Wreck of the Lizzie Bell.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 182, 30 July 1901, Page 4

Wreck of the Lizzie Bell.

Man a to, July 26. v The ill-fated Lizzie Bell fe going to pieces very Quickly. The beach ffl strewn wj i h wi eck age.

Tho barque kCt Wellington at 11 \i a.m. on Wednesday and met with a ' favourable 4mvL About 11 o'clock il ■ was tho second officer's watch, Captain Reea being also on deck. The mate Barrow had turned in, arid the vessel hud all sails set and was traveling at the rate of twelve knots. The weather was fine but c>M, and there was a slight haze. Suddenly,'with little warning, the barque struck a rook onWhauiaka reef, about a mile from the''mouth of the Oeo stroam. The mate, with only a singlet on, and the sleeping crew, who had been awakened, rushed up from belcwj <&'nd \ the lifeboats were at once got out. Tiis crew, consisting of eighteen, immodr- ! ately left the vewl, but tht boat hnns; by a rope fro;n ihe mizxen nwt for about ■? •<n hour. The line was then cast ad;jfb and the shipwrecked men took to the oirs. Some say they p».'led out ;ose», but it ia difficult, to arrive ar a clear conclusion on that head, »s the men ar?; very confused and hardly ?eem to know what actually did occur. However, t!>i? much S 3 certain —the boat capsized, and orrc man was drowned before it was righted. Half starved and co'd, the poor fellows who were L-ft ag.iin got into the boat and drif'ed wherever wind and current dic.ated. Later on the boat was again overturned, and this time w en s!>e was righted several h»d sppeared for good. The survivors, faroisbed with cold, lost all count of time or position, and at 7 o'c ock in the ai<.ruing those who were more vigorous, and they were few, found themselves on the rocks below a cape on Captain

Good's property. As soon as the st'onsest were able to walk they made their way to the captain's house and sought help. During i the feat fill night two men died in the bo-«.t, and two who had,reached shove safely and had strength re'nuining to get cut of the boat were dead when the wooers arrived. They were lying with iheir heads among the rocks.

One of the apprentices had a very close call, but after restoratives had • been apj.lied he was brought back to life, •hough still very weak. Captain Reeb lufl the mate (especially the former) are both in a weak state. Neither can •ccount for the position of tho vessel, aud so far little information can be 4'eaned from them. In addition to four Indies near the boat, another came ashore later. This is supposed to be one of the te men who, after the eecond capsize, held on to the boat as lo«g as possible ar.d then went to a waterygrave. On the occasion mentioned one of tho men who was wearing a, lifebelt ha \ to divest himself of it in order to sink clsfti' of the bra*;. The bodies recovered are awa'ting an inquest, and the police and settlers are: earching tor the'other unfcrtunaiea. THE INQUKST. Haweha, July 27. At the inquest yesterday on the bodfes from the wreck of the Lizzie Bell, the captain slated .-—The ship was sailing at 8J- to 10 knots at the time of striking, and was under topgallant ►ail. It was on the reef thnt she struck, about 1$ to 2 miles from the shore. There was a fresh south-cant breeze, the night wss partially clear, and there was a moderate sea. I had a man on the look-out. The second officer was on the poop at the time tho ship struck. He thought the land called out by the man was & cloud. I cannot account for the Bhip being out of he r course unless some current set in towards the reef. Seeing the lighthouse would have prevented as from reaching the point .vhere the ship struck. I know the ship's crew were all perfectly sober. Mr Barrow, the mate, said at six o'clock tha* the ship was ten miles N.W. by W. magi, netic from Stephens Island. The course' was not altered up to the time when he turned in. Ifc was set to steer clear of Cape Farewell. Glen, the look-out man, said the second , matn came on his round at six bells. Witness (old him he thought it was land on the starboard bow. He said it was not land- About twenty minutes later the ship struck. The jury returned a verdict of death by drowning in the case ef Simmonß, Laing and Chappell, and of exhaustion in the case of Alley, Perry and Jonee, and added a rider that a lighthouse should be erected at the mouth of the Oeo river. Pihama, Ju'y 27i Ohappell's body came ashore yesterday At tho irqnest on the bodies the verdict were death by drowning or exhaustlOD, The funerals of the viotima take place, at Pihima cemetery to-morrow afternoon*. ! Captain Rees is still weak, but is rev covering. The others are improving wonderfully.

The vessel bis almost disappeared,