Wreck of the Ventnor.

Manawatu Herald, 30 October 1902, Page 3

Wreck of the Ventnor.

LOSS OP 480 CHINESE CORPSES.

The steamer Ventnor, from Wellington bound to Hong Kong and loaded with the bodies of resurrected Chinese, struck Cape Egmont on Sunday night and founded offHokianga. Two boats with officers and part of the crow were landed. The rest of the crow ware seen m two boats, seven miles out. The steamer Energy has been sent to their assistance. „ , , , The Ventnor had five hundred Chinese bodies bodies and 6200 tons A°Star special wire states that on Monday at 12.40 a.m. she struck xookfl southward of Cape Egmont. After a short time she managed to get off and proceeded on her journey. The water gained in number one hold till Tuesday when the ballast tanks were found full of water and the steamer going down by the head. On Tuesday evening she became unmanageable and was found gradually liskifig and about 9 p.iau was going

down fast. All hands wore ordered to the boats. They had barely time to get cleat before the steamer sank. The Hokianga Heads light was seen at a distance of about ten miles. Two boats, containing chief officer (Cameron), the second and third engineers, and fourteen of the crew were landed at Omapere beach at daylight yesterday morning. Another boat is sighted and is expected to arrive shortly. The third boat’s crew from the Yentnor is reported safe. The Alliance Assurance Company had a risk of £4600 on the Yentnor s bodies, numbering 480, and of this amount 1860 was reinsured in the South British. The bodies came from Greymouth, Wellington, and Dunedin.

The Yentnor was under charter to the Admiralty to take coal from Westport to Hong Kong. She belonged to the Yentnor Shipping Company, of Glasgow, where she was built in 1901. She was a steel steamer of 8961 tons gross and 846 nominal horse-power. One hundred and seventy-seven Chinese bodies, or the bones and remains of the same, were shipped at Greymouth. Some had been in the Cemetery for 20 years, while others had never been interred. The Chinese community at Greymouth are in a great state of excitement over the foundering of the Yentnor with the bodies aboard.

Of the coffins carried by the Ventnot 489 are insured in the Alliance Company for £6490, and fungus is insured for about £320 in the various offices in Wellington, The Yentnor was four inches light of her marks, as not sufficient coal had arrived from Westport, and as she was on time charter the agents despatched her without waiting for more.