Scow Moana Ashore on Mokau Beach.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7935, 26 September 1905, Page 2

Scow Moana Ashore on Mokau Beach.

FOUND KEEL DP. Reported Loss ef Whole Crew. Moana Probably Dragged Anchor. The scow Moana, 94 tons register, in command ol Captain Jones, arrived) off Mokau from Wellington on Friday, or Saturday, and took up anchorage in the roadstead, waiting lor tho steamer Manukau to tow lier into thq river. The scow, which recently, came from the Clarence River, New. South Wales, to Wellington with a cargo of hard-wood, was to load 130,0(1011 of white pine at Kelly's mill up the,Mokau River, and then sail for Svdncy. "When the scow was at her anchorage it was thought by many.residents at Mokau that she was rather too close in for safety, considering the state of the wind. It would seem that the scow dragged her anchor on Sunday night, and being light she must have turned turtle asi soon as she got in the break'; ers.

Early on Monday, morning the vcs-. sel waskJoundikeel up on a sandy bottom, about a mile north of the bar, with wreckage strewn along tho beach, but there was no sign of any of the crew, which probably nun/jcr-. Ed half a dozen. One supposition Is that all the crew wcr? asleep it tfeir bunks when the vessel drifted, and were drowned in the hullo! the yeSi selj The local police and the Collector oJ Customs received no definite information during Monday about the number and names of the crcWj During Monday the residents at Mokau endeavoured to open the vessel in order to get the bodies of tho crew out;,'but how far their efforts were successful was not known on Monday forenoon, A Press telegram from Wellington states that the Moana left there last) Friday week for Mokau, and was in command of Captain Jones, who joiih ed her a short time ago an account o{ the illness of Captain Cain., There was heavy westerly weather prevailing on Saturday night, the captain of the Rarawa reporting a somewhat rough passage on the way down from the Manukau, ami it is thought that when the vessel started to drag her anchor the crew could not work her off the shore, In that case the crew were probably washed oil the deck when the vessel turned turtle in the breakers, and their bod-i ies would be taken out by the tide, and probably washed ashore higher up the beach. The work of steering the vesssel would no doubt be hampered by. tlni h'igli tides. The names of the crew would be known in Wellington, the port from which the vessel last cleared,

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS, The captain's and mate's room was on deck aft, and it is thought the iwo> officers were washed overboard, while tlie crew were shut in their quarters forward. The Moan'a was owned in Sydney. She was built about ten years ago by. Messrs Lane and Brown, of Whanga-. roa. Her master was Captain .Jones, and she carried, a crew of seven. Shu has been to Mokau on several occasions for timber, and this Decision, as before, her errand .was to load at, | Air A. Kelly's mill for Sydney. -

SEARCH IN STRANDED HULL ; ONE BODY FOUNBj Mr Leo Jacob, storekeeper at Mokau, gave some particulars per telc J phone last night. He stated that on Monday morning a search pally, including himself, made a hole in the vessel's how, and then entered the hull, in search for the bodies of- the crew. They found a lot of sand, evidently ballast, near the Low, aiid; further in they found the dead body of a man, clad only in a shirt. The sailor had evidently jbeen asleep when the catastrophe happened. One of his legs was Urokcn at the thigh, and the body was a good deal knocked about. It was brought ashore. The search party then further explored the hull, and, found a great deal - Qf deibris.fbut, no more, bodies. Mr Jacoo" thinks tlrat 'SQiuo bodies**/ may be buried in the sand -ballasf The I'ody found is that of a big.'efefansliaved man, about six feet high, who must have weighed 14 stone. The incoming tide hampered the party m their search. Another search will be made tomorrow. The search party qii Monday consisted of Messrs L. Jacob, Berry, Knuckey, D Morcy, W ; O'Sullivaii ; "• Jones and W. Doyle, *

NAMES OF TIIE CREW. T . „ WELLINGTON,' Sept. 36. crew carriKl ille following Master, Edward Jones. Mate, Frederick Johnston. Cook, Henry Bathurst. " Seamen E. Swanson, Cr. Boultilc « A ' Cauls from, and P, \JJngstro. INSURANCE ON VESSEL. (Received Sept./26, 1 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 25. for £loo °