richardson's'.! steamer "struck 1 "uncharted :'rock, and rsank'about a mile' north of- Bast Island. All 'haiids are ■' safe.' The 6teamer,;.which;has -been-.doing' lighter-' ing work "on" the~coast;vleft ,'Araroa at 7'p.m. yesterday; bound'for Napier." . Tho last oocasion on which the Squall .visited! Wellington.iwas on J<ULuary' 21',; when.,she.;proceeded to"Nydtjg&Baj; jt# load" timber'-for 'Napier.-- • Subsequently; she went up the East Coast for wool, and sfhe was due back libre to-morrow. In 1912 the Squall was purchased' from the Union Company by her late owners. She continued in the Gisborne-East Coast-Auckland service for a time, till she was relieved by the.new' steamer Mako. Then she became a regular •trader to 'Wellington. .

The Squall was a vessel of 369 tons, gross register, and was--built' by JV; Mayer, at Zalt Boniiee, in 1904. Her dimensions were:—Length; ~ ; 104.4 ft.'; breadth, 24.2 ft.; dtepth, 104 ft. Captain L. Va'stawas in charge of lier, and he had 13 men under him. Mr. •E. Brandt was chief engineer, and ,ilr. Coldicutt second The i>st of the crew-is not obtainable in Wellington.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. By. Telegraph—Press! Association. Cisborne, February 2. Further advices from To Araroa stato, that;the Squall left there for Port Awahui at 7 o'clock last evening; 'About an hour later the steamer struck a rock on Te Araroa side of East Cape, off Horoera. The sea was calm, and a ; landing was effected at Horoera;- about eight miles distant from To Araroa. .The crew state that'the shock was a gentle one; in fact, some of the men who were in their bunks declare that they scarcely felt it. On account of the inrush of water, the crew took to tho surf-boat. The steamer disappeared after they had left, sinking in about twenty fathoms of water. The-landing ,it Horoera was effected with great difficulty owing to the Tocky 'nature of the coast. - The crew declare that it Was much more dangerous to get ashore than escaping from tho sinking vessel. The Squall had 400 bales of wool 'aboard. There is little chance of salvage. The crew lost, all their effects. They walked along the beach in ' themorning, arriving at To Araroa at 10 o'clock. The lighthouse-keeper reports having seen a vessel's red light shortly after 8 o'clock, about two miles off the lighthouse, and signalled, but obtained no reply, and considered it was a vessel passing north. She ; appeared to he neaT the usual course —about two' or three from land. THE INSURANCES. By, Telegraph.—Press Association. Napier, February 2. The Squall was valued at £8000. She was .insured, for £6000 in the Alliance, National an'd New Zealand offices. Her wool cargo' Was valued at £11,000; the insurances are not available. The manager for Eicliardson and Co. says there is no chance of salvaging either, the wool or gear. The Kiritona" which is at Tokomaru Bay, has; been ordered to the scene of the wreck.