A Recent Wreck.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 155, 12 July 1901, Page 1

A Recent Wreck.

At the entrance to Shell Harbor the drogher Alexander Berry was wrecked. The vessel became unmanageable, and was seen to be thrown against Bombora Bock at the extreme end of Point Bass. The force of the waves carried her over the rock, and she settled down in the surf on the opposite side, rising shortly afterwards, and then disappearing completely. It was only a few minutes until portions of the vessel began to come ashore, and the spectators who had assembled kept a sharp look-out for any of the unfortunate

crew who might attempt to gain the shori . on pieces of wreckage. After some time the fireman, Walter Pearce, who had provided himself with a lifebelt-, was discovered on the rocks, where ho had been washed by the waves. He was very much exhausted and a good deal bruised through beating on the rocks. The captain and three other members of the crew were drowned. In the course of an interview, Pearce, the sole survivor, describing the disaster, said : —“ Towards daylight we ail fully recognised that we wore doomed. A monster sea swept the deckhouse away as if it were a fragment of paper. Each agreed that there was no hope, and we prepared ourselves for the inevitable by affixing the lifebelts and lifebuoys which we had on board. The pumps were kept going, and we were thus able to keep the fires alight, although the boat was gradually settling down. It was marvellous how the men all worked. As far as possible each stuck to his post in the fight for life. Towards daylight we caught a glimpse of the Iviama light, but the surf was boiling around us, and it was plain wo were noaring the beach. We battled on, however. No one gave up hope. The rain fell in blinding sheets, and the gale roared fiercer than over. Wo saw a headland, and then as wo rose up out of a sea-trough some shallow rooks were seen just ahead. The moil gathered round each other, and said goodbye. ' Tell my dear wife and family to go home,’ said the captain to me, as il pro-

monition directed nnn to givo tho messagi Tlio other married moil sont loving mes sagos to their families, and just when th pathetic farewells had been exchangee the little boat crashed on the ree The seas tumbled over us. I struggle and got to tho surface, but saw no on< I was whirled around as if I were s top, and tossed about helplessly and hope lossly. I thought of those at home There seemed to be no escape. I battled on, however, for a long time —it seomet hours. Now I would be on the top of i wave, then in the trough of the sea, tlior buried out of sight as the surf boiled over mo. Twice I found myself thrown on to a ledge of rock, with precipitous walls going down, but each time I grabbod the seaweed it gave way, and I was carriec down under tho shelf of the rock, which protruded. By this time I commenced to lose my strength, as I was swallowing a good deal of water. Then by some miraculous means I was thrown a little higher, and I managed to got my arms round a portion of the jutting reef, and hung on like grim death. I was not in this position long before I found myself being lifted up by two men, and dragged to a place of safety.”

SCANDALOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS.

In connection with the peril of the ferry steamer Manley tho following is from the Sydney Telegraph : “ The Government yacht Victoria (says tho Daily Telegraph) played an inglorious part in the accident. She failed abjectly to carry out one of tho most important duties of a steamer filling tho position she at present occupies—she neglected to succour a distressed vessel because tho richly decorated deckhouse, tho handsomely upholstered smokeroom, the silvered awning stanchions, tho davits of the beautifully-varnished pleasure skiffs, her complete pleasure equipment, and her general build, rendered it impossible for her to do so. Her captain, her officers, and her crew did all that they could without endangering tho costly vossel—had the Brighton not had the Manly in tow they would perhaps have ventured to do more and have taken the risk. Yesterday morning's experience has demonstrated to the full what most seafaring people knew before—that the Victoria is a pleasure yacht pure and simplo, and as unsuited for heavy work as a rating yacht is for cargo carrying. The accident has been a blessing in disguise, because it has revealed tho rottenness of several of our boasted institutions. Though fortunately free from loss of life, the failure of tho several official sources of succour has been so conspicuous as to call for immediate reform, so emphatic as to command it. Tho acting pilot steamer failed because of her unfitness for the work, tho signal system from the signal station failed, as will be shown because it is obsolete, incomplete, and insufficient for the requirements of even a petty coastal port; and the, lifeboat's crew failed to respond to the cry for help because of the lack of evon tho semblance of organisation. Englishspeaking people have grown to be proud of tho noble heroism of their lifeboats' crews—we cau speak only, with shame of the failure of ours. Sheltered in a, shed in Camp Cove the lifeboat lies from month to month whilst dry-rot does its work. Occasionally tho officer in chargo hoists a signal on the hill, which means 1 man the lifeboat,’ and which also moans that the first man in the boat will receive 10s. It is usually fine weather when this occurs, and as there is no dangor of getting wet, tho signal produces a harumscarum sort of obstacle race through the usually quiet little village, in which everyone takes part, Tho lucky man gets the money, the boat is put in tho water, rowed a mile, pulled up again, and forgotten until the next small cash prize for an impromptu handicap is offered. In the early hours of yesterday morning she was called out, and called in vain. The coxswain, a signalman on duty at tho signal station, was called up by telephone, and having arranged with the second V' tori" *- -■ " -" uli)ccr °t the “ .u relieve him with his signalling, he ran to the shed and opened it. Then ho tried to raise a crew. Ho had no chance. It was cold and wet, so the crew just turned over and went to sleep. The coxswain did all he could, but it was no use, and at four o’clock he closed the boathouse door, snapped the padlock, and walked sadly back to his duty on the hill.”

The following interesting item of mail news was telegraphed from Auckland : “ New York, June 16. A cable to the Sun from London says : Some important experiments in connection with a new telegraph system, which is said to cheapen considerably the cost of telegrams, have recently been conducted by postal engineers between London and Glasgow. The new apparatus is the invention of a French engineer named Mereadier, and by its means it is possible to send twelve separate messages over one wire at the same time. The system is also capable of being duplexed, by which means twentyfour separate messages can be sent at one time over a single wire. When a message is sent, or when twelve separate messages are sent, what happens is this : Twelve currents enter the wire, each impressed with a distinct vibration rate. At the receiving station they pass through a microphonic receiver, which gives them added strength. They are then discharged through twelve receivers. As each of theso receivers only responds to vibration of a certain rate, they select each current belonging to its own particular message, but are impervious to all others. By this means the messages are accurately sorted out and kept distinct."