STEAMER FOUNDERS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1926, Page 3

STEAMER FOUNDERS

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.] SYDNEY, April 4. Advice was received late to-night that the steamer Dorrigo, a well-known coastal vessel, had foundered during a gale off the Queensland coast near Maryborough. The captain and his son were found clinging to an overturned ship's boot, but so far there is no trace of the other members of the crew. .Search steamers are out, lmt report no success. AVireless messages are being broadcast asking steamers in tbe vicinity to keep a look-out for further survivors who may be clinging to the wreckage. SYDNEY, April 5. The latest Dorrego report states that one of the search steamers discovered considerable wreckage, including an upturned life-boat, hut there were no signs of life.

i [opt: abandon™. SYDNEY. April o. Hope is practically lost of rescuing the Dorrigo’s crew at sea. Search parties are now concentrating on tho coast. T\V HNTY-T\V() MISS I NO. SYDNEY, April C>. Tho steamer Dorrigo hound from Sydney to Thursday Island foundered

fourteen miles south oust of DouhJe Isloiul Point. ('apt:iin flrev and his son were [;ii keil u|> by the steamer Aforuya after beino thirty-four hours on a raft. The. .Moruya remained in the vieinity till shortage of coal forced her to proceed to llrishane. Neither the Dorrieo nor the .Moruya were equipped with wireless. The latter signalled the news of the sinking to the keeper of the Double Island lighthouse. The steamers Ihirwah and Cane York are sweeping the seas in the hope of finding twentytwo missine inemhers of the crew, Considei'ahle wreckage was cast up on the coast and the honchos in the vicinity are heimt patrolled. Captain drey when he landed at llrishane, said that he cleared .Moreton Bay at midnight on Thursday. A moderate sea was rutiniii”. About six on flood Friday mornine, the vessel look a- volume of water aboard on the port side. This caused her lo take a heavy list, and the water entered the stokehold, and she foundered a quarter of an hour later, rolling on to her port beam, and sinking stern lirst. The deck carpyi consisted of beu.•'.ine cases of pine, whicli broke loose. Nearly all the crew had donned life-hells and made an effort to clear the port lihe-hoat. hut were unsuccessful on account of the heavy list. 'When the vessel went down all the crew were

afloat, clinniiiK * o flotsam. lie saw seven men on a capsized life-bout, mid six more were on a rail made of four pine s])ars liflv feet lone. Other men were rlineine isolated pieces of wreckage. The sea in the vicinity was infested with sharks, and crave fears are entertained of the safety of the missinc men.

THE SON’S STORY. BRISBANE. April 6. A tireless search by I.uni and. sea for the missing twenty-two me of the Dnrrigo has proved fruitless, : 111 < 1 hopes for their rescue are now considered .slender. .Many lifebelts have been washed ashore. The son of Captain Groy says lie was asleep in the forecastle when a fireman rushed in a shouted : '-She is going over.” Gray, with a dozen others, rushed on deck. The Dorrigo was then slowly heeling over. As I lie crow tried to launch a boat it capsized, and floated upside down beside the ship. Cases of benzine rattled off and as the Dorrigo took another dangerous lurch the crew jumped overboard. Captain (Lay roii'ninod with the ship As she sank logs shot out- of the water like corks and the sen was soon strewn with flotsam and jetsam. A stroke of luck saved the captain. As lie sank, a portion of I lie after sim-dock planking covered with canvas rose to the surface iiiiderneath. .Some more of flic crew reached a raft of logs and some more were in a lifeboat. As the a Iternoon advanced the parties driftedapart, and they hist sight ol them at dusk. As night closed a school of small sharks hovered around the sundeck, on which Gray and his son were limiting. When daylight came there was not ,'t- sign of smoke or sail. The school of small sharks disappeared and the vigil was taken up by three huge brown sharks. The Mornya turned up some hours later and rescued them. A partv has left to search Fraser Island. THE MISSING. SYDNEY. April fi. The names of the Dorrigo’s missing are: 11. Iladsley (chief officer), A McIntyre (second officer). A. R. Smith (chief engineer). G. 11 itehinsou (second engineer), (’. 11. Smith (third engineer). C. Wren (donkeymnn), 1. Lowe (boatswain). (’. Foley. .1. Fisher, T. Gelhling. .1, Dempsey (seamen). F. May (deck hoy), I. Dawson. F. Lawloss, A. Ktillaway, E. Holsill, J. Wrench, T. Fmggart (firemen), Dixon (chief steward), E. Stent (assistant steward). .1. Mi-Court (chief cook). H. Storch (assistant cook).