S.S. TONGARIRO

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2865, 1 September 1916, Page 6

S.S. TONGARIRO

TOTAL LOSS FEARED e / MAY SLIP OFF THE ROCK AND SINK A SAILOR'S STORY TREMENDOUS SHOCK WHEN VESSEL STRUCK so j ■' Latest Press Association messages •regarding tho wrecked steamer Tongariri state that no life was lost, but tho crew had an exciting time. Tho' Westralia, reached the wreck at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, and found that tho. crew had been rescued by the Richardson Company's coastal steamer Koutunui, 'which, having left Gist'or Napier at 3 p.m., arrived opportunely on the scene shortly after tho occurrence of the mishap. The Westralia took on board from the Koutunui 75 members of the crew. The captain, first. aud second officers, and first, secondhand third engineers,' with six members of the crew stood by on the Koutunui to examine the vessel by daylight. . Since- sho could bo of no further use, the Westralia left at 1.30 a.m. - I

Holffs and Engine-room Full of ('Water. The Tongar-iro was then afloat, her bow being supported by Bull Rock. There was water in, all holds and in the engine-room, and the vessel had a heavy list to'port, with 26 fathoms of water under her stern. Seas were breaking over the bow, but the decks wero above water.' It was expected that the vessel would slip off tho rock and sink. . The Calm also reached the scene of the wreck, snd left, about the same time as the Westralia. The Arahura reached the scene of the wreck about 12.15, to find that the crew had already been rescued, and that the Koutunui was standing by. No particulars were gained by the Arahura as to how the mishap occurred. 1 A message from Gisborne reports that it is feared the vessel may slip off the rock'and become a total loss. The Koutunui must have been in the locality at tho time of the mishap. The weather is fino and the sea calm. The Koutunui, when seen by the Arahura, had two empty lifeboats in tow. Tho Westralia arrived at Napier at 7 a.m. yesterday, bringing theTongariro's third officer and seventy-five of the crew, including the stewardess, the only woman on board.

Crew in tha Beats for Threa Hours. Hie crew got away only in what- they, stood up o in. No one was drowned. There was no panic when the vessel struck. The port boats only'could be used. One was smashed, and five men were thrown into the sea. ' Another capsized through a davit breaking, but the occupants wero all rescued. The shock when the " rock Was struck was very 'severe, and brought the vessel to. a dead stop, with a terrific noise. Some of the men received minor injuries, but there were no serious .casualties. The crew were in the boats, for three hours, and returned to the doomed vessel 'three times in case any men had been left behind. ;

Position of the Wreck. Br Telejraph—Press Association. Cfsbol'ne, August 31. advice received from Mr. Hallamore, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, this afternoon, states -that the vessel has not sunk. She is lying about two miles east from Bull Rock, and appears to be in a very dangerous position, lying open to the'sea,'and exposed to north-east winds. The Koutunui is-still standing, by. Another small vessel, the launch Tu Atu, is approaching the wreck.

Southern Cargo. By. Telegraph—Pi-ess Association. Dunedin, August 31.'. The Tongariro's Dunedin cargo includes 3000 bags of salt, a large shipment of toys and fancy goods for Whitcombe and Tombs, ana new season's drapery and millinery for' Sargood's, Butterworth Bros., Brown, Ewing, and Co., the D.S.A., Ross and Glendining, the D.1.C., and Hallenstein Bros. The Tongariro also has £11,000 worth of sil-ver-and bronze coin for.the Dunedin banks. Christohuroh, August 31'. _ The Tongariro's cargo for Lyttelton includes" stationery, periodicals, large quantities of rubbev and motor goods, paint', pig-iron, iron bolts, bars, nuts, hardware, pianos, seeds, manure, cotton goods, maehiuery, essences, oil, wine, woollen goods, bottles, glassware, chemicals, drugs, bigycles and parts, wearing apparel, boots, shoes, agricultural machinery, chocolate, 643 reels of news printing paper, and other paper.

A TOTAL LOSS FEARED. NEGRO SAILORS LOSE THEIR HEADS. ' By Telegraph—Press Association. Napier, August 31. The crew from the wrecked Tongariro arrived in Napier to-day. en route for Wellington, per the Westralia. Seventy-eight men arrived and nine are stopping at the scene of the disaster. Mahy of the, men wero in'their night clothes, having-no time to. get their effects owing to the suddenness of the alarm. A few men wero slightly injured, but -none of them seriously. Some American negroes lost their heads, and one had to ho stunned to bo kept quiet. Some of the crew wero immersed a long time in the water owing to the boats npsptting. In Napier they were supplied with boots, clothing, «nd comforts. There was no news at a late hour of the position of the Tnnfariro. If the sea had been heavy all the lives would probably have been lost. It is considered almost certain that the vessel will become a total loss.

£25,000 Worth of Bullion Salved. The Koutumii arrived at Napier about 10.30 to-night witll £25,000 worth of bullion in. boxes, and passengers and crows' effects from tho wreck. Tho Tu Atu got right alongside tlie Tongariro, as tho wcathor was calm, and salvaged tho effects. There is a lot of valuable cargo on hoard, and somcr-may. bo salvaged if tho fine weather keeps up. The vessel is -unlikely to break up unless ail easterly or norfti-sasterly pale springs up. Tho Te Aroha, is leaving Wairoa, to bo on the scene, and extra efforts iiro to bo made. Question of Roiief. By "Telegraph—Press Association. • Dunedln. August 31. Tlici secretary of tlie Shipwreck Belief Society telegraphed tho Mayor of Napier to-night asking if roiief is required for the ereis of tno Tongariro. • ONE OF THE CREW INTERVIEWED TREMENDOUS SHOOK WHEN VESSEL STRUCK.

(By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) Napier, August 31. One of tho crew of the Tongariro interviewed by a reporter said:—"l was on watch in the stokehold from 4 till 8 p.m. with three others. All of a sudden I felt a tremendous shock,

acGompauicd by a crash. Two loud crashes followed as tho vessel bumped higher, on, tho rocks. The loading fireman said: 'Don't rush.' A miniito later one of the engineers told us to get up on deck. I rushed up tho 'fiddley' (iron ladders loading to tho deck), and the other tlireo went up by the onginc-room. Tho lights went out, leaving everything in darkness.' There were two trimmers in tho bunkers. 1 don't know how they managed to escape, but they did.

Getting the Boats Out. . "When we got on deck we were ordered to tho boats, which we g?t ready to launch. 'Every now and again tho vessel kopt tilting more and more over to the port side. About then wo sighted tho Koutunui, which put off a motor launch. All the time wc stood by the boats, awaiting for orders. Ono of tho boats put off just beforo the launch arrived, and the others followed. In tho meanwhile two boats broko away from the davits, causing four oV five men to fall into the water. One of thom hurt his leg. When we picked them up they wero'unconscious, hut they recovered after being got aboard. It was said that tho boats wero lowered down without orders When the Vessel Struck. "We had a full head of steam on when the vessel struck, and the steam suddenly blew off from the _ safetyvalve, causing a terrible noise that lasted quite ten minutes, and prevented any orders being heard. A fairly strong wind sprang up after wo struck, and thero was a heavy swell when we left the ship at about 10.30. She struck about 7 o'clock. The steamer was listing heavily to port. Vessel Three-parts full of Water. "The engine-room was then full of water up to tho top of the cylinders, and the whole vessel was about threeparts full of water on the port side. If the wind, had'been from tho opposite direction we should not liavo been here. One fellow had a phonograph going at tho time ,we struck, and it was sent right across the cabin by the shock. It still went on playing. We had a stewardess aboard, who kept as calm as you like. She was the first to be put in the boats. The captain was the last to leave the vessel.

"It's a funny thing that when one man woke on Wednesday morning ho told us ho had dreamt that ho saw the vessel on the rocks and all hands floating in the water. Everything Quiet and Orderly. "Nearly allthchari3s were young fellows, and there was not the slightest confusion. Things went quite quietly. We were taken on the Koutunui for a time, and then transferred'to tho AVestralia. On both, vessels we received splendid treatment, and everything possible was done.for us. We have lost everything. ( The second and fifth engineers were below when the ■ Tongariro hit the rocks. The water flooded the engineroom and stokehold just after the men reached the deck. No lives were lost, though there- wero several exceeding'y narrow escapes."