THRILLING EXPERIENCES
Kara’s Crew Suffer Extreme ■ * ■ Hardships. BOAT DAPSIZES WITHIH REACH OF SHORE. SURVIVORS reach awanui. . AWANUI,. March 4... The ten survivors oi the crew of tlie Karu came on to Awanui last evening by motor car after a /5-mile run down the Ninety Mile Beach. Air are in good health and spirits considering the harrowing experiences through Which- they have passed. According to Captain Richmond and Ins three officers, shortly after they left Whangape the wind increased to a gale and after having made fair offing the .vessel was hove to. Soon alley midnight an unusual quantity of water was reported in the engine room and hold. The sea was very heavy and a whole gale was blowing. The captain ordered the steam pumps tobe started, but it was found that the water was gaining. -The steamer was vainly endeavouring to round Cape Regina to the shelter of Spirits Bay or Parengarenga Harbour and was bearing roughly S.S.W. of Gape Maria •Van Diemen. At 3 a.m., ■ all efforts, having failed in this intention, Ga.pt. Richmond put his ship about' and made for land with toe object of beaching' her. He found, however, that the vessel was barely manageable. After seven hours running back on her course she developed a heavy list to starboard and was well tlQwn by the stern. To make matters worse toe engineroom became flooded and toe boiler fires went out. The engineers, who had been working, like trojans, with water up to their waists, were then obliged to come s on deck and lend a hand in preparation for abandoning the ship.' All hope of saving the', steamer was then dismissed.
Tn,e captain gave orders for lifebelts to be donned and as much clothing as possible removed. Sail was hoisted to help in the operation of beaching the vessel on Twilight Beach, hut, a powerful tide was running and the ship was carried in a northerly direction to*the point where 'she vu . wrecked. ■ When 21. miles from shore and with breakers in sight one of the ship’s lifeboats was launched and all 12 members of the crew got into the boat', the captain being last to enter. The falls were ,cut with, axes and the 'boat got away safely on top of a huge wave. As the lifeboat left, the abandoned steamer was floating helplessly and nearly awash. It was 9.30 a.m. when the men set to rowing in precipitous seas. Everything went splendidly until the boat was halfway through the suirf. The rowers experienced . great difliculy in keeping her head on to the breakers and "Without warning a tremendous' wave caught tlie little craft and .turned it completely over precipitating the occupants into the water. All was then contusion and some of the men were trapped for a moment beneath the upturned boat and managed to tree themselves only alter a great struggle. It is surmised that /Frank Saunders, who was drowned, was struck either by the boat or by a flying oar and rendered unconscious. ,B. R. Ravenswood is reported to have been seen swimming soon after the boat capsized, but he never reached land. The first to ciimh (through the breakers to shore was a Maori able seaman Dermis Cochrane, a youth of about 19 years of age, whose home is at Rawene. The others followed at intervals, but so severe was the buffet big they received in tire breakers that it was some time before any of them was able to take much heed of tire others. Several of the men were unconscious long before they reached dry land. Others dropped from exhaustion on touching sand with then feet. Most of them were stripped of their clothing while battling in the breakers and lay on tire sands naked. Upon recovering from their fatigue those wh.o could, administered restorative aid to the unconscious and iir an hour or so ah were' able to move about. While they were still on the beach the body of Saunders was washed up by the surf. The lifebelt was still round him. When rt was realized that all hope of reviving him was useless his remains were laacl in a shallow grave in the sands. ’Hie maw's pai-tv slept out in the open on .M-Mulav night aml discovered Te H&pun next evening. They were accommodated at the residence ot Mi Olieesenran, the local storekeeper, i This party was escorted to-day to Te I Paki and all ten men were brought I south last, night.
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Shannon News, 5 March 1926, Page 3
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748THRILLING EXPERIENCES Shannon News, 5 March 1926, Page 3
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