WRECK OF THE LAYARD.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 689, 18 June 1870, Page 2

WRECK OF THE LAYARD.

[TIMAKT; HEKALD, JUNE B.] ■ The following are the particulars of the wreck of the brig Layard, Captain Worledgc, 1 Which took place this morning about. ; SOO yards north of the Government flagstaff :— ' : The Layard was a British vessel; built at Poole, Dorsetshire, iri the year 1856 or 1857, aud owned by Pigott Brothers, of Melbourne} Captain Worledge being part owner. ■ She was a vessel of 175 tons. ■ j The Layard sailed ; . ironi Newcastle .pn .the: 17th May, with a cargo of 252 tons of coal, consigned to Capfc. Cain, of Timaru, She had a lengthened .voyage from thfe < Australian coast,? and arrived here on Friday last ; and was put into, her final berth for discharging; by Capt. Mills, the harbor master, on Saturday. Be- : yond being boarded by the pilot., she has held no communication with the shore, as a nasty sea was running the whole of the time, with no wind. On Monday the sea increased in violence, but little apprehension was entertained of the Layard, sis : she : appeared to be riding with pWfect ease at hxx anchors. On Tuesday the sea showed no sign of going down, and it was even, higher than the previous day. About ten o'clock that morning the JMapri came into the roadstead ; but .no communication parsed between lier and the brig. The Maori did not ajiciior, aud. after remaining in the roadstead 1 for abowt an hour, ishe proceeded on her voyage south by the order of her agents. ' 'J he brig , 'Was' then lying -in her i original berth, and no danger seems, to have ( been anticipated . At that, time she was tiding with her port-bower anchor with about 70 fathoms of. cable. In the afternoon, the sea became heavier, and about three o'clock the cable parted at about 29 fathoms, also carrying away the hawse pipe. The starboard bower was immediately let: go, .with 60 fathoms clear of the hawse pipes ; and with •the aid of coir springs round .her stern -she rode easily. At about 11 p.m., the pea, which had previously gone down a little, commenced to break seaward' of the brig; and some seas broke over, the ill-fated vessel. At about three o'clock tbis morning, a tremendous sea struck her, and swept the deck, carrying away the wheel and steering, apparatus, together with the after end of the deck house, through which the sea made a clean breach. At about half-past four o'clock the second anchor parted, carrying away the ' hawse-pipe, and- the brig began to drift in steadily towards the shore., The sea at that time was not so heavy," and, the vessel having her stern to the sea, endeavors were made by the captain, by setting the 'jib, &c., to keep her end on to the beacli. There was another anchor ori board, but it was not dropped, as it was too small to be of any practical use. Aboat ten o'clocK the brig touched the ground, smashing the' rudder at the same time. .■'■:■ .'■:■- '■■■„■■■.':• : ■ >'■■■ From the shore las 1 -, night, or rathei in the afternoon from four to five, o'clock, signals were made to the vessel to do the best they ' could to hold on.; The Captain had previously signalled that his hawse pipe was broken, and the ;best bo'wei'' anchor had been 'dropped. He asked that a good look;out should be kept onshore during the whole of the night in case of further accident. Captain Mills, Ooptain Cain, aud one or two others, stopped tip, and kept a continuous watch, and about five o'clock this morning

they saw by tho. alteration in the position of ctllkvotfssl'.B lijgWthsjpt shehad began to drive, c Aif abotrt.'a quarter to- si*.6'cloek the Harbor Master^ seeing blue lights buriiing on board ibf brig, {fired the signal gun at ; tlje flagstaff callibo men, toother, iiv^rder to- vender ei«ery'possible assf?t[atfcfe in saving life; Soon, after daylighkcinßfwds of people assembled on the cliffs, audifwasseen that the brig was doomed, About eight o'clock, however, shVl^nteti'liO'haagTnrfor $ 'fchne'.'Tw /the-sea-was not quite so heavy jmt then, and on shore hopes were entertained that she might still be saved. But she soon drove in shore, and- about'tett«'docfc"began.-to bump on the. 'rocks.. The, rocket apparatus was all ;in readiness, and about half -past., ten 'o'clock a line was sent, over the 7 gaff of the brig, which was then not more than a hundred yards from the top of the cliff. After the Vines had been wronged, the basket wns sent on board, ami "with the assistance of a large jHimbfer of volunteers on shore, the crew were all drawn to terra " Jtrmxf, the captaiii being the last to leave his ship. All except the .< captain were, landed on the beach below, but he was drawn to the top of the cliff, and as he left the basket the crowd cheered yigorously. The tune occupied in landing the nine persons on board wad only nine and a-half minutes, showing how "well the .life-saying apparatus wa3 worked. The crew consisted of Captain Worledge ; D. Nicholson, mate ; John Samelon, second mate; Alick Purdy, A.B M H. Schaman, A.8., John Attwater, A.8., Patrick Long, A.B. ; Francis Davenport, cook and steward; and William Quirk, apprentice. Excepting a chronometer brought on shore by the captain, everything else was left in thevesseK and the Crew came on land with but the clothes they wore. Captain Worledge is in hopes, if the. weather moderates, of being able to save his and the crew's personal property on board, and also a considerable portion of the cargo. The vessel lies at present embedded in the sand, and. is lying with her masts and sails without much apparent damage, but fears are entertained that she has knocked several/holes- in her bottom -by 'bumping --on the reefs. A survey was held, to-day at noon by Captains Scott and Crawford, when the vessel was condemned, arid it was. announced that'sHe would be sold. We hear that the Layard was insured for LI6OO in the Dement and Tamar office up to last May, but it is not known whether the policy was renewed. The cargo was alsoiusured in an Australian office, but we do not know to what amonnt. A sale of the Layard was effected^ this afternoon by Mr F; LeCren. The vessel, as she lies on the beach, together with the cargo, was first, put up.. . The bidding commenced at LIOO, and the lot was finally knocked down to Captain Cain for L 220. The.anchor and chains were also sold to the same putchaser for LlO 10s. ; ; . ■. We learn from the Timaru and Gladstone Gazette, of June 10, that an official enquiry into the cause of the wreck was held on .Thursday, when, . after < hearing the evidence of the captain of the brig, his chief m:vte, and also that of. the Harbor-Master of Timarvj, the Court returned Capfc. Worledge his certificate, 'and remarked that the loss of the bug Layard was purely accidental. The Herald, of the, 11th, says:— "The brig L&yurd has gob much broken up since our last report. • Afber slie was condemned, and sold for the benefit of the underwriters, on Wednesday last, no attempt was made by the purchaser to take out any of the cargo, or to lighten the vessel by sending down.any of her upper spars. A couple" of hawsers .were made fast to her, and secured to the shore, •to keep her bow on to the sea. The following morning one of these hawsers wa» found cut. On .Thursday .. her TDftsta and rigging were cut away, but the heavy sea running all day pvevehted any work being done to get out the cargo. Yesterday morning the sea ! was aS heavy as ever, and between one and two o'clock the hull was carried bodily about one hundred yards further to the northward and lodged under the cliff. It was then broken up, and nearly all the coal washed out and scattered along the beach, We hear that the original purchaser sold his entire right to the vessel and cargo for L3O. The new flurchasers of what remained of the vessel and cargo were hard at work yesterday afternoon saving all they possibly could of the coal and loose rijjgiug. About ten tons of coal and a lot of sails and rope were hauled up to the top of the cliff, i but it is to be feared that very little more will be recovered, for if the sea continues high, the hull will soon be entirely smashed up.