The WRECKS at WELLINGTON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 60, 11 March 1874, Page 2

The WRECKS at WELLINGTON.

(Tribune, March 9) It is with deep regret that we have this morning to chronicle the total wreck of two Wellington shipß, almost, it may be said, at. our very doors, accompanied by a sad loss of human life — noakiog a disaster, taken altogether, greater than any which has befallen Wellington for many years. We give such particulars as it has been possible to gather in the naturally excited state of those more immediately concerned. The barque Cyrus, Captain Andrew, left Wellington for Newcastle, N.S.W., on Friday morning, with a crew of nine men, and Mrs Wriggles worth and her two children as passengers — thirteen souls in all. The vessel encountered baffling winds in the Straits, aod made no progress during the day. On Saturday morning the wind blew from the N.W., and as the day wore on it increased in iu tensity until evening, by which* time it became a raging gale, with blinding spray. Wave after wave swept the deck of the unfortunate vessel, and she must have become unmanageable, to account for her being so far out of her course. We understand, besides, that there was some miscalculation made about the light, Pencarrow lighthouse being taken for that of Mane, a mistake which could not fail to end disastrously under the circumstances. We give this statement with some hesitation, but doubtless an official enquiry will be held which will bring out all the circumstances attending the case. About eleven o'clock at night, during a brief lull in the storm and a partial lifting of the clouds, breakers ahead were discovered, and in a few minutes more the vessel had struck upon the rocks, in what turned out to be, when daylight revealed the scene, Happy Valley Inlet. It was a fearful moment. Once and again the vessel bumped and crashed, and the mainmast went by the board, followed in a short time by the fore and arizen masts. An attempt was made to get out the boatw, but the first one was smashed at once. The long boat, lashed on the main hatch, was next turned over, and three men got into it, but only to find themselves washed upon a reef of therocka, so close to land that they managed to swim ashore. At this juncture the second mate, Robert Smith, being a good swimmer, endeavored to swim ashore with a line, so as if possible to rescue the others remaining on the wreck. In this noble attempt he was drowned. Shortly after, the vessel broke up, and those who had clung to it were washed ashore. Beyond a severe buffeting and bruising their lives were preserved, with one exception, that of George Harding, who perished. The saddest portion of our record haa yet to be told. Mrs Wrigglesworth and her two children, as we have learned, were crushed between some portion of the deckhouse, which had goc adrift, and the bulwarks. The unfortunate lady was last seen standing on the deck with an infant in her arms, and the other child beside her, and death came to her thus sharply and suddenly. The fate of the ship Wellington, Captain Hill, is of a similar character. She left the harbor on Friday evening and encountered the gale of Saturday in the same way aB the Cyrus. Going closely reefed, Bhe yet had every stitch of canvas carried away, and for a time had only bare poles, until by dint of great labor she was hove to, and had another set of sails bent on. It was all of no avail. About 1 1 o'clock at night she found breakers ahead, singularly enough close to the spot where the Cyrus had only a very short time before struck aud was rapidly breaking up. The Cyrus' crew, it is said, seeing another vessel behind theirs, , managed to throw up a blue light. If it was seen on board the Wellington, the warning came too late. The vessel went right ashore, striking so heavily upon the rocks that the masts gave way one after another in quick suc-

cession, while the sea swept the decks, smashing the companion and carrying away the decks in an incredibly short space of time. Captain Hill and nine seamen got into one of the boats (ihe others were all swept away) in a rather remarkable manner. This boat was on top the deck house, with a cover fastened on it. They cut the lashings, but could not extricate it on account of the lumbar. A sea, however, came and carried it and its surrouudings right away, clear away of the wreck. A succeeding eea providentially brought it right alongside of them, and with difficulty they got into it. Having been covered, it was found that the oars, tiller, &c, were all intact, and they proceeded to pull to the harbor. The stern of the boat was to the sea, and owing to the heavy swell it waß imposßible to turn it or use the rudder. ; They, however, succeeded in reaching the wharf at half-past six in tho morning. It ought to be mentioned that the plug was out of the boat, nnd the cap of one of the sailors was used as a substitute. The men say they were hailed by the crew of the Cyrus, but owing to the heavy sea running were unable to render any assistance. Captain Hill Bpeaks very highly ol the coolness and intrepidity displayed by his crew in their perilous position. The first mate made the land with a life-buoy, and the second mate swam ashore. John Kustin also managed to reach the shore, but perished from exhaußtion on the hill side. The cook clung to a hntch, but has not been seen since. It is only too certain he must have been drowned. The captain aud crew of the Wellington amounted to f jurteen hands in all. Of these, twelve have been saved, namely, Captain Hill, Alex, fhaw, first mate; D. A. Hammil), second mate; Carl Hillber^r, carpenter: John Christian, Bartiey Joyce, Robert Bruce, Latin, and four others whose names we have been unable to learn. Two have been lost — John Rußtin, seaman, and W. Johnson, cook. The Cyrus, 319 tons, was a barque, of which Captain Hill was the principal owner. She was built at Priuce Ed<ward's Island, New Brunswick, about six years ago, and valued at £2700, of which £2000 is covered by insurance. The Wellington, 669 tons, was a fullrigged American-bu'lt ship, the property of Messrs Beck and Tonks. This vessel was old, but staunch and wellfound, valued at £5000. The owners' loss is covered to the amount of £3000— held by the Victoria, South British, and New Zea'and Insurance Offices. The scene of this double wreck, as we have indicated, is not far from town — only about five miles — and lies at the opening of the Happy Valley. The coast line at this spot is a series of flattened rocks, broken by jagged points at irregular intervals. A little further towards Terawiti there is a piece of shingly beach. Had these vessels reached this point they would have merely stranded, and in all probability no lives would have beeu lost. Great numbers visited the place during yesterday, many of them taking home with them mementos of the illfated vessels. There is not much to be said with reference to the wrecks them-,, selves. Of the two fine vessels which but tho other day were in the harbour, there remains little more than heaps of splintered planks. The wrecks lie within a hundred yards of each other — the Wellington nearest to the town. The only piece of the Wellington of any size is the under-pnrt of the quar-ter-deck, on which the name of the ship can plainly be discerned, the stern towards the beacb. It lies tightly jammed in between two rocks which seem to have been the sole cause of that portion not being dashed into a mass of fragments like the rest of the vessel. A large mass of boards, planks, and beams, piled up close at hand in a state of chaotic confusion is all beeides that remains of the Wellington. A little further along the beach, and somewhat nearer land than the Wellington lies a small portion of the barque Cyrus. At low water, in the afternoon, a channel of about 20 yards wide separated this portion of the Cyrus from the rocks which line the Bhore. This portion which, like that of the Wellington, ia wedged between the rocks appears to be part of the waist of the vessel lying brnadside on. Atop and atharwt is a portion of one of the masts of the vessel, the futtock rigging being quite intact. This part of the Cyrus has more the appearance of a wreck than what remains of the Wellington. Indeed looked at from Sinclair Head there is little appearance of any wreck whatever, so complete and entire has been the smash.