TOTALLY WRECKED AT TAHITI.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 357, 6 April 1889, Page 5

TOTALLY WRECKED AT TAHITI.

By the arrival of the Richmond we learn with regret of the total wreck at Papara, a loading placeonTahiti, in theSociety Group, of Messrs Donald and Edenborough's wellknown Island ti'ading brigantine Ada C. Owen. Fears had been entertained in Auckland for her safety for some time past, as she was several weeks overdue here from Tahiti, whither she sailed some three months aero for a freight of fruit. It appears that on February 4th last the brigantine had left Papeete and was .entering Papara harbour, on the south-wesj side of Tahiti, close to Papeete, in charge of the local pilot. She had a steady wind sailinsr towards the entrance in the reef, but with a very heavy swell from the open ocean. All went well until the vessel had just reached the reef opening, when the wind suddenly died dead away, and left the illfated craft at the mercy of the tremendous rollers thundering in on the coial breakwater. It was impossible to do anything towards bringing her in through the entrance, owing to the dead calm, and the heavy sea soon drove her on to the reef, where she became a total wreck, and commenced to break up. As she lay on the reef she was sold for 400 dollars to a Swede named Fi-cher, resident at Papara, by Messrs Donald and Edenborough's agent. .She was insured for £1,300 in the New Zealand Insurance office, and as she was mostly in ballast at the time the owners sustainsd little loss of cargo. Tho.«e on board the vessel were all saved, including Captain Owen's wife and child, who were with him as passengers. The Ada C. Owen was a staunchly-built little brigantine, and had done good service in the Island trade and elpewhere, having also traded to the Mauritius for sugar. Her registered tonnage was 183, and her dimensions as follow : — Length, 98'9ft; beam, 25\Lft; depth of hold, 10"8 ft. She was registered at Auckland, having been built at Mahurangi by Mr Darrach for Messrs G. W. Owen and Co. in 1877. She has been employed as an island cruiser for the greater part oi the intervening period.