THE WRECKS AT TIMARU.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 515, 10 June 1869, Page 3

THE WRECKS AT TIMARU.

Tho Collingwood, barque, of 457 tons register, was built in New York about 20 years ago, and bad been trading iu colonial waters lor the last six or seven years—principally between Dunedin and Newcastle. She was owned by Messrs Hutchinson and Co., of Dunedin. The Collingwood arrived in the Timaru roadstead early on Wednesday morning, having taken on board at Lyttclton 1700 bags of wheat, and intended to complete her loading in Timaru with about 25,000 bushels more of wheat, with which she was to proceed to Auckland. During Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 1225 bags were shipped on beard—making the total cargo on board at the time of the wreck between 10,000 and 11,000 bushels. During Sunday week the sea rose, and a very heavy surf tumbled on tho beach, but still, strange to say, without any wind. They were signalled to go to sea, but the wind was so very light that it was impossible to do so. Towards Monday morning, between 4 and 5 o'clock, the Collingwood found herself adrift, and heading rapidly towards the land. There was not a breath of air to enable, the vessel to get out of her imminent danger. Soon after 5 o'clock, she was among the in-shore breakers, and .shortly afterwards took the ground, about mid-way along the Waimataitai lagoon, in "Wbolleombe's gully. .As soon as she grounded, Mr Mills, the harbor-master, was present on the bench with the rocket apparatus, and iu firing the first rocket, Mr 31 ills was severely burned about the face and right band, the rocket going off so suddenly that be had not time to go to a safe distance. A second rocket was fired under the direction of Captain Crawford, and it was well directed, passing right over the vessel. The line having been seized by the men on board, a large rope was quickly passed to the vessel, and preparations made for rescuing the crew. A life-buoy, with a species of sack attached underneath was speedily rove on the rope, and being pulled by a smaller line backwards and forward from the vessel to the shore, every man on board was soon landed. Seventeen souls were thus saved. Petwcen 11 and 12 o'clock her masts wont oue after another, and an hour or two later she was completely broken up. From eitrhfc o'clock in the morning till past mid-day the Susan Jane slowly drifted near the shore, anxiously watched by hundreds of spectators who lined the cliffs. At last, when all hope was past .of saving the vessel, the signal was given to " slip the cables." The barque then rapidly surged towards tho land, and eventually took the beach under the cliff nearly opposite to the house of Mr H. J. LeCren. Mr Morrison, late pilot of the port, was on the top of the cliff with the rocket apparatus, and threw a welldirected line between her fore • and main masts. The rope with the lifebuoy was rapidly rigged out, and the work commenced of landing the crew, nine in number, from the stranded vessel. All got safely ashore without mishap, with the exception of the ship's cook and mate, who both fell into the boiling surf whilst on their passage from the vessel. The cook was saved by Captain Peterson, the master of the Susan Jane, who boldly rushed into the surf and seized the man, and both were pulled out of the water by the bystanders on shore. The cook was, we regret to say, badly injured by the fall. The mate was also saved. The vessel then was lying deck on to the sea, and soon began to break up. Late at night the masts went and she was a complete wreck, and the cargo washed out of her lined the beach in all directions. .