STRANDED INDRABARAH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 567, 14 May 1913, Page 5

STRANDED INDRABARAH.

STRUCK IN THE NIGHT. A PLUCKY RESCUE. The report that the Tyser steamar Indrabarah, ashore about seven miles north of the mouth of the Rangitikei river, was breaking up fast proved to be incorrect. The vessel was beinff pounded by the heavy surf knoeked up by the hard westerly gale blowing, but she is still intact, and if ther" had been a tug handy shortly after the grounding the vessel would probably have been towed off without much difficulty. News of the disaster is still rather meagre., hence the paucity of the details and the apparent confusion of the reports regarding the state of the vessel.

DIRTY WEATHER. When the Indrabarah arrived off the Winganui Heads on Friday night the weather was very dirty, hailstorms frequent, and there was a tremendous sea running with a set to the southward. As he could not find any holding ground under the conditions prevailing. Captain Hollingsworth steamed along the coast, and it is said that the mishap occurred just as the steamer was turning to come up the coast again. This was at about four o'clock on Saturday morning. A farmer in the vicinity of the wreck, which occurred about twentvthree miles south of Wanganui Heads, noticed rockets being fired at about six o'clock in the morning. It was still dark, and when he went down to the shore to make investigations he saw a ship's boat coming ashore through the breakers, which were still running high. A BRAVE RESCUE.

One of the crew of ten in th 9 boat was Andrew Monson, a stevedore, shipped at Gisborne, the vessel's last port of call, and he was washed overboard. Although like the rest of the men, he was wearing a lifebelt, he was in imminent danger. The second officer, Mr Adcock, was also swept off by a wave, but some of his cjmpanions clutched him and hauled him back. It looked aa though Monson, who is a big, powerful man, was gone. The boat was beached with difficulty. Mr Adcock at once stripped, and went out into the breakers with a life-line to rescue Monson. The task seemed a hopeless on», and nobody ever expected to see him come back alive. After half an hour's battling with the waves, which tossed him back time after time, the plucky officer managed to reach Monson, who was clinging to an oar, and the two rnen were hauled ashore much exhausted by their batt ling with the heavy surf. Monson was also in the wreck of the Star of Canada, which went ashore at Gisborne, but he says his experience in the surf on Saturday morning was the nearest call he has ever had. RELIEF STEAMER DELAYED.

The Union Co.'a: salvage steamer Terawhiti, after having been delayel several hours at Wellington Head 3 by heavy weather, left at 7 on Sunday morning, and was due at the Indra barah in ten hours. The Terawhiti has taken three huge mushroom anchors and several heavy hawsers. If it is found, however, that che Indrabarah is making much water, the Terawhiti is to return to Wellington for more pumping gear. Latest advices state that the heavy southerly gale prevented the tug Terawhiti from approaching the stranded vassal, which has been driven further ashore. Those connected with the vessel are hopeful of floating her off.