STRANDING OF TWO VESSELS, AT WAITARA.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 16 August 1880, Page 2

STRANDING OF TWO VESSELS, AT WAITARA.

(BY TELEGRAPH.)

Plymouth;, August 14.

While the steamer liowena was towing the schooner Forest Queen out of the Waitara river yesterday she went ashore on the North Spit, and the Forest Queen got wrecked to the northward of the river. A sea struck the Rowena when on the bar, carrying away the tow rope and the quarter-boat, and the vessels went ashore. August 10. The following are fuller particulars re the stranded steamer Rowena :—She left Waitara wharf on Saturday at 2 o'clock with ten passengers and a cargo of sheep for the Manukau, having in tow the ketch Forest Queen for Wellington. As she was crossing the bar a heavy sea struck the steamer, washing away one of her boats, which is lost, and causing her tow line to get foul of her propeller. The steamer being helpless oast the ketch adrift, and was driven to the North Spit, tho ketch grounding on the north side of tho Waitara River. The captain of the Forest Queen let go the anchor, which kept her in position, but the tide was out, and each wave caused her to bump on the beach. An effort was made to get tho, stjoainor afloat, but it was aa the tide was running out. The sheep and .passengers were landed, Juat after tho Rowena wont ashoro, a firomnn on board of liei; was taken suddenly ill, and before ho could bo brought ashoro died. His namo is Bailey and ho belongs to Auckland, and has a wife and two children living there. An attempt was to bo iru\dv> to got tho vosaels off this morning. An inquest will bo hold on tho body of the fireman to-day.