WRECK OF THE SCHOONER WILLIAM AND MARY.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 320, 22 June 1875, Page 2

WRECK OF THE SCHOONER WILLIAM AND MARY.

[From the “ N. Z. Times,” June 17.] We have been favored with the following extract of a letter from Captain Renner, of the schooner Hannah Barrett, relative to the late S.E. gale, and the discovery by him ol the wreck of the schooner William and Mary:—“ I left Queen Charlotte Sound on Saturday evening, the sth inst, with a light favorable wind, and got within twenty miles of the Mauawatu Bar, when the gale burst upon me in full fury, and as I could not carry much sail, I deemed it prudent to put her head off shore and lay her to. It blew tremendously hard with a very heavy sea all day on Sunday: the day on which the unfortunate William and Mary capsized; hut the little Hannah Barrett rode it out like a seagull, and we lay quite snug, although drifting to leeward very fast. Next day, Monday, at noon, seeing very little prospect of doing any good, I bore up, ran under Cape Egmont, anchored, and lay quite snug all night. Next morning the wind came in light from the northward, so I got under way; but had not proceeded above a couple of miles when it came round to the S.E. again. Seeing the steamer Wellington coming along, I waylaid her, and asked Captain Carey to send a telegram for me, which I perceive by the papers he did. i then thought of anchoring again, but as the wealher promised fine I decided otherwise, and glad I am now that I did, or else 1 am sure poor Stevens would not be alive now. I kept beating to windward all that night, and next forenoon, when standing for the land, about ten o’clock, I was just going to give the order to go about, when somehow I decided not to, butstoodon ; as we were a good way off the land still. About this time a passenger I had on board came on deck for a stroll, and in a few minutes came to me and reported a boat to windward. I got my glass, and discovered it to be a vessel bottom up, and a man standing on it waving something. I at once run up the ensign, got the boat out, and in about half-an-hour had the poor fellow on board, nearly exhausted and trembling like a leaf. Gave him some dry clothes, a little weak brandy and water, put his feet in warm water, got him under the blankets, and properly warmed him up. By five o’clock he was ready to take some mutton broth, after which he had a thorough good night’s sleep, and now, I am glad to say,is quite well and strong again. His name is James Stevens. He was master and half owner of the William and Mary. His tale is as follows : ‘Was bound from Motueka to Patea, with a full cargo. Had been lying under Kapili for shelter for nearly a week. Made a start again for Patea. but was running back again for Kapiti, when, on Sunday morning, he met the late gale. Made all snug and hovoto. About six o’clock the close-reefed mainsail blew completely out of the bolt-ropes during a furious squall. Got up a spare jib, and set.it Instead; but it was not sufficient to keep her head to sea, for soon after eight o’clock a very heavy sea caught her on lu>r broadside, and in an instant turned her completely bottom up.’ (This is in a great measure attributed to her being quite flat bottomed like a barge.] His mate and he were in the cabin at the time. They Immediately pulled off the lazaret scuttle and crawled into it, as the lazaret was now above the cabin floor. There was barely enough room for the two to lie side by side in this small place, and there they remained without food or water till Tuesday afternoon, when, finding the water gradually but surely increasing, until it nearly reached their mouths, they were compelled to crawl out through the hole, dive through the water in the cabin, up its companion, across the deck and rail, and so up to the surface. The mate—a young man—went first, and in a short while Stevens followed; but when he reached the surface and got hold of a spar, he could not see anything of the mate nor any of the crew, nor ever did afterwards. After a while Stevens swam to the stump of the foremast, which was floating near the vessel, perched, and lashed himself on it, and remained there during the whole of the night up to his waist in water, and drenched with spray, bitterly cold, and almost exhausted for want of sleep. Next morning, after the sun rose, he swam away to the vessel, as it was now much smoother, and after some desperate struggling succeeded at last in getting on to the bottom of the vessel, where he was comparatively dry, and remained there until wc took him off, thus having been about ninety hours without food or water and hardly any sleep, lie has lost all, as, unfortunately the vessel is not insured for even a penny. I have started a subscription list for him here, and by the kind assistance of a Mr Collins, hope to got about £2O or more for him. to procure him some clothing and to take him back to his wife and family near Lyttelton.” THE CAPTAIN S STORY. The following report contains full particulars of the wreck of the schooner William and Mary, lost on her voyage from Motueka to Tatca, The report has been furnished to the press by Captain Ellison, of the Amateur, who received it from Captain •Stevens, master of the William and Mary:—l was on a voyage from Motueka, Blind Bay, to Patea, and after having been under Kapiti for shelter for a whole week, I was prosecuting the voyage to I’atea on the morning of the 6th instant, when about 3 o’clock we felt the first of the S.E. gale which raged on that day. Immediately shortened sail, and hove the vessel to under close-reefed mainsail on the port tack, heading about S.S.W, being then by dead reckoning N.VV. about thirty miles from Kapiti. All went well till about 0,30 a m, when, in a terrible squall, the mainsail was blown completely to ribbons. Immediately unbent the jib, a new sail, and bent it aft in the place of the mainsail; also laced some new canvas in the main rigging, and let down the fore centreboard for the purpose of keeping the vessel’s head to sea, and as well lowered

down the foreyard to case the vessel. Not being able to do anything further for the safety of the vessel, one hand was sent to the pump and the rest went below to put on dry clothing, when about 8.30 a m., myself and mate being in the cabin for the same purpose, a heavy sea struck the vessel on the port beam, and instantly capsized her bottom up. We immediately tore off the lazaret scuttle, pulled out the stone ballast, and crawled into that place, where the mate and myself had barely room to lie. We remained there until Tuesday afternoon, without food or water, when, finding the water rising, until it nearly reached our mouths, we were compelled to leave that place. My mate started first, and I followed him after a short interval, having to dive through the water in the cabin, thence up and under and across the deck, and over the side, and so up to the surface, where, after resting myself for a short while to recover breath, while clinging to the main boom, I looked round for my mate, but could not see anything of him, or any of the rest of the crew, and therefore conclude that they must have all perished. After a while I swam to the stump of tlie foremast, which was floating some four or live feet above water, and lashed myself to it, and remained there the whole night, up and above my waist in water, and nearly perished with want of food and rest. After sunrise on Wednesday, fhe 9th, I loosed myself from the mast, swam with great difficulty to the vessel, and after some desperate struggling succeeded in getting on to the bottom of her, and crawled aft to the stern, which was the highest part of the vessel, yet awash at times. Here I threw myself down to recover breath and strength, and in about half-an-hour rose and anxiously searched the horizon for a sail. In about an hour one hove in sight, standing nearly direct for me, and when nearly abreast of me, about a mile off, to my great joy I saw the ensign run up to the peak. Shortly after she tacked, and a boat was sent to me, and I was taken off the wreck and on board the schooner Hannah Barratt, where proper restorative means being employed, I was shortlyrestored to my usual health. We arrived here at Foxton on tlie 1311) inst. The cargo consisted of about 21,000 feet of sawn timber, 50 sacks grass seed, 3 bales hops, and sundries. I append list of crew, to the best >f my belief and knowledge:—Andrew Murray, mate, about forty years, native of Ireland,• Louis Bathurst, AB, about twenty-eight years, native of Italy; Hugh Sinclair, AB, about twenty-two years, native of Scotland; Daniel , about twentyeight years, native of Ireland. James Stevens, Master of the late schooner William and Mary.