WRECK OF THE ORPHEUS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 95, 6 March 1863, Page 4

WRECK OF THE ORPHEUS.

Ihe following are extracts from the narrative of the wreck of the Orpheus, compiled bj the Taranaki Herald from information supplied by Lieut. Toker, 65th Regt., -who was a passenger on board the Wong a Wonga : The Wonga Wonga, which had crossed the bar on her way to Taranaki, observing the catastrophe put back by way of the South Channel, and comiug up with tlie boats took them in tow—(this was at 5 p.m.)—and proceeded to the vicinity of the wreck, when she succeeded in getting as near as 200 yards. The sailors were observed all aloft in tops, the officers all in the mizen top, the ship’s head still to the north, and breakers sweeping over the hull, the spray reaching the - men, and the masts swaying to and fro in a fearful manner. The pinnace and cutter returned to within a few yards of the jibboom of the wreck, and succeeded in picking up abouteight of thecrew who threw themselves oil'into the sea. The pinnace put these men on board the Wong and returned a second time and rescued two or three more men, when the jibboom broke short off at the cap. The masts and rigging at this time were crowded with men, the hull being completely under water and rolling heavily. Several men were also picked up by the men in the cutter, which was in charge of Mr. Midshipman Fielding. The breakers having increased and night closing in, the boats returned to the Wonga, which anchored at 7'30 in the channel as near to the wreck as was prudent for her safety. About B'3o it was observed that the foremast fell to starboard, and the main and mizcu masts to port, within a few minutes of one another, and at the same time frightful shrieks were plainly hoard on board the Wonga. Captain Renner immediately burnt blue lights, and the boats were again manned and before 10 - 30 succeeded in rescuing Lieut, lounge and some 7 or 8 seamen from pieces of floating wreck. Two of the Wonga's crew, in one of her boats, bravely rescued one man, at great risk to themselves. The cutter, guided by some of Captain \V ing’s native crew, in pulling to leeward, found and rescued Midshipman Barkly, a youth of about 13 years of age, son of Sir Henry Rarkly, Governor of Victoria, Midshipman Hunt and three or four men, about two miles from the wreck, and took them to the pilot’s house. The Avon met the Wonga Wonga inside the heads at 6'30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the latter steamer having weighed at daybreak, after discovering that the wreck was completely broken up, the stump of the mainmast and a few broken pieces of timber being all that remained of the illfated Orpheus.

Great praise is due to Captain Kenner for his promptitude in rendering all the assistance in his power, consistent with the safety of his own vessel, and it is owing to his being at hand when the Orpheus stranded that, under Providence, even so many were saved. It is to be deplored that Captain Renner had no apparatus on board his vessel to throw a rope on board the wreck—not even a gun—for, from his proximity, he might have saved many more had it been possible to have had any communication. Those who were saved had to swim several yards, for neither steamer nor boats could live within 20 yards of the wreck.— Daily Southern Cross, Feb. 23.