THE WHAKAPAI WRECK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 222, 2 October 1901, Page 2

THE WHAKAPAI WRECK.

[fib raw usoousioir.] I Oisßoßin, September 90. The native who brought newt of tbt Whakapai wreok to Awenui ttatta Oat ' there was a very he*vy •« end, ■> I strong current running between the ) island and the main land, the dittanoe < icross being about three miles.. It ; was apparent something was wrong ■ with the vessel but no asaietanoe couM i be rendered from ashore. Suddenly, ; says the native, the vessel turned completely over, and the five men wen i seen to be clinging to the vessel. The ; natives were nearly distraoteJ, running ; about an J shouting out and very keenly feeling their helplessness. A tJjg i wave came, and one poor fellow, after a hard flgh% was swept off, and waaengulfed in the wave and seen no onto. Then one by one the other man Wei* ! swept from the wreok, and when the i five had disappeared, it was thought all had met a watery grave; bat dote watching descried a dark obnct i whioh was then seen to be a nr>, cHoging to something in the reagb water. The current and hie own efforts carried him shoreward*, but b» seemed dine for. Then a native named Koheie swam out and reached the drowning man, and helped hitt Inward*. As be got cheer other native* as-iisted, and the man wae rescued, fo an exhausted condition. The rame of the survivor was not asked, but from the description it is almost certain to be Janus Bertie, mat* of the scow. CoosUble Kelly gave instructna* f r the survivor to cjme to Awaboft telephone (station, but it ia not likely hat he will ariive to-night, beeaus* swollen rivers make a journey of 24 u.il«B n cessary instead of 10 miles. Gußomn, Ootober 1. Jomes B.rtie,' the survivor of the Whakapai, has reached Awanui. The cook, Barry Miller, was lost. He waav washed off the vessel, but clung to % •par, and drifted to within 20 yard* off the beach. A native awam oat, but; when olotd to him Miller disappeared;. Before the oapaise, the vassal[beouM so full of water thatch* was unmanageable, and drifted into, the paaaw» between East Island and the man tana Captain Bonner, fearing she weak) g» lon the rooks, dropped anobfe fta ab» swung round, a heavy sea eeagbt and turned her over. Bertie was the firaft washed off, and seised a piece of wood. which v slated him ashore.