WRECK OF A YACHT. NARROW ESCAPE OF THE CREW. TWO DAYS ON A ROCK. Auckland, Nov. 2.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 417, 6 November 1889, Page 4

WRECK OF A YACHT. NARROW ESCAPE OF THE CREW. TWO DAYS ON A ROCK. Auckland, Nov. 2.

The little fishing yacht Christina, owned by Mr F. Williams, of this port, came into the harbour last evening with a "shipwrecked crew " on board. They were Messrs R. Glover, J. M. Simpson, and a boy called Malone. This morning the men told the story of how they had gone ashore in a little fishing craft on the dangerous Noisy Group of rocks near Rakino Island, in the outer gulf, in a gale the other morning, and how they had a very narrow escape trom meeting their death by drowning. The boat lost was a well-known little schooner-rigged craft of five tons, called The Fairy, owned by Mr J. Clare, of Ponsonby. On Tuesday morning last, the men state, j they left the harbour on a fishing cruise to the grounds near Rakino, in the Fairy. Glover was in charge of the boat, which had been hired from her owner for a number of trips for fishing purposos. They ran down to the vicinity of Eiakino Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, and got close to the leeward of the Noisy Group, a small cluster of • rocky islets, well-known to fishermen and yachtsmen. It came on to blow pretty strongly from the S. W. , and Glover ran close into one of the islets, a rock about a hundred yards in circumterence and high and precipitous, for shelter. He anchoied the little schooner in a peculiar cavernous archway hollowed out by the sea, running right through a narrow prol montory on the island. The sea in bad weather rushes through this with great force. As it was blovving hard the boat was moored with four lines, two irom each bow and each quarter. Next morning, when ready to leave for fishing, the two weather cables snapped, and in a very short time before those on board could get fresh Knot) ashore she drove out of the mooring-place and crashed back again on a reef close to the shoro. The wind had changed from the S.W., which took the vessel away from hei anchorage. The crew endeavoured to bring her up before she drove on the rocks, but found to their dismay that they had

ONLY EIGHT FATHOMS OF CHAIN ON BOARD. A heavy sea was running at the time when she went stern on to the reef, and those on board had great difficulty in getting on shore safely. The boy Malone was washed overboard by a wave, bub the master succeeded by strenuous exertions in rescuing him and getting him safe on shore. Simpson had a very narrow escape from being stunned and knocked overboard The foremast came down by the board, and fell on him, bruising him considerably. The men managed to get safely ashore, and succeeded in taking with them a quantity of food, bread, etc., on board, and an ensign for signalling. Two hours after she struck the Fairy broke up, and eank in fifteen fathoms of water. The crew were huddled together on a small level patch on the rock close to the sea. The steep rocky nature of the islet prevented them from getting better shelter, and their hands are torn and bruised with their ettorts to climb the rocks. Wednesday night they spent shivering on the rock, with the spray from the heavy seas drenching them through. All next day they remained in the same position stiff and half-perished. No sign of any coaster or fishing boat was seen all that day, although they managed to get the topmast of the boat ashore, plant it on the rock with the ensign displayed reversed, as a token of distress. They were

FAIRLY WELL OFF FOR FOOD > for they luckily had some bread and a quantity of fresh water. The boy managed to eat some raw crabs and schnapper. Thursday came to a close without any sign of being able to leave their undesirable position — hardly a happy camping ground, although they were congratulating themselves on their safety from drowning. They were, however, very miserable, cold, wet, shivering, and as one of the men said this morning, " If we had been a couple of days longer on the place we'd have been perished." Thursday night they spent huddled up on a small bare rocky platform washed by the sea, endeavouring to keep warm. " We hadn't a bit of shelter, " said Glover, " and we had a miserable time of it, I can tell you." Next morning at daylight, the shipwrecked men could see a small fishing craft away some miles off near Tiritiri, which they made out to be the yacht Christina. The reversed ensign hoisted was perceived by the Christine, and the master, Charlie Purdie, bore down on the Noisy&. About noon the men were rescued from their unenviable position. The Christine came up to the islet, took them on board, and a few hours later

LANDED THEM SAFELY ab the Quay-street breastwork, after a rather eventful experience. The men were on all two nights and a day and a half on the rock. The islet of tho Noisy Group in which they were wrecked is about four miles from Rakino Island in a N.N.E. direction. It is a dangerous locality, and accidents have previously occurred there. The Fairy was a well-found little craft, and had only lately come off the slip where her rig had been changed from 'that of a ketch to a schooner, and where she had been overhauled. She was originally a little steamer, and had an interesting history. She was built in England of teak wood, sheathed With oak, several years ago, and wat> brought • out here by Mv 'J; C. Firth, together with another little steamer, for 'use in plying on the Waihou River. She was then called the Fairy Queen. She was a five-tonner, 25ft. long, and depth of hold 7ft She was, uninsured, so that Mr Clare loses everything. The men were most kindly treated on board the Christine. They say that they lost in the Fairy a haul of 56 dozen fish.

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