CAPTAIN HANSBY'S ACCOUNT OF THE OCCURRENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 273, 16 June 1888, Page 4

CAPTAIN HANSBY'S ACCOUNT OF THE OCCURRENCE .

Xi \\ I'i.VMin ru, June 14. Tin' ulii' i,il iii([uny into (lie standing of (it the ss Hawea i-> pi i>( I't'ilui'^ hei eto day heioie tht ( ollu-tor ot I'ustom.s. ( intaiu Hanshy n^ h lie anchored oil the bieakv. ate) about. 11 o'clock on Monday night when (he weather «;b equally with a chopping t-ea. At s.uoo'eloek on Tuesday morning he pmpaied to go into bar lunii, .md ho\e m about liitecn lathonis 01 cable The (Jan loch \\(h (Joh b\ , and ]ii-.(. hofoie cntciing ho stopped tho \ c~scl ,iin! i»»\cwd hei engines to let the (iaiiloeh go ii. lust. He then eamc in with the leadinn !i<_'hU alillle open to (he Westuaid. U lien he saw bieakois on the beach oil tiie end ot the bleaks. itei he boaulcd the hchu. When abreast, Ihe b.mk he put the helm haul apoit lohnul up to the wharf and put Ihe engines at half .'-peed. He saw (he \\a> not aiiMveiinj; liei helm on account ot ihe he-.li biee/e on hei l»oadside, and Ik 1 then stopped lier engines, 'i (; uo (,he sfaiboaid anchor, and utnt . i head slow with the helm hard apoit, thinking the anchor would check hei how to windwaid. >^!ic came luund a couple of points when lie felt the \ es-cl touch in her keel lightly alt Ho wont half -peed as lie thought she had touched the bank. Immediately after he felt hei stiike hcaM"ly a .second time and saw that her way had been stopped Ho hounded the wells." and found that she uas not making wafer. About 8.30 the eabloof the si hi board anchor parted, and tho \essel drifted to whore she now i«, and go', .'tg round. At lu>h water fcho forehold was tilled with water. J.'e got the pas.sen<^eis and eiew ashore. TIIH OFFICERS AM) CREW. The olliccrs and ciow will be paid off heie, and mo.st of them will leave for the South in the s.s. Wanaka on Saturday. Some of the crew went oil' to the vcs&cl this morning but could get nothing belonging to them. The cabins and cngino room* aio lull of water. Some think that .serious injury has boon done to tho \csscl's bottom, by the way in which hhe has sunk since .stranded. The captain and chiet nmto Mere the last to leave tho vessel. She cost ,C 35,000, and wan built in 1875. She had been in Now Plymouth Jhirbour before at tho .same stato ot the tide, which was two-quarters ilood. The boat's usual draught was from 12 feet 6 inches to 13 feet. There weto 14 feet under her how when the cablo parted, with 18 fathoms of cable out. The vessel drifted into the 12 fathoms line, who c iho now m .submerged. Sho did not overrun her anchor. The chief mate, William Waller, was next called upon to give ovidoncc. His evidence was .similar to the captain's, HOPES OF SAVING THE VESSEL. The Hawea shows no signs- ot having moved. Sho is upright, and has no bumped in the least. Opinions aro ox pressed that she can bo easily floated, iis she is in no way strained.