THE LATE WRECKS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 748, 3 September 1878, Page 2

THE LATE WRECKS.

(FBOM THE TIIIARTJ KEBALD.) The excitement caused I) 3' the wrecks on Sunday had greatly decreased by yesterday morning, and we were therefore able to obtain more reliable information on many points connected therewith. The first thing we ascertained was that instead of three, only two men met their deaths. One was a sailor named Arthur Connolly, or " Peter," belonging to the

barque Melrose, and the other Captain Evans of the ketch Palmerston. The former was washed overboard while attempting to seize a rocket line at the time the barque grounded, and it is supposed got fast in the wreckage of the unfortunate vessel. His body was picked up yesterday forenoon, floating in the surf near the scene ■ of the disaster, and conveyed to the Melville Hotel, where an inquest will probably be held to-day. Connolly was an .Irishman of about 23 years of age, was a single man, and had shipped in the Kiel rose at Newcastle just prior to her leaving for Timaru. Captain Evans of the Palmerston was drowned, so it turns out, while attempting to reach the Melrose after the latter struck his vessel, and lie was not rendered totally insensible by the falling of the fore-top-mast, as we were informed on Sunday, and as we stated in yesterday's paper. His body was seen floating in front of the Government Landing Service late on Sunday evening, but had not been recovered up to last night. Two of the Pahnerston's crew, and not one, were picked up by the Melrose- and saved. Hardly a vestige of the barque or the kc f eh Fanny was to be seen yesterday morning, while the deserted ketch Palmerston, much to the surprise of even-one, was noticed to be still riding easily at anchor. On the latter fact becoming apparent, the lessees of the Government Landing Service sent off a crew to take charge "f her, and a salvage claim will be the result. The brigintine Lapwing, on inspect ion, vis found to be uninjured with the exception of having her false keel knocked away and portions of her copper stripped. Her outward cargo was all saved yesterday, and the remaining portion of her inward cargo of coals will also be landed to-day, provided the sea goes down as rapidly as it did yesterday. The ketch Glimpse lies high and dry at the entrance <>f Llikari Creek (next to Whale's Creek), and her hull is whole and sound. All her preserved meat was safely taken out of her yesterday, and it is probable that both she and the Lapwing will eventually once more find themselves affoat.

Tiie Melrose wns owned partly by Catley of Sydney, pirtly by Captain Kenney, and partly by other persons whose names are unknown. The only insurance on her hull that we can hear of is L 350 in the South British Company. The coals which were still on board of her were insured in tiie Union Company of New Zealand for LSOO. Portions of her principal beams which were brought to us yesterday were that rotten and spongy that a person could poke his finger clean through them. She seems to have been utterly unsound, and it was only sheer recklesness that could have induced her owners to send her to an open roadstead like Timaru. In connection with her, we are glad to learn that Captain Kenney is out of danger, and will p.obably be about to-day. The Lapwing was built at Prince Edward's Island in November, 1876, and was brought over to Auckland by her present captain. She is owned by Mr. G. W. Owen, of Auckland, snd her hull, worth •ibout LooOO, was fnllv insured in the New Zeah.-nd Insurance Comp-iny. The out-

.v.iril c.iryo of produce which she had on : >oard was insui-.-d in the National Marine C'>'"n:i!iy 1.1 f .S:i:itli Avstralia fur about LGOO. whiln ih;> balane;; of her inward o:li-'j'i) <if co lis, about 100 tons, was covered ; n a Sydney office. Tlie ketch 7-":inny was built at Port Chalmers in 1872. and was owned by Atessrs. Outhrie and Laruach's Wood ware Factory Company. Hur liull was insured in the New ZriiVand Insurance Company for LSOO. The ketch Pahnerston, the only one out of tiie five vessels winch were in the roadstead on Sunday morning which is still afloat, was built in Port Chalmers in 1874, and her owners were, as far as we cm learn. h?,u late captain (Emails), and Captain "Brebner. of Port Chalmers. Her hull is insured in the New Zealand Company for L3OO, and her cargo in the South. British. Company for L 412. As regards the Olimpse, she was built in "Whaiiuarei in ISG4. We believe she belongs to ?dr. Fraser, of Dunedin, and that she was fully insured, but we do not know in what company.