WRECK OF A LINER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 300, 12 May 1913, Page 5

WRECK OF A LINER

THE INDRABARAH ASHORE. THE CREW SAFE. ; A GALLANT RESCUE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wanganui, Last Night. During a severe westerly gale on Friday night the Tyser steamer Indrabarab ■was stranded on the fetch seven miles north of the Rangitikei river, and about twenty-five miles from Wanganui. The vessel is now.lying stern on to the sea, and is reported to hold out. every prospect of re-floating. The, Indrabarah ■was bound from Gisborne for Wanganui to load frozen meat. She was due about 9 p.m. on Friday, and is reported to have arrived off the roadstead, but the. •weather being very dirty put to sea: again, and at four o'clock next morning took the Deach. The land in the vicinity is very low-lying,- with broad belts of sandhills, and at night is verv hard to discern. It is estimated that the steamer is lying nearly half a mile from the shore on a sandy Dottom. She issaid to be lying as though at anchor, with steam up. At six o'clock on Saturday morning a farmer observed distress signals, ana -went to the'beach in that direction. He saw rockets. It was then fairly dark, but he could just make out a boat's crejv pulling to the shore from the helpless: liner. The boat 3iad a ;crew: of ten, who landed after a perilous trip over the intervening breakers, which rolled in with great force before a strong westerly. One man named Andrew Mon- \ son, a stevedore, was -washed out of the boat, and had it not been for the efforts' of the second mate, Hancock, would assuredly have been drowned. Monson was thrown an oar, which he grasped, and for two hours a battle and strife for life continued. With awe those on the , Indrabarah watched the struggle. It -was. then that Hancock performed his deed "■. ■of heroism. Despite the bitterness of the gale and the-greater peril to which he was subjecting himsejf, he stripped and, affixing a life-line, plunged into the raging surf. After almost superhuman effortß he gallantly rescued his comrade, who had by this time drifted well to the southward, Monson was on the Star of Canada at the time of her wreck. He says that this was the closest call he ever experienced. Hancock waß much exhausted, but was able to walk to the nearest farmhouse (Dalrymple's), while Monson had to be taken on horseback, "iand afterwards taken to Bulls for inedi-. eal treatment The settlers displayed hospitality, and the unfbrtunate sailors were supplied with tents and food. They have pitched camp in a sheltered position, and the second officer and crew are standing by and will return to the vessel as soon as the sea moderates. v ' Since landing, there has been no communication with the vessel. The first report received in Wanganui stated that the Indrabarah was being pounded by heavy seas, and was breaking up fast. She was then lying broadside on and bearing the full weight of the rolling ocean. This report is altogether wrong, for the Indrabarah is weathering very well, though there is a danger of her sinking into the sand. A STORMY EXPERIENCE. Gisborne, Last Night. The wrecked Indrabarah has experi--1 raced very stormy weather during her ■coastal loading. She arrived at Gisborne last Sunday, afternoon, during a howling -southerly, and was forced to shelter under Young Nick's Head until the following <day, when cargo loading was proceeded with under such difficulties, however, that though the vessel was expected to «ail for Wanganui on Wednesday, she ultimately did not get away until Thurs- ' day afternoon. The Tyser Company is having a particularly bad run of luck, as it is barely ten months ago since thejr SMated Star of Canada was wrecked here. THE NAPIER CARGO. Napier, Last Night. The Indrabarah's cargo from Napier is 43,000 carcases of mutton, 700 casks of tallow, 400 bales of wool, and 205 hales of flax. TO THE RESCUE. Wellington, Last Night. The Union Company's tug Terawhitf got away from Wellington at 7 o'clock ! this morning on her way to the scene of the wreck of the Indrabarah. THE STEAMER'S HISTORY. Wellington, Saturday. , The Indrabarah was built in 1910, and it was claimed for her at the time that there was no superior cargo boat of her particular type afloat. She was equipped with all tne 'latest appliances for the rapid and safe, handling of cargo. Her gross tonnage was 7395 tons, and her leading dimensions were: 470 feet between perpendiculars, with a beam of 58 feet, and a moulded depth to the shelter deck Ufi. 43 feet. On her maiden voyage to Australasia the Indrabarah averaged a speed ,of 12y 3 knots per hour. !