Wreck of the Northern Monarch.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 244, 13 November 1903, Page 2

Wreck of the Northern Monarch.

Mr Evans, first officer of the Northern Monarch, with three of the ship's apprentices, arrived in New Plymouth yesterday afternoon. He informs us that the vessel is now breaking up very fast, having almost entirely disappeared.. The cargo of coal is being piled on the beach, and the shore is strewn with wreckage. The Maori's are helping in the salvage operations. ; Captain Nixon, with Mr Fisher, second officer, and an apprentice, are remaining at Opunake until the arrival of Captain Bendall, the nautical surveyor, who should reach there during' the day. The captain Is sending the crew into town, and they will arrive to-day. Mr Fisher, the second mate, is married to the captain's daughter, who was on board, and whose splendid example of calmness was so much admired by the shipwrecked men.

Mr llempton, Collector of Customs, lias arranged for the nautical enquiry to be held in the New Ply. mouth Court-house on Wednesday next at 10 a.m., before Mr 11. L. Stanford, S.M., and two assessors Mr Evans, the chief officer, is loud in his praises of the coolness shown by the crew, who, he proudly remarks, are all Britishers. Nothing but dogged British pluck, In tna opinion, saved the ship's boats from destruction. ■

The Northern Monarch's "boats were on the skids, lashed, covered, and chocked, yet in spite of the heavy bumping of the vessel on the rocks, awl the imminent danger to all hands from the probability of tfie masts going by the board, the boats were got ready to receive the shipwrecked people in 15 minutes. This is a remarkable performance. The ship's lifeboat had never been In the water before, yet her timbers wore tight, and she did not leak at all.