A SHIPPING DISASTER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 597, 27 August 1913, Page 5

A SHIPPING DISASTER.

LINER DEVON ASHORE. OFF PENCARROW HEAD. The immediate vicinity of Pencarrow Head, the precipitous point at the eastern entrance to Wellington Harbour, was the scene of a mishap on Monday night. While the Federal-Shire liner Devon was steaming out, southward bound, amid a smother of driving rain, she went ashore near the low level light at the head A very heavy southerly gale was running, and the sea was in exceptionally angry mood. The spot is very inaccessible, but information frcm tin lighthouse indicated that the vessel was bard and fast on the rocks about 100 yards from the shore. A tremendous sea was running, and it was impossible to lower a boat. The ferry steamer Wahine stood by until a quarter to ten, when she proceeded on her way south, after sending a wireless message to say that she was unable to read the Morse signals from the vessel. The captain of (he Wahine considered it impossible to render any assistance, owing to the tremendous sea and the position of the wreck.

The lighthouse-keeper at Penearrow Head reported at ten minuets to one on Tuesday morning that the Devon appeared to be likely to become a hopeless wreck, but that those on board did not appear to be in any immediate danger. The after part of the vessel appeared to be breaking-up, but the forward part seemed to be high and dry and firmlj fixed on the rocks. Some wreckage was already coming ashore. The electric light seemed to be out, but the masthead lights were still burning. Three or four attempts to get a line ashore had been made, but on each occasion the line had fallen short.

The lighthouse-keeper stated that there was no sheiterfd water there where a boat might live, while the lines sent ashore would have to pass over sharp rocks. He thought the men could easily shelter for the time heing in the fore part of the vessel. Signals were sent from the lighthouse to the Imat asking. "Are you going to send a boat ashore?"' and met with the answer, "No." Those in the ship asked the lighthous9 to do something but the latter could not make out the signal. The Devon has been most unfortunate vessel right through har present voyage. She left Montreal on May 31st under charter to the New Zealand Shipping Company running in the Eastern Canadian service. She is a vessel of 6059 gross tons and is owned by the Federal-Shire Company trading between Liverpool and New Zealand. On the voyage from Montreal Captain Robertson fell a victim to typhoid fever and became so bad that the vessel put into Capetown to land him. He was sent to a hospital there and at the latest report was progressing favourably. Captain A. M. Caunce, who was chief officer of the vessel, then took command, and the steamer proceeded to Durban for coal. She was detained there four days, owing to the racenfc strike on the Rand mines affecting most of the South African ports. After a very stormv passage of 25 day from Durban, the Devon reached Melbourne on the morning of August 6th. She then visited Sydney, and left port, for Auckland at noon on Saturday, August 16th. arriving at Wellington on Friday afternoon last, after a boisterous passage across the Tasman Sea. She left Auckland at 1 p.m. on Saturday for Wellington, Lytteton, and Dunedin, to discharge the balance of her csrgo at those ports. The Devon will be remembered in connection with the despatch of the New Zealand contingents to South Africa during the Beer War. The North Island division of the Ninth Contingent sailed from Auckland in the steamer, on March li'tb. 1902. VESSEL A TOTAL WRECK. Wellington, This Day. That the wrecked steamer Devon is total loss is state to be beyond doubt. The spot where the vessel struck is particularly bad and the vessel is firmly wedged on the rocks. The captain and crew, except the chief officer, who is standing by the vessel, arrived in Wellington at 8.30 last evening'. The captain declined to make any statement to the press, stating all would come out at the inquiry.