WRECKS ON KING’S ISLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4129, 15 June 1874, Page 3

WRECKS ON KING’S ISLAND.

[From the Melbourne Daily Telegraph.'] From the year 1830 up to the present time there have been seventeen wrecks on King’s Island, exclusive of tiro loss of the British Admiral, and a total loss of lives numbering 734. The following is a tabular statement of tlie wrecks, with the number of lives lost : WEST HIDE OF THE ISLAND FROM THE CENTRE SOUTHWARD.

The old City of Melbourne, steamer, ran ashore at the southern end of the east shore of the island in the year 1851, but was got olf, and was the only vessel excepting the Rebecca that escaped total wreck on the island. To show the necessity of a light being placed on the west side of the island, it may be mentioned that this part of the coast is exposed to the whole swell of the Western Ocean. Many captains make this part of the Island as their landfall. It is prudent on the part of sea captains approaching Melbourne to make land to the westward of Cape Otway, and thus if a master gets out of his reckoning, the chances are that he finds himself on the southern shore of.the west side of King’s Island. According to the chart it appears that had the captain of the British Admiral anchored when ho first sighted the island—having previously gone through the' outer reef, there would have been no danger, the vessel would have been saved, and no lives would have been lost, as there was plenty of deep water, and any quantity of room to allow of the chain being paid out. The roof upon which the vessel struck, however, was a treacherous one, and was probably not known to him. On the occasion of tho wreck of the Notherby in 1866, when the Victoria and the Pharos went down to afford relief to her passengers and crew, the Victoria narrowly escaped running on to .the same reef, and her commander (Captain Norman) had to signal tho Pharos to escape the same danger. Since.

then Captain Stanley lias made a survey of King’s Island, and according to his new chart, the British Admiral must have struck about two miles distant from the shore, and about the same distance from where the Nethcrby was wrecked. Captain Stanley recommended to the Government that a light should be placed on the western side of King’s Island, near where the British Admiral and the Netherby were wrecked, and it is on record that in ISSB the then chief harbour-master, Captain Ferguson, since deceased, protested against the recommendation of the Royal Commission that the lighthouse on King’s Island should be placed on Cape Wickham, at the northern extremity of the island. The western coast of King’s Island is described by Captain Stokes as being a low; treacherous, and rocky coast. Rocks were discovered by him lying one mile and a half from the shore at about eleven miles to the southward of New Year’s Isles, and Captain Lewis, harbourmaster at Fort Phillip, discovered a very dangerous rock, nearly level with the sea at low water, lying in a doubtful position, about S.S.W., twelve miles from New Year’s Isles, and seven miles from shore, with the tide sometimes breaking over it at high water. In shore of it there are from six to seven fathoms.

Name of Ship. Year "Wrecked. Number of Lives Lost. Isabella 1840 0 Catanupii 18-13 414 Brahmin ISM 7 Maypole 1855 3 Aurora Wutenvitch .. IS'Jd 0 Notherby 1S0C» 0 NORTHERN PART OF THE WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND. 1330 300 Bcbccca, afterwards gotoff 1843 1 Loch Levcn 1871 1 Mary Ann .. — 0 Ocean Bride — 0 Elizabeth — 0 ■Whistler — 0 NORTH END OP THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND. Martha Xavinia .. 1S7I 0 CENTRE OF TIL : EAST COAST. lijuropa 1S07 0 Armagh 1SGS 7