BARQUENTINE WRECKED.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 549, 20 October 1902, Page 3

BARQUENTINE WRECKED.

Per Press A-ssociati id. AUCKLAND, Saturday. Captain Wickham, of the Russian barque Concordia, saw the barqueiiune May corning ashore. He states that the May got broadside oil to the breakers, and in four or five minutes turned over and disappeared for a. little while. When she re-appeared only one of the three masts was standing, and a man was clinging to the foremast. Fifteen minutes later he disappeared. They saw the man (Dunnj swunrning towards the Concordia, and threw him a buoy, which he could not reach. Dunn swam ashore. 'I he May broke in pieces. A Maori fisherman informed Captain Wicknian that ho saw a steamer sirix further south than the wreck of the May. 'f he Maori believed that it was the wreck of the steamer Pilot. It is feared that this is true, but the news is not continued. AUCKLAND, last night. The names of the two members of the drowned crew of the barquentmu May are F. Jamieson arid .John Mclntosh. One is believed to be an Auckland lad, hut it is not certain which. Another is a Londoner. No bodies have yet been washed

ashore. ’I here is no sign of the missing steamer pilot. -She was well provisioned, and had enough coal for a week. A considerable portion of the hull and masts of the May are on shore. '1 he police are continuing their searcii for the bodies, hhe piles of timber might cover the todies, but ihey are exacted to wasii up further south. Wreckage is strewn in wild heaps for three miles. Everything is smashed to fragments. The sea is exceptionally heavy, lor the whole range of vision being covered with foam.

(Special to Times.) AUCKLAND, Saturday. 'Hie following further particulars of the wreck of the barqueiiune May nave been received by the morning journals: Ilelensville, Friday. With reference to the wreck of the barquentme May, Uie latest details obtainable here show that she left .Kaipura oil Thursday morning, in lew oi the s.s. Pilot, lor Onehimga. The voyage was continued in Uiisv fashion until the vessel got, down on the iVianakau 1 leans. A big squall came on then, and tliey could not pick up ti.e light, so if, was decided to heave to ior the night. For this purpose the tug rope was let go between seven and eight o'clock at night. The wind increased to a gale, notwithstanding which the harquentine and steamer kept side by side until midnight, when tney lost sight of each other. From this time out, the May was practically at the mercy of the elements, for nearly six hours battling with the wind and heavy sea, pumping, and being gradually driven on shore, coming amongst the surf shortly after five on Thursday morning, and capsizing on Uie third breaker. THE SURVIVOR’S STORY, The only member of the crew to reach the shore (Wattie Dunn), a native lad of about nineteen years oi age, had terrible experience, the like of which not one in a hundred would have survived.

I found him oil board of the steamer Waiwcra. Entering Lhe smalt cabin of this vessel, I discovered Uumi lying in one of the hunks in an exhausted condition, from which all efforts to rouse him proved utterly useless. He just merely turned and muttered a few words in his native tongue. Just then lvir John Harrison, owner of ine May and Pilot, came auoard, and the shafting he administered to the lau half awakened him, and elicited the exclamation, “Hello, boss !” He recovered sligntly after a drink from a llask of whisky, and Mr Henderson managed with duhcuity to get him to speak a lew sentences prior to relapsing into a deep sleep once more. From what he said it was evident that he considered the Pilot was an right, and that he thought she had put out to sea alter parting company wub the May. beyond this he merely outlined the facts ol the case as already given. Dunn’s condition is the natural consequence of his experience. Ho dived from the rigging of the vessel alter she capsized, and after a swim of nearly a mile, reached the shore, lie then walked a distance of live miles to the nearest house (lUcLaren’s), where he was given a meal and a change ot clothes, and money to carry him oy train from Helensville to Olnrangi After walking another two miles to the station the train failed to stop for him, and he had to finish the distance on foot—another two miles along the beach, arriving here at about ten a.m. He made straight for the wharf, anil was taken on board the Waiwera oy Captain Cox. •He was suffering from a nasty cut on the head, through contact with a piece of floating timber m the course of his swim through Jie breakers, and also from exhalation STATEMENT BY EYE-WITNESS. Captain Wickinann, of the Russian barque Concordia, saw the coming ashore of the May from the deck ot his vessel, and he gave me the following statement „ At about half-past five yesterday morning my cook roused me, saying “There is a ship coming on the Dcach. I came on deck and saw the May. Snc was out a little beyond the breakers. She had her full mainsail and all ner foresails damaged. After a little »“ e got right in to the first of the breakers and got broadside on, and in four or five minutes she had tinned over, and there was nothing to be seen of * 1C A[ter a little while she started to rise and I saw that instead of having tMc’c masts she now had only oneUie foremast. With my spy-glass I saw a man clinging to the foremast rigging, tlio May being then about 600 yards north from my slopsThen she was driven through the first of the breakers, and the current set. her from the north to the south until I was afraid she would drat straight on to my ship, coming as she did within two ships’ lengths of me. Then a breaker came over iier again.

anil she lay very much over, and alter (Ivit, I dill not see the man in the rig aing any more. He had been there some ten or fifteen minutes altogether. My crew and I were now all standing forward, watching out tor "some of the crew of the wreck to save them and standing hy with the liic- , , to lower. All at once we saw a nrm (Dunn) in the water ahead oi my ship, and trying to reach it to get on H„ “o Sr »V»ctti..S lo.tte »>«'>■ liiiifl eeaehed dry la d. feet afloat at this time, in lifebuoy of rough water, • ' j to come ashore ?« » . r, "f v for ifc came and the sandhills, and d sappcaired hc thought a mim could 1« so loj —a is ‘Ss* I sus. “S ssf they were broken up like chips m a factory, the surf playing with tnem | like matches.

PATHETIC INCIDENTS, When asked why he did not wait for the others Dunn replied, “ I frightened of the sea ; suppose I stay ten minutes on that coast I dead.” For hours before the vessel was cast ashore x-hs crew knew, what their fate

wan to I it-, arid at daybreak they a shook hands with each other and cnee On the beach was found a piioti. graph, bearing evident signs of havin, been carried by some poor fellow 11 ! his pocket. The likeness depicted i u that 01 a. lady—maybe the mother o [ the owner. Mr Milne’s son, who is amoiif' thosi . drowned, was a lad of Id, and the , was his first trip on the ill-fated May . His father found on the beach a dictionary and New Testament of his. hr cun what Dunn stated on arrival here it is believed that the cap* am and cook went below and were drowned in the cabin, the others being warned into the sea from the deck. Mr D. Milne, whose son was drowned was by a coincidence out at the coast to assist in an attempt by lugs to get the Concordia off. Dunn is of strapping build. lie speaks of “ .Scotty ” Knight, whom he believes to be an Auckland boy, as his mate on board, and states that they jumped overboard together. Knight was said to be a good swimmer. KHARS AS TO Till'd PILOT. A Maori informed Captain Wic-mun that iie had from the hilltop seen a sunken steamer further to the south than the wreck of the May. Captain Wick man stated that he did not them it possible for a small steamer like the Pilot to lie saved m the gale and rougn sea. it is quite probable that the Maoti may have seen the portion of the May will) the winch and anchors, and taken it for the Pilot. At places along the coast it is believed the steamer has been swamped. Mr Harrison, the owner of the Pilot, thinks Utah she will be safe, being one of the best seaboats on the coast, and liaving ample sails, as well as. a good stock of the best Newcastle caal. He considers the only way she wouid have come to grief would have been by the towing rope getting entwined in the propeller, hut if she had come to grief there should have been some wreckage come ashore. The crew of the Pilot consists of the master (Mr Bloomfield), .Sneed (engineer), Id. Harrison, Peter Joseph, J. Passed, and A. Stanaway. Krnust Knight, drowned from the May, was the steward, a son of Ml J. T. Knight, of Hobson street, Auckland lie was only 21 years of age, and was a fine-looking fellow, being over Oft. in height. He had formerly been on Union steamers, including the Tamil, Wan aka, and Manapouri. He was a steady young fellow, and a great lav orite.

Mr Harrison, cm learning that the May had left Kaipara late instead of at daylight, became very uneasy as to her safety, as she would lie unable to reach Onehunga before the gale broke upon her. Had she left up to time, she would have reached port on the previous evening. The trip from Kaipara was always made in tow of the Pilot. Usually the owner was about u the May for the trip, but on this < o casion he had just returned from the South. Ilis brother, Mr Edward Harrison, is on the pilot. ...