WRECK OF THE S.S. MAORI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 19

WRECK OF THE S.S. MAORI.

LONDON, August 5. The Shaw-Savill liner Maori, bound for Dunedin direct, has been wrecked at Duiker Point, near Capetown. The Maori, which coaled at Capetown on Wednesday, had no passengetr aboard. Lloyd's report states that the vessel has broken up, the cargo being afloat. Reuter reports that as far a.s. is. at present known two of those aboard have been drowned, nine men having landed. August 6. The Daily Mail's Capetown correspondent states that the Maori struck a rock on Duiker Point 40 minutes after leaving Capetown. - She sank in four minutes. The discipline amongsfTthe^ crew was magnificent.,, «_ _ .... ThfiC- captain ordered the 5§ men on board to man three boats. -These lost bight of each other, in the darkness. That of the chief officer (Mr Reed), with 15 m#», roirest inrfehe ougjvsea. until daybreak. It then struck a rock and capsized when the occupants were attempting to land. Some of the men struggled through th« surf r - but. the rest were droned. TKe shattered remains of another boat have been picked up. All hope' for the other 47 officers and men is now abandoned, the tugs reporting that it would be impossible for them to survive in the mountainous seas. Those who were saved include Mr Reed, an engineer (Mr Keenan), the boatswain (Mr Stewart), the helmsman (Mr Stillwell), and a fireman. Mr Stewart displayed magnificent gallantry. He swam 80 yards through the boiling surf, though already exhausted, to save Mr Stillwell, and then he returned and rescued a fireman. Finally he bought to bring in the refrigerating engineer (Mr Hutchinson), but the latter sank. Mr Stewart reached the shore with difficulty. The Maori was valued at £40,000. Her cargo consisted, largely of steel rails, valued at" £120,000. Those saved -from, the Maori include Steward Yates, Seaman Munns, Greaser Brown, and Firemen Holmes and Milton. August 7. Some fishermen - yesterday morning detected 12 pars ojw— eliugiug. ixr the Maori's mast tops, and they established communication despite the fact that enormous waves were breaking over the wreck. They saved two, but two others were drowned while coming 'ashore. Rocket communication was established by the evening, and food and brandy were sent to the wreck. - There is a fair prospect of rescuing the other eight. The fishermen displayed ' great heroism. The Maori lies in deep water with her ■back broken. The Daily Mail's correspondent wired later that the Maori was wrecked 30 yards from a rockbound coast in. an inaccessible position. When the boats left the ship 12 men were etill asleep below, and were unaware of the disaster They afterwards threw a line ashore, and an engineer named Middleton and a fireman named O'Brien landed with difficulty. Two men were drowned in attempting to land, and the remainder took refuge in the rigging for 48 hoars. They were frequently drenched by the heavy seas. By means of a rocket apparatus a rope was thrown." on Safwdajr^TSrorning, a«d eight men w«re dragged- ashore through a tremendous sea-. ' The boatswain (George Stewart), who is a native of Lyttelton,' states that, he cut free two boats - when they were filled. *He thought he was the last to leave with the third boat, not knowing that there were other* below. Those in his boat pulled desperately, occasionally sighting the otheT two. Dawn showed a jagged coast, and they steered for a patch of sand. They struck a rock, and the boat overturned, and Be started to swim ashore! •He -rescued Stillwell and Milton, the latter pf wjiom weighed 18 stone.

Twenty -one out ©i & total of 53 have been saved. ■ • Pitiful- scenes are witnessed in London, where mothers and wives are. waiting for news at the Shaw. Savill, and Albion Company's office in Leadenhall street. The crew were .mostly Londoners. August 8. Amongst those who were saved are Engineers Brewer, May, Wood, Bowler, and Thomson, the storekeeper (Barr), a seaman named Evans, a fireman named Hutching?, the cook (Hatch), the ship's boy (Clarke), and -another named Mills.