OLD TIME WRECK

Hokitika Guardian, 5 February 1932, Page 3

OLD TIME WRECK

LOSS OF DERRY CASTLE. AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT. The iron barque Derry Castle left Geelong, Australia, on March 12, 188 V, bound for Falmouth for orders. Run* i ning across the southern Tasman Sea she experienced strong gales, and un- ’ fortunately, for several days before the accident happened no observations ' could he obtained to fix her position. , On the 20th, when only eight days out, she crashed on the outer reef of Ender- | by Island. It was a dark night, with ’ heavy rain, and at times the wind was of gale force. The force of the barque’s impact on the reef, she was scudding along at about ten knots when she siriibk, carried her halfway over the reefj only her stern being held on the rocks. About an hour after she struck she parted amidships,, and all 011 hoard were either washed off the wreck or threw themselves into the water. Only eight half dead men managed to fight their way through the great surf that was breaking on the coastline, the . rest of the crew, fifteen in all, being either drowned or killed by being smashed on the rocks by the breakers. When daylight came the survivors found themselves on a wild deserted shore, wind swept and shelterless. They had no matches and no food, except a few shellfish which were found on the inner reef at low water. A Desperate Plight. The castaways waited near the beach j in the hopes that stores would be washed ashore from the wreck when it broke up, but all they managed to secure were two tins of herrings, a pumpkin and a small quantity of wheat, but the latter became mouldy in a feu days. The men divided themselves into four parties, and set out to make a careful inspection of the island. On the first day they returned to their base dispirited, having found nothing. On the next day they set out again, and towards evening, when one of the parties had decided to return to camp, one of the men spied a small hut at the bot- ‘ tom of a valley opening, out to the sea. It was then too late to make an inspection of their discovery, so the.) made hack and gave the glad tidings to their mates.

Everyone set out before daylight, all of them very weak from want of food, and it was afternoon before they came up to the hut. We are told that the last few yards were covered by the eager men at a run. The hut was opened, and one can imagine the intense disappointment that was experienced by the unfortunate people when all that was found was a bottle of table salt, and a. soaked box of matches. (The New Zealand Government at this time had only one depot for castaways at the Enderby Islands, and that was at Port Ross.

The matches were carefully dried in the sun, but they refused to light, despite every care being taken. At the end °f the fifth day all hope was given up, and despair settled on the marooned men. On the eighth day after the wreck happened on P of the men was gathering shellfish on the beach when he found a coat floating in the surf. Tt was salvaged, and was recognised as having belonged to the master of the barque. Tn a pocket was found a revolver cartridge. This was a priceless find, and it was decided to take every precaution to make a fire with the cartridge.

The bullet was carefully removed, and delight was expressed by everyone when it was found that the powder was perfectly dry. A hole was pierced in a bit of driftwood, several strands of cotton, carefully dried, were torn from a handkerchief, and inserted in the cartridge in place of the bullet. A nail was taken from the door of the hut, and with a rock as a striker the cartridge was exploded. We are told '.hat a. greait cheer went up when it was seen than the cotton was smouldering, and one of the men, by carefully fanning the tiny spark with his breath, managed ,to make a flame. A fire was ignited, which was tended night and day by relays of the castaways and kept blazing until the men were rescued four months later.

By means of the fire more appetising meals were made from the shellfish, and an exploring party discovered several sacks of water-soaked wheat in a small bay some distance from the camp. The Derry Castle .had a cargo of wheat at 'the time of her wreck, and by scorching the grain, and then crushing it into rough meal between two rocks, a more or less ’palatable porridge was niade. There were no birds or eggs to be obtained on the island as it was winter time, the birds, as is their custom. being at that time in the higher latitudes. Making a Boat. On the ninety-second day ol their captivity hope was revived by the finding of an axe head on the beach, evidently left there 'by a scaling party. tPrior to this, one of the men had ■sighted the food depot at Port Boss, hut having no means to cross the intervoiiiig stretch of water, nothing could he. hi one to effect a passage.

A considerable amount, of wreckage, consisting yd planks and spars was scattered along the beach, and 'this war all colleeterf and taken to the lee side of the island, as it, would have been impossible to launch a raft or boat from tin* beach at the camp. After many days of laborious work a crazy boat was built,. It was nothing more than an oblong box, shaped exactly l 1-;i coffin, and measured 6ft long by 2ft, 6in wide, with a deep I'.dse keel on the bilge to give it stability. The for’ard end was shoe shaped,, like a Norwegian pram. Hopes ran high when Hie