THE BURNT BARQUE

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1919, Page 2

THE BURNT BARQUE

■ A-V" ■ «P— ' < | j JPi SORWTOBS AEBIEIj I mo: Mssspssjmr ■' CEEW!S.,TER£IBEE EIGST/WJ3H

The Hincmoa, arrived in Wellington on. Saturday night with the survivors from the barque Aryan, which Was abandoned on lire at ue& on Christmas Eve. The Hinemoa left the Chatliams on Thursday night and zig-zagged northward in quest of the missing lifeboat from the Aryan, but found no traces of it Tho worst is feaicd.

A suKvrraaa naerativb. MINE HOURS' WGfIT WITH THE SIiAMES.

A member of the crew -who left the burning ship in the second mate's (boat gave a Nov/ Zealand Times reporter an account of what happened. He said that he was below when the alarm was given at about 1.30 o'clock on tho morningl of December 24th—ship's time. When lie came up on deck smoke was issuing from the iron ventilator of the after-hold. Tho crew quickly got the ship's hose and buckets into action, all hands doing their di|ty without the slightest confusion. The seriousness of the situation wa3 obvious to everyone. Water was poured down the ventilator, and the afterhatch was opened just sufficiently for the hose to be admitted.

The crew worked like Trojans against almost hopeless odds, for, judging by the steady column of smoke that continued to issue from the ventilator, the fire had a good hold from the outset- The cargo of flax and tallow evidently proved good fuel. The docks became hot and began to burn through. Yet the crew stuck to their task for over nine hours. About 11 a.m. on Christmas Eve it was only too clear that the fate of the vessel was sealed. The flames drove the men [back, and it was no longer safe to stand about the deck? as the masts threatened to come down. Flames were spouting out of the decks aft, and smoke was issuing from almost the whole length of the ship. In a vessel such as the Aryan, the hold extends from forward to aft, without, any dividing bulkhead, and the flames, therefore, had ready access in spreading forward.

ALL HANDS TO THE BOATS. The smoke was coming out right forward when all hands were ordered ti the boats. Ample provisions and water, as required by the Act, were in the boats, which had been overhauled only recently, and examined again after sailing from Wellington. The second mate's boat wao the first away The afterpart of the ship presented an awful spectacle, the flames shooting up high, the second boat followed ten after the second mate's boat, and the two wailed together about ICO yards oir till tiie third I)oat, tiio captain'.--", came and joined them. The v.-eatiicr was then line, but there was a heavy easterly swell, with a light easterly breeze.

BOATS LEAVE THE DOOMED BAKQUKAll Hi roc boats hoisted jail, ansl stooa 011 ;i, westward course abnast lor tils Cluuhams, with about £j \,ard&' C! . a - Cv . between oac!>. 'J'lio men in each trait plied the oars and liolped their pro"Tees considerably. At -1 p.m. on that*day tiioy were all together, and moving well, The mate's boat, which is missing, w. t then keppjiig up well. A report tluf her niiut snapped was without fomidat'or When uarUiiwj set in the mate's boaj was not failing as fast as the otlu<i:i ; and had dropped astern. Thai, was the last seen of her On Christmas morning the caplain's boa'-, was al- ®' »'• a'wcaci of l!to second mate's -Doai\ Th'.-i 1 -.! v/.ia a i'/e.di easterly bre-.-xe ami mxlerala m. v;itf» a. sky thai wai ei'-.iny nl c-le:!, - . Tiic two boat 3 v.iii'o nloii'■' in rino The wind continued to freshen till aeout noon on Christinas Day, when it hejan to moderate. Observations were (uLca, *nd the bcafri kept on their com;.},

i'AICP REACHET? Tl'.p vrcalbcr remained Javorab'e Choii«ii during jiighi a 1it..0 rail! wan experienced. When morning broke on L\*.y the weather was iijiially from Urn south, and thoru y;v„i a moderate sea. I'iieso condkions !<rovailed li JI lo 0!1 tlia:. t j. ( y, v'/tien the luijiro* cd, and ti; _• sk\ cleared I'ias condition then till tiu ti.o boaU lauded together in Kainwrca harbor at S..3o'p.*. on fcgxip.r j>ay Assistance to laa.rf tlw kindly given by ilia local residents,'w|io did everything in their power iof the survivor*. Mr ilitehdl took ti.eni to his v''sider.;a iiud treated them rovally I'lio Avrr.n i/a. .".00 miles eastward o' iiic Chatham; when rbando-ied bv th.j n:.i to Kamguroa, oee::pyirg sbonl two dayj and hours, was croditfthlj penonnanee'Bv tlio constant use of the ofj the progress of the lifeboats \vus greatly assist-

'!> sollcllnfic cf Captain for tie safely of t)ic other., was frOi'V common ted isppn by ths 'smryivors. /During t io ri'.ii to tiio Ciiatliams lie rendered all tlio aii. pos3.ibli to the otlior tiro teats, nr.] encouraged fjio oociipants, Tt war, slated by Fomo.of tlio men fnat tlio missing lifeboat (tin mate's) *"* : ' lio,,t bost in tie ship,' It vva. .a new bo;it,.abpiit 2S or 30.feet in Jen<'t!< and 3,ad ju-oviiions auditor woiigiTto last for six vceh.;