THE WRECKED LINER TONGARIRO

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2866, 2 September 1916, Page 10

THE WRECKED LINER TONGARIRO

SLOWLY SINKING

CREW ARRIVE IN WELLINGTON f:'' , : : By Telegraph—Press Association. Napier, September 1. ■ The.To Arohn arrived at 11 j).m. u'. from-'the.wreck of the Tongariro, bringOj .v - ing tho petty officers and some of .tlio ; prew:. . . The captain, chief officer, and v chief;' engineer 'remain on, the. scene. • Ayriember ,of the, crew states that K;."; '12 knots . when: she . struck; betweeiij three rock*. 'i• , 'She is now-sinking-slowly, and on the j. -■' sea.. rising is expeted to break up or slip off : 'by- the'end'of'-'the week. There i is a .split right down - from/.the 'jow, i.-Vthe slant in • the deck lias ■ increased, v and, the water is now over the, star/Vboard sitfe. Lightering - . operations : liavc ceaserlj owing to the rough sea/ v; The engine-room .and some of the i..' - 'holds,are flooded, and no cargo cair.be fV-:' , , salvaged,' andit i would be use-less,, as' fc. v.. 'it.is spoilt- in any. case..: Vessels are still standing by. : ■ Lightering Operations. Krv' 'Thb : ' smijll steamships Ahuriri, ■■■■ - Fanny, Koutumu, and Tu Atu are-all g:.';,Y'''..»-.'engagedj iirt , lightering - ,'opisratjjoiis•" at • the scene of the wreck of the. Tonga- • ' riro, .... % , CREW IN WELLINGION FURTHER ACCOUNTS: OF 'THE ;V vessel's' Striking. ■ ' the Westralia, which arrived jif v;' from the East' Coast, yesterday morn- , ing. came, most-of the crew of .the; U ;:vV wrecked' steamer Tongariro/ : The men, '. who were looking none the worse for i their expsrience, did not have very much to , say, for the' simple reason Vg'.;;; that there was. nothing much to.-'say, "■■ ■ certainly nothing of. sensational char- , acter. .When' the Tongariro struck it-7 p.mr on Thursday; the sea was '' calm, but there was..'a swell, 'the land "•-,- --being clearly' onfcliniod on the star- ': •• ' board eide. AH of a sudden thero was a long, -loud grinding ' crash, and, i ' the big ship shivered and: stopped;. evi-' i."; ' dently pierced through the bottom by j • tho" rocks. Signals of distress were ■: at-once sent out - by'.wireless, and, , .('seeing.that, the ship was making water . V. rapidly and : listing Captain. Makepeace EiSx ordered all liands to.the boats. Owing; ii'..v-■'■■■';■ to the:.■-lieavj- list tho 'boats on .the' f:" ;, ! statboard: side jammed;, and coukb.not--lowered':qiiicklyj-, but -' all? the -;|iort ffe'V ■ boats were, lowered, and; manned witliout any sign, of panic, and as they 'were loaded up pulled clcar of tho vessel.. Only o'no accident occurrcd. : ' That was to the boat that was always' :.'i- ;kept .'swung; outside the davits- in case % r ' of trouble.: Half a,'dozen men climb;.ed' into this, boat,; which turned over k, .X as, it was role'ased, and spilled its cocupSnts into tho sea. '.They were: i picked up with some difficulty, rather • s exhausted, .but otherwise: ' litt-lo the "woreo .for the ducking. There was ho excitement in ' . the stokehold" though they, cotdd feel tho . bottom of ,th<3:.ship' buckling. under I- .'I their feet. One fireman ■; stated that ; ;he -believed a point- of '.rock.had pene- ;• ' trated' tho -bottom, 1 for the; . middle \ boiler' had' shifted before ho left for. i;,-. '; the -safer; atmosphere' above.,; Tho .stokers, firemen,, and;.engineers, camo ; up in quite an orderly manner, and, R:' as the result, there were bo mishaps. Regret was expressed by', all. tlio men at the loss of such a fin© ship, L 'and all have concluded; that there is 1;.-;;/;.; little or no chance of saving tho vesi. ~. sol from total loss. :; ', "All arrived hero yesterday with the ■ exception of Captain Makepeace, the gj.'' "chief, second, and; third ...mates,, the [f'V; ' .chief- and se'eond "engineers, tho chief, [v and secoiid stewards, three . quarter-.-.7... ..-i masters, and aliout seven; able seamen -rrthe stand-by crew. '' '•■' ; Ki'-; ■''' Among'those who'/arrived. by the i -.- : ; Wo-stralia. were four -appreniiici's, Messrs., J, Brogdeiv, R-. ■ V'. : ' Miller, T. r . ' J. Breen, and F. s J. Barron/ ■ all English boys, some of whom wore.making jl'V ; their. fiTst deep-sea ; voyage. .' -They, ■ with the; third. officer, Mr. Schofield, If; are ! staying at' the' Occidental .'Hotel. .Tliov • uiiderstard that arrangements ivill be made to send them Homo by ■ the -Kaikoura;' -

> Names of Crew. The members of the/crow who "iiavo been brought on; to Wellington are:— J. Schofield, (third officer); J. Brogden, R. V. Miller, T: J. Brccn, T. Barron, W. Le Penore, E. Carre, 6, Butler, W. Holmes, C. ;Mo\ilton,G. W. White, W. Wheadon, C. H. Lowe, C. Nbice, L. Jackson', C. Vasseau, H. Thomas-, .J. Gibb, T. V. Walsh, P. Kitchin, J. Anderson, J. .Snell,' S. Morrison, H. 0. Halfrod, R. W. Brown, ,J. T. Johnson, J. Hanning, H. 'Bateman, H. Brown, E. G. Evans,. P. C. Morrish, T. J. E; Sullivan, M.. 1., Urwin, T.' Urwin, G. Turney, J. Griffiths, A. C. Smith, H. Cleverley, J. Caekett, H. Brandon, J. Canci, D. Pilaasui, J. Wright, Mrs. Hitchmough, P. Dekkar, J. Robertson, J. Batt, W. Geare, J. Turner, W; Joselyne, G. Saville, .- J. Sipple, H'. C. Hodson, M. M'Carthy, J. M'Carthy,' J. Gillen, T. Rooney, J. Walsh, J. Ryan, C. Fitzgerald,., ,T. Baker, G. Flatts, H. Battershill; T. Le Fenoro, C."Finch, J. Moore, W. Groves, J. Lane, AV. Darken, J. Love-.joyy-Hj. Green, J.. Ailles, E.: Harding. ! Efforts are being made'to' salvage .their personal effects. In the meantime the men are waiting in Wellington, and . may he transferred to another. of the New Zealand Shipping : Company's vessels. . Should : berth's not be found for them on'. other: vessels, 'they., will. be'sent back to England, where they were', signed on.

VESSEL'S WELLINGTON CARGO,

WHOLESALE FIRM'S HARD HIT. ■ The Tongariro's cargo, which amounted to 3SOO tons,/was made up partly and approximately as follows: —Merchandise, 1065 cases, packages, ctc.; iron, 2946 bars and bundles; spirits, 300 cases and casks, consisting mostly of brandy ami gin; tobacco, 424 cases': books and general reading matter and periodicals, 207 cases; confectionery, 45 cases; mcdicines, drugs, and- toilet soaps, 229 cases; motor-car and bicvclo fittings, 193 cases; drapery, woollen goods, and general clothing, 224 cases; general goods, consisting of essences, oils, pastes, etc., 354 cases; boots and shoes, 129 cases; medicine bottles, 50 crates; and varnish; 9 cases. There was also, a big quantity of hardware, consisting of nuts and bolts, wire, machinery (31 packages), boiler plates (600), 1 a number of motor-cars, plato glass, glassware, electro-plate, and silverware, and printed matter and toys. .Mr. Bullock, manager for tho local branch of tho N,Z. Shipping Company, stated that all tho holds except No. 5 ,had water in them, and that unloading ■would he a difficult and risky matter, owing to the vessel's liability to slip back and go down. Wholesale firms are in very many cases very hard hit by the disaster, many of them have "repeat" orders on the Tongariro, and it will be a matter of another year or so before thoy can get the goods now, ' if thoy can get tlicjn at all; largo , firm! sta,te<l that the loss was bound' to alfect all brandies of goods trade in Wellington, as _th(i sliiphient' on tho Tongariro was mainly coriiposcd of hew season's goods for the now ■Opening spring. One large firm had £2000 worth of goods on : the vessel, which were "repeats" from the R-angatira,

and would bo in some oases practically impossible to replace. Several hardware firms have been badly hit by tbe loss, as it is not possiblo to get some of the goods owing to the Government prohibiting their oxport from England. One particular) loss was an-- amount of sheet glass which it ia stated is very scarce at present. A retail firm had £600 worth of hardware goods on the vossol, a. great deal of which was a "repeat" order, and which it had taken five months to get shipping room for. Now it will take about twelve months to get another '.'repeat" out here.

HELPING.THE QREW. SAILORS' FRIEND SOCIETY. The shipwrecked men who, arrived in Wellington yesterday_ are being niado welcomo by the Sailors' Friend Society . at ; the Institute, Whit-more Street, which .will be open for their benefit during the whole time of their stay here. The society is putt-in" the men in communication with tho Shipwreck Relief Association, and also proposes to • entertain them at tea and supper on Sunday night-. ' Tho roissioner, Mr. .'Jas. Moore will welcome gifts, of cakes, scones, and other eatables for' this occasion. Provisions should be sent to the Institutes by this evening, 'if possiblo. Tobacco and cigarettes will also be much appreciated... To assist tho men in tiding over the time following tho mishap, Mr. Moore hopes also to supply tliem with clothing; and lie asks for gifts of suitable discarded garments. Theso also should be sent to the Institute, or. if'necessary will-be sent for upon receipt of. a postcard.

On account of the master-of the vessel being . away at the wreck, tlio 'inquiry, in connection with the wreck has not been fixed, awl. will not be until the time when the'master can attend can be ascertained.