THE INDRABARAH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 13, 20 May 1913, Page 5

THE INDRABARAH.

A DOOMED VESSEL. [Per Press Association. 1 Wellington, May 19. ' It is the opinion of Captain J. Crotty, master of the Stormbird, that the Indrabarah is doomed, and that there is practically no chance of ever getting her off. 'Captain Crotty speaks with an experience of over twenty years on that coast, and says that in * all that tifne he has never yet seen a boat beached on the stretch of coast on which the Indrabarah is lying, got off. Even a very much smaller craft—the Fusilier once on the Rangitikei beach, has remained there ever since. The Terawhiti and the Stormbird, it was reported, had got alongside the stranded stfeamOf, but this is incorrect. The Stormbird was always at least some three hundred yards .off, and Captain Crotty says she had then only some sixteen feet of water beneath her. In his opinion it would be unsafe for small boats to go much further in, as it is very probable they would find the sand if they did. The Indrabarah is firmly embedded in the sand, and once the hard crust on the beach is broken through, the sand below becomes alive. The Tyser boat being tough, is still well out of the water, but is burrowing deeper every day, and every day the encircling sand rises about her hull. “It is my private opinion,” he added, “that no matter what money is spent in the attempt, the,lndrabarah will remain where she is. She may work a little further up the beach, but at the present time I should judge there is not three feet of Avater under her. Seen from well off, with her stacks smoking, she presents the appearance of sailing up the coast, but 1 feel that there is no hope for this big boat. If my craft could not get within, say, two hundred yards of the shore safely, what chance is there for such a vessel as this.”

A MORE HOPEFUL PROSPECT. Wellington, May 19. The Secretary , of the General Post Office to-night received the following telegram from the postmaster at Bulls“ The weather conditions today were more favourable for connecting the Indrabarah to anchors, with a view to her pulling herself off the bench. She was moved round a little last night, and the exports on boa hi are very hopeful of accomplishing sbmething to-morrow night.”