THE STEAMER TRIUMPH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 5, 4 December 1883, Page 3

THE STEAMER TRIUMPH.

Statement of the Lighthouse Keepers. Shortly before the Triumph struck oo the southeast point of Thitiri, the lighthouse-keeper on duty observed a steamer standing towards the island, which he took to be the s.s. Stella coming with stores for the lighthouse, as thjey knew she was iu Auckland. As. the steamer got close to the lighthouse, the keeper saw it was a much larger vessel, and he went and roused his mate, who turned out' to see the sight. They commenced joking together,, saying the steamer was going to rush the lighthouse »nd jump their claim, but as the steamer still stood on they felt sure something serious was-wrong. The officer on duty returned to his post at the lighthouse, and his mate went down "to the face of the cliff, calling as loudly as possible to the steamer, which' warnings however, was evidently not heard, as she still kept straight on for the shore. Shortly afterwards he heard a noise of a vessel grinding on the^ reef and the confuse i sound ; of voices on board. Re then called out again, •« You're ashore," and he received ; the : reply, « Yes ; where are weV' The lighlhouse-keeper replied, N«On Tiritiri itselfi" A voice called out, " How for are we off?" and he responded^ * J Don't T tell you you are <m Tiritiri itself; is the vessel damaged"' The reply was, "Don't know; amgo • ing tb ; back ciff." He again called out, "pTou had better fire a rocket ashore wf th <a iirie" aitached ;" and he struck a match to shoW them where to throw it: -The rocket was not thrown, and no further information was vouchsafed from the steamer, so thd light-ho^use-keieper retiuned to his quarters. ' . ; t : -..l . ;i " ■ . • Later. ".' The captain of the Triumph has abandoned the vessel to the underwriters, considering it impossible to get her off. • At the conference of Engineers this afternoon? for the purpose of considering the possibility or otherwise of lifting the "Triumph off the rock into deep wkter by the agency of compressed air, . itiwas generally agreed that the project wasfeasibie^, and eventually a proposi-. .-tioiTyras adopted and submitted to the .a{*enj4 *of tlie vessel, Messrs L. D. Jlatluvn and Co., but the terms have not yet !. transpired. The captain of the : Bengal .. considers, , that the Ti|uraph niay. be got off witlv proper appliances; He says, she is not in so-bad a position. as the Soiata^wasjat Adelaide , .