SHIPPING DISASTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9562, 7 August 1909, Page 5

SHIPPING DISASTER.

STEALER MAORI WRECKED. VESSEL BROKEN UP. Received August 6, 8.45 a.m. Uaitea Press Association-By Electric Teiegrnph Copyright. LONDON, August 5. The Shaw Savill liner Maori, outward bound from London for Lytttlton, has been wrecked at Duiker Point, near Capetown. The Msori, which coaled at Capetown, on Wednesday, had no passengers on board.

Lloyd's report states that the vessel has broken up, and the cargo is afloat.

Reuter's Agency reports that as far as it is at present known, two persons on board the Maori were drowned, and nine have been landed.

Duiker Point is a cape on the west coast of Cape Colony, nineteen miles south-west by south of Capetown. Between Duiker Point and Capetown itself is Green Point, just at the entrance of the port, and it was on this point that the Aberdeen White Star liner Thermopylae was totally lost in September, 1899, whilst on a voyage from Australia to London, via South Africa. To the north of Capetown, about 33 miles, is Dassen Island, and it was here, in August, 1891, that the Wallarah, one of Lund'e Blue Anchor liners, was lost on her maiden voyage from London to Australia. Among other vessels in the Australasian trade lost at the Cape of Good Hope or in the vicinity, may be mentioned the s.«. Queen of the Thames, in 1871, Melbourne to London; the Fidelia, s.s., London to Melbourne in 1873; the Bulli s..'. Glasgow to Sydney, in 1834; the s s. Kakapo, Swansea to Sydney, in 1900.

The loss of the Maori on her ouward passage is believed to be the first total loss of a steamer sustained by the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company. It will be remembered that the Mataura was the first total loss of a Homeward bound liner. Iha Mataura belonged to the New Zealand Shipping Company, and was lost in the Straits of Magellan, 1898. ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. HEAVY DEATH ROLL. A PLUCKY BOATSWAIN. Received August 6, 11.15 p.m. LONDON, Augusts. The Capetown correspondent of the "Daily Mail" states that the Maori struck a rock at Duiker Point forty minutes after leaving Capetown and she sank in four minutes. The discipline of the crew was magnificent. The captain ordered 55 men to man three boats. These lost sight of each other in the darkness. The boat containing the,chief officer, Reed, and 15 men rowed out to open sea untif daybreak. The boat then struck a rock and capsized when attempting to land. Eight men struggled through the surf, and the rest wer3 drowned. The shattered remains of another boat was picked up, and hope for the other officers and men has now beej abandoned, the tugs reporting that it was impossible tor them to survive in the mountainous seas. The saved include the chief officer, Kee.l. engineer Keenan, boatswain Stewart, Helmsman. SUllwell and a fireman. Stewart displayed magnificent gallantry and swam eighty yards t'-.rough the boiling surf, though already exhausted, and saved Stillwell. Then he returned and rescued a fireman. Finally tie sought

to bring in the refrigerating engineer Hutchinson, but t!ie latter sank. Stewart reached the shor± with difficulty.