TRAWLER WRECKED

Hokitika Guardian, 9 September 1926, Page 3

TRAWLER WRECKED

OFF VICTORIAN COAST. SYDNEY. August 20. The Australian coast claimed its third shipping disaster within six weeks when the trawler Brolga. owned by the Coastal Trawling Company of New South Wales, went ashore on Beware Reef, near Cape Evarard. on the north-eastern coast of Victoria. early last Friday morning, and became a total wreck. On July 7th the Cooinn was wrecked off the Queensland coast, and a week later an explosion caused the petrol-laden Kooringa to be burnt to the water’s edge in Bass Strait. None of the disasters lias been attended by loss of life. Tlie Brolga had taken a catch of fish to the Melbourne market, and was returning to its headquarters at Sydney when it was wrecked. The thief officer was on the bridge at the time, A heavy south-westerly gale was ’blowing. and despite the strict watch kept, blinding rain and a' thick haze prevented danger being seen. It was 2 o’clock in the morning when the Brolga struck the roof. Subsequent happenings are best told in the words of tlie master (Captain Renton). ALL HANDS SAVED. ' I ordered all hands to take lifebelts and man the boats.” said Captain Renton. " A big sea hit the ship and washed three men overboard. Two were thrown to the vessel’s rail by the backwash, and they scrambled aboard again. Tho third man. McPherson, the second officer, had to swim desperately to regain the vessel, and did so only by seizing t ,r, e end of a trawl net which had been washed overboard. There was no confusion, but owing to the heavy sea great difficulty was experienced in hiumJhing the lifeboat. It would not have been accomplished had not the dynamo kept the lights going. There was great lear that tho boiler would hurst while the chief officer was down in the wireless room vainly trying to get enough power to send out an’S.O.S. ft is fortunate that the vessel struck the edge of Beware Reef end-on and slid off into deep water, otherwise she would have been smashed to pieces and all lives lost.’’ PERILOUS JOURNEY. Captain Renton and the crew stood by and watched the Brolga disappear within three minutes, from tlie time the boat was launched. The boat’s bead was then turned eastward and the journey made along the inhospitable, densely-wooded, and uninhabited coastline to the first habitation, the Cape Evarard Lighthouse. That perilous tourney, in a lifeboat with the bottom partly stove in. was made in eight hours, and it was 10 o’clock when the party landed safely at the lighthouse. Tlie three men stationed at the lighthouse cared for the shipwrecked men. and one of them rode on horseback through dense forests along a rough bridle track to Cann River. He nearest telegraph station, 25 miles away. That arduous trip wasnot completed until the middle of the afternoon. Immediately messages were flashed to the navigation authorities in Melbourne. The crew rested at Cape Evarard for two days, and on Monday left for Cann River. Then they t'-aveiled hv motor lorry to Bombala (New South Wales) and thence to tbeir homes at Sydney.