CAPSIZING OF THE KETCH PEARL, AND LOSS OF ALL HANDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 569, 9 September 1869, Page 2

CAPSIZING OF THE KETCH PEARL, AND LOSS OF ALL HANDS.

The Grey bar was yesterday the scene of one of the most unfortunate accidents, resulting jn the Joss of a vessel, her master and crew, which have ever occurred on the vVest Coast. In the morning the ketch Pearl, Captain Gifford, from Dunedin, with a general cargo of merchandise, was observed in the roadstead. The weather was tine, and the pea on the bar, although occasionally lumpy, was considered to be quite safe for towing purposes, but as it pi oved there were long treacherous smooths' after which, without any sign of their coining, a series of enormous rollers would come tumbling home, with terrific force. When the tidal signals were given, the p. s. Persevere left the wharf and vrosfed safely outside without shipping more than a few sprays, and after a time the p.s. Dispatch took the thrce:ina3ted schooner Ocean Wave in tow, and crossed the bar easily. A few sens broke over the schooner, but nothing serious. This haviug been completed there was not the slightest ground for fear that the ketch Pearl could not be brought ju the easiest manner possible. After being taken in tow, the ketch ran on nicely, with all her sails hanging loosn, the peaks only having been lowered, and the sheets hauled up. While right en the bar a scries of tremendous seas rolled in, on thu top of one of which tbe ketch made a run, then came to broad.*id6 to the sea, when another roller struck her throwing her over, and the water, flying up from her tide lodged in the sails, which can glit and held it like baga, the weight capsizing the ketch, and the next sea following rapidly rolled her completely over bottom up. The master had been steering, and two of the crew -bad been standing up in the rigging. The master came up once, but immediately sank a^ain, and was not seen after. Whtn tfie vessel rolled over the mast struck the ground, breaking ehoit off, and the two men came up' with t lie rigging, anil Were seen clinging to it for at least ten minutes, btiturgling violently for life, as they \veie rolled about in the surf. Everything w;s dime ibat could be under tbe circumstances )>y Captain Diare, and the hands on tumid this Dupalrh, l>ut it was impossible {hat the men <-oul<l lc reached. 'Hie stria Veiu Irt akiny feai fully uvtv Ihe tug, deluding

her r fore and aft, The hawser was slipped. As she was rapidly drifting into the- surf, and could not run alongside the wreck without the imminent risk of being seriously injured and thrown up on the North Be;ich, she was compelled to make for the river, whioh "was "lily readied with much difficulty, without being aMe to render tho drowning men the least assistance. The sorrowful intelligence that all hands had peri-shed, almost within speaking distance i if the bench, spread a feeling of the deepest gloom over the. town. Nothing else whs talked of during the. day, and the vessels in port lowered their flags to half-mast. The Collector of Customs and some officers, the Harbor-mastev, the agents of the vessel, and a large number of persons were soon over the river and making their way down the North Beach, in the hope of being able to render any assistance, We regret to say that although the beach was. carefully searched all day none of the bodies of the unfortunate men were washed ashore ; the current was running stiongly to the north, and it is probable that they will be carried far beyond Point Elizabeth, About one o'clock the receding tide left the hull of the ketch high and dry, bottom up, and lying quite flat on her deck, a quarter of a mile north of the Flagstaff. Operations, were at once commenced to siave the cargo. A hole was cut in t he vessel's side, when the cargo was found to be in a -wonderfully soxmd state. All the bonded goods were got out before dark. Notices from the agents, Messrs D. Maclean and Co., with reference to these, goods will be found elsewhere. Besides Captain Giffbrd, it is not yet known how many of .a crew the Pearl carried, but it is supposed to be only the. two men who were seen, but whose names are not known. The master leaves a wife and family in Duuedin. - No blame in connection with this sad event has been attributed to anyone, but this matter will be gone into fully when the official enquiries are made.