SHIPWRECKED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 188, 15 January 1912, Page 7

SHIPWRECKED.

THE JANE DOUGLAS. STORY OF THE FOUNDERING. CAPTAIN VENDORE'S STRUGGLE. -It was a thrilling story that the captain and crew of the Jane Douglas unfolded to a Nelson Colonist reporter who boarded the Pateena early on Thursday morning from the pilot boat. It came out little by little, the true sailor's reserve under such circumstances being very difficult to overcome. Captain Vendore told parts of the story quietly, but in a phlegmatic manner characteristic of the man who has seen many years of rough sailing round these coasts, and who even in such untoward happenings retained perfect presence of mind, so that he could detail dispassionately the course of events from beginning to end of what must luive been one of the most exciting wrecks that have occurred in New Zealand waters during late years. BOISTEROUS ELEMENTS. The thread of the story commences with the Jane Douglas beating along through the straits bound for Hokitika from Wellington. A crusty and blustering south-easterly tossed the vessel on the passage across, and the elements were just as boisterous as the craft entered the passage between Stephen and D'Urville Islands. The channel contains several rocks which are regarded as a menace to navigation, and it was upon one of these that the ill-fated Jane Douglas received her quietus—the same rock upon which, the Wainui was piled up some years back, under conditions which may in some respects be said to parallel those prevailing on the night of last Tuesday. These rocks are named Steeple Rock, and Saddle Rock, but according to Captain Vendore, they are wrongly dotted on the chart, the names being transposed. THE CRASH. At midnight the vessel was steaming beneath a heavily clouded sky, and all hands were on deck attending to the vessel's safety. At 12.20 a.m. the crash came, and as the Jane Douglas ploughed her bow in Steeple Rock she entered upon the last five minutes of her 37 years ' of a life which has been as energetic as that of any craft sailing round these shores. Despite the black darkness and the unexpected blow, the crew retained their presence of mind, and there was no panic. Captain Vendore, realising that the vessel was doomed, ordered the boat to be lowered, and this was done. All the crew were handy men in small boats, and with expert celerity the small open boat was lowered into the choppy sea, which sucked and eddied around the rock. VESSEL TURNS TURTLE. The crew were all in the boat, and the mate was in charge, but the captain refused to budge, The engines, which had been kept going until now, raced with an ominous sound, telling the tale of a propeller snapped and fallen to the bottom. When this was done, the hull listed sideways, and slid off the rock, going down like a stone into deep water, the captain with her. As tlie Water came level with the deck Captain Vendore grasped a lifebelt, but was sucked to a considerable distance below the surface in the whirlpool which followed the disappearance of his ship. Half drowned, the skipper finally came to the surface, clinging to his lifebelt—he cannot swim a stroke —and after searching for some time the boat finally picked him up in rather a bad way. Captain Vendore states that in his opinion the Jane Douglas had turned turtle before she reached the bottom. THE CREW'S PLIGHT. The plight of the nine men in the boat was no happy one. Almost all were half clad—some without boots, others shirtless and coatless. A course was at once set for Port Hardy. The sea was not the best for an open boat, and relays of rowers were soon tired, although the provisions on board served as a welcome stimulus during the bleak four hours' struggle to the bay where, they were to land. Here the tide was against them, but at 5 a.m. a very weary party of sailors landed and started on a tramp, which brought hurts at every step to the shoeless ones, over the hills to the homestead of Mr. Lord. The men cannot speak too highly of the treatment they received at the hands of these hospitable people, and to use the men's own words, "the house was ours from the time .we reached it." Mrs. Lord and the managen and his wife did all they for the men, providing them with hot food and garments where required. THE CAPTAIN. Captain Vendore, whose health for the past two years has not been of the best, now that the danger was over, began to feel the effects of his submersion, and until 3 p.m. on Wednesday he was compelled to remain in bed. The sailors recuperated during the day, and were taken aboard the Pateena on Wednesday evening, and brought along to Nelson, where a number of anxious relatives awaited their arrival at the wharf, but enquiries showed that most fortunately nobody on board had come to any serious harm by their trying experiences. AN ADVENTUROUS CAREER. THE ILL-FATED JANE DOUGLAS. The Jane Douglas was built in Dunedin in 1875, her dimensions being, 'length 106 ft, depth 7ft 4in, and breadth 16ft 2in. She was an iron vessel, and was first engaged in the Wellington-Foxton trade, and some time afterwards was taken over by Messrs Cuff and Graham, of Christchurch. This firm ran her on the Banks Peninsula trade. The vessel was subsequently sold to Mr. M. Michel, of Hokitika, and from Mr. Michel she passed into the hands of the present owners. _ The Jane Douglas had a long lease of life, but it has not been unattended with misfortune. Hers had indeed been an exceedingly chequered career. As early as October 7, 1885, the little vessel stranded on Long Point, Ivapiti Island, and by a remarkable coincidence repeated the performance at the same spot in October of the following year. All went well with her then till August 3, 1901, when she grounded on the south spit in the Okuru river. Less than 12 months after she again stranded, this time at liokitika. This happened on June 25, 1902, and before the New Year was ushered in history had repeated itself at llokitika. Five years' immunity from any mishap was enjoyed by 'the hank little steamer, but May 23. ]!)07. saw her again stranded at Hokitika on the south spit, and dune of the same year on the north spit. Move recent strandings were in the -lane Douglas grounding once more at llokitika. on .Tune 2. and five weeks later at the north spit, tlkaril.o river.