Loss of the Ventnor.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 277, 1 November 1902, Page 1

Loss of the Ventnor.

Auckland, October 20

The steamer Ventnor, from Wellington bound for Hong Kong, and loaded with fie bodies of the resurrected Chinese, struck en the rocks off Caj e Egmoni on Sunday and foundered off Hokiarga. The steamer Energy has been sent o assist in rescuing the crew, who took to the boats. The Ventnor had 430 Chinese bodies and 6400 tons of coal on bMrd. An Auckland Star special wire states that on Monday at 12.30 a.m. the vessel struck on the rocks southward of Cape After a short time sha managed to get off and proceeded on her voyage. The water gained in No. 1 hold till Tuesday, when the ballast tank* were found to be full of water, the steamer going down by the head. On Tuesday evening shi became unmanageable, and was gradually sinking., About 9 p.m. . she was going down 1 fast. All hands were ordered to the boats, and they had barely time to clear* before the steamer" sank. Hqkia%* light was eeen at 'a aistahctJ of about te.i miles. The Ventnor was undsr charier to the Admiralty to take coal from Westport to Hong <Ebrigi She belonged to the Ventnor Shippiag Company, of Glasgow, where she was Built in 1931. She was* steel steamer of 3961 tQ*s ( gross arid 346, nominal horse power. The Alliance Assurance Com* pany had a risk of *£4650 on the Chinese bodies, which numbered 480. Of this amount £IB6O wasreinsured in the South Britieh office. The bodies came from Greymoutb, Wellington, and Dunedin. The Ventnor sank at .9 p.m. on Tuesday. When' it was found that the steamer was sinking all hands yfeie ordered into the boats, but 'they had barely time r fo*, t clearing* | before the vessel foundered/ One of the' boats, containing, Captain Ferry and two officers, who. were the last to leave the steamer, went down alongside the ship, on,ly twp of her' crew being. istouecF, Two 1 other boats ■ landed at tho pilot, station., iTheja contained" the first (BS Gmejcon), thej[ second ona'kbiw&engi wag' and foutte;* J of The third boalFwas