THE WRECK OFF OEO.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 158, 27 July 1901, Page 2

THE WRECK OFF OEO.

ACCOUNT BY AN BYE WITNESS. A gentleman who went to the scans of the wrack yesterday, stated on his return that the vessel had almost disappeared. She struck about half a mile from the shore, and fimultaneonsly with striking commenced to breik up. SUFFERINGS IN THB LIFE BOAT, The life-bo.it was immediately lowered, and the crew quickly left the ship, pulling out to sea to get otit of the breakers. There were same eighteen men in the boat at the time of leaving 'the barque, but shortly afterwards the bo it capsizd, and when a count was made it was found that two inen were missing. Shortly afterwards the bsat again capsized; this tim-i there were five missing when the ho*t righted. No more counts ware made after this. As the otrs had b°en les's in the first capsize, the lifeboat drifted slowly towards shore, captizisg again and again. At one time one of the apprentices was under water for a time; the survivors declare it was fully fifteen minutes. The condition of the men may well be imagined, at they were tossed about in the uncontrolled boa!;, and their suffering results from these capsizes. There were no counts made of the survivors after tbe second, the men being too much exhausted by their efforts to get back to the boit. A PLUCKY NEGRO. A negio, who was washed away after the first cipsiz», would not come back to the lifeboat, saving he would strike out for the shore, He started to swim for tbe land, notwithstanding the faet that he was encumbered with two paira 'of trousers, two singled, and a pair . of h-iitvy Blucber boots (ha was on watch when the ve-s-l struck), Thu b ave, unfortunate M'ow was ; found dcntl on the beach. All the m m i wore life belt". .Rockets were tent up at the time the yeasel struck, but tboße waits wot aeei.. RENDERING H!?LP. Whan the ooat drifted ashore, one ol i the seamen, who was not qui e to distressed as the rest, climbed up the • cliffs and nude his nay to Captain Good's housn. Immediately on hearing \ the »ad news the Messrs Good Bros > s arti.d for tbe beach. Oa tbeir waj ' ■ hty met two of the survivois wh< ' were walking slowly up the paddock, t miking their way in the directiai I their nhipma'e had gon», On reaching ' the boach, everything was dene tc alleviate the sufferings of thesurmsrs ''hey wrro all in a bid way. One, or r apprentice, was lying in the bo it, and he men said he wis dead. Mr, W Good, a* siated by his brother, successfully resuscitated him after atout hall an hour's efforts. A fire was lighted on the beicb, and everything possible was dene for the comfort of the survivors. Oiptain Kees, who was in a very bad way, was carried by tbe Messrs Good to their place, and regained consciousness about midday During the day the beach was lined with hundreds of people from all parti of the district, and the bodies as tbe) ' woie disco voted were taken to the 0 c Ho-,el. THE LIVING AND THIS LOST . The survivors are:—Captain Johi Roes; W. G. 0. Barrow, chief mate J. Harding, J. Glen, A.B.'s; Jaht McTiekell, W, J. Arbucile, appreu . tices. The bodies lecoverrd wen those ef the secoLd nnte, L. Olley ; D long, W. Simmons, J. Parry, A.B.'s A. Jones, app entice. Tbe missing are '■ J. Mulligan, cook; VV. Biner, J. Fartland, M. FridrecksjD, A.8.; W. JBoyce Ohas. Ohappjl, T. Gay, apprentices, BEACH STREWN WITH WRECKAGE. The whole of the woodwork in thi Lizzie Ball ptrted, le tving only the iron shell. Heavy spirs seon on the beach wer«i broken in o malchwooi ihus showing the ruggedness of the coast lina- The beach is strewn wit I: wreckage. Among the things found was a letter to one of the sailors fiom his father, imploring him not to go tc sea again, and referring to the awfn perils of the deep. A cookery tx»k was found on the beach, in which wai the following inscription: " Jamse Mulligan. His book; bought on the 17th May, 1886; givo2| dollars for it ia Sin Francisco." Mulligan wr.s thi , caok of thx vessel, and is am mg those who were drown .d. The c ndi ion of some of the survivors is pitiable in the extreme, but all were wtsll cared for at • Captain Gooi's. The L'zzie Bell was an iron barque of 1036 tons regis or, classed A 1 at Lloyds, and was built in 1877 by R. Thompson, at Sunderland, and owned br P Ireditl* and PorUr, of Liverpo >l. She trrived in Wellington on Juna 29 from Port Chalmers with part of her original Glasgow a«'go. Discharging if, ballast waq loaded, and she mailed for Newcist'e with th» disastrous result, now known. D tub less the full facs of the Brack will cjmi out at the inquest. It is rumoured that shb was twen'y miles out < f her coutse, and that her compass was wrorg. An iciqaest on the bodins of these drowned opened at Oeo at noon to-day, be'o e Mr. 0. E. 11 a j ir, District Coiont-r.- (Star.) STIRRING IN.IDKNIS. Jotes, one of fie tippren'icee, and a member of the Naval B s rve, died in the arms of thi ciptain. Jones was a Welsh youi , and the c ptain also hails from the principally. In reply to a question, Arbuok'e sta'ed that thu cp'ain was the last to leave the sLip, and before doing so be askbd if all were in tbe best, S'range as it miy appear, among th 1 ) things washed ashore was a darnine needle, which was tecognised as his prop»rty l»y onsof the apprentices, and which, with a family Bible and % torn photograph ef a group consist ing of the first and second mate and the apprentices, he is tieasuring with great care. The youth Arbuckle, who had such a narrow escape of par! in? company with life, gives his experience of drowning. Ho says ha fought first, but gradually WHakenfd, and he rievei thought of anything but go'ng to sleep. "I hejrd," ha said, "the four;d ©t' itiusio—s'.rftng and loud, like a band, and then I knew bo more." Arbuikle is the son of a widow living in B Jfa-t, Ireknd, and his grea!; »nxi«<ty seemed to be a< to whether she would think hj« was drowned. It was explained to him that full particulars would be ctbled to tbe Board of Trade, aud this Stfemed 'o satisfy him s omewhat-. Hi was ulso much cut up at the loss of a pirticular m tte --an apprentice. Two po r fellows h.d strength enough to le».ve the boat when she fetched tbe beach, but thea collapse i, aod werfi found deid, with thair h>ads amo g the rocks. HOvV THE NRW-l SPREAD. Thu news reachad Hawfra, Mannii, and Opunake almost simultateously, and soon horses and vehichs were pressed into service, and settlers anxious to ronder asiistanos in finding the bodiu and Raying enythiog of vdluo

from tbe wreck were quickly on thspot. A great number, ef course, wore were actuated by curiosity, but it w»s gratifying to see the m»ny who worked bard during the day, and rondorad willing aid to the polico. The constables present were Constable Hickman (Opunake), Salmon (Hawera), Heather (Pungarehu), Quinn (Manaia), and Twomey (Fielding), the latter being o« a visit to the district. They worked mo«t »nerg«tic.l'y throughout, and received valuable assistance from Messrs Good (3), Lambie (2), Forsyth and ] others. U> ptain Good and his family did everything they csuld to amelio- j rate the condition of the survivors of the disaster, and make easy the task [for the rescuers. Sergsant Haddrell of New Plymouth was on the scene "i early yesterday, I It is understood all but ths caok are ' single men. 1 The vessel struck on the Whimoka 1 reef, which runs out a considerable distance, and is estimated to be lying j nearly a mile and a hall from the-betch. 1 ENQUIRY FIXED. I Mr. H. Bhdford, Collector of GusI toma, left town by the afternoon train II to proc.el to the spot and formally take charge of the wreck, as well as make ' j arrangements for the Magisterial en- | j quiry, which will bo hold at the Now Plymou h Courthouse on Tuesday next ; by Mr. R. L. Stanford, S.M. I -Li.,.i n 1,. Jii'imiiii.