THREE LIVES LOST

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2867, 4 September 1916, Page 8

THREE LIVES LOST

STEAMER STORMBIRD WRECKED 1

AT WANGANUI ENTRANCE

VESSEL BREAKS IN TWO

PIECES By Telegraph—Press Association. Wanganui, September-3. The steamer Stormbird was wrecked south of the .Mole at the entrance to the river last night. Three of the crew were drowned:— G. AV. Hinche.v, lamp trimmer. B. Kyle, fireman. .T. Hunter, fireman. Captain A. Gibson and the remainder of the crow of nine men were saved. There were 110 passengers on board. The steamer left the town wharf at 11 p.m. for Wellington. Shortly before midnight distress signals were seen near the end of the south Mole by the men at tho pilot station. The Harbourmaster, Captain 31'Intyre, with several volunteers, immediately proceeded to the scene with lifesaving apparatus. They discovered six survivors on tho Stole and four'others clinging to the capsized hull of the steamer, which was showing in the breakers about two hundred feet off the structure. With tho second rocket fired a line was thrown across tho liull, and. the four men were brought ashore ill a basket. According to members of the crew the Stormbird was in light trim, and on reaching the harbour entrance failed to answer the helm. The vessel was driven against tho Mole, and heavy seas swept over her, extinguishing the fires. The steamer eventually cut her way through the Mole until held inescapably bv the rocks at a point under tho engine-room. It was at this stage six of tho men scrambled ashore! The vessel suddenly snapped int-o two pieces, the forward part drifting four hundred feet before capsizing. At the time of the disaster the night was dark and a heavy ground swell made.a lumpy sea at the river entrance. It is believed that Hunter was drowned in trying to clamber on to'the Mole, hut that the other two were washed off the wreck. The bodies of Hinchey and Kyle were recovered this -morning, several miles south of the wreck. The beach for miles is strewn with debris. The vessel was returning to Wellington practically empty, having only a few tons of cargo on board. The Stormbird was a well-known coastal trader, and was tho obtest iron steamer in the world. She was built in 1862, and was owned by the Wellington and Wanganui Steam Packet Company. She had been engaged in the local fcriidd for very many years.

A VETERAN OF THE SEA. OLDEST IRON STEAMER IN THE . WORLD. , • The Stormbird, which had reached the age of sixty-two years, was built at Wliiteineh, Glasgow, by Messrs. Lawrie and Co., and was launched in May, 185-1, with her engines and boilers in her. She was the oldest' iron steamer on Lloyd's Register. There being no Suez Canal and easy coaling stages in tlio.so days, the Stormhird sailed for Melbourne on her. maiden' voyage, and took 116 days to reach Hobson's Ray, arriving safely after an uneventful passage. After running in the Australian coastal irade for a time sho was liurchased by Mr. John Jones (deceased), in the early 'sixties, for the New Zealand coastal, trade. The next time she changed hands was when a eattlo merchant at Wanganui bought her, and sold her later to Mr. Henry Hau<rhton, of Uunedin, Messrs. W. and G. Turnbull and Co., of -Wellington, were her next owners, and they ran her successfully in the Wanganui trade for seven or eight'vears. She was next disnosed of to the New Zealand Steam Shinning Company. Mr. Charles Seager was" her next owner, and she was {subsequently. taken over by the Wellington and Wanganui Steam Packet Conmim', Ltd., which company found"her n reliable and valuable! vessel in the WellingtonWanganui service. Messrs. Johnston and Co., of AVellington, have acted as her 0 20111"! for a lengthy period. Originally the Stormbird was only 07 t-nns register, lint in .1833 slie was cut in two and lengthened to the extent of 17 feet hv Mr. D. Robertson at Wellington. Since that time other alterations have been made ai intervals to keep the vessel un to the mark. Her final tonnage was 21", length 13(1 feet, breadth 10 feet, and dentil 8 feet.