SHIPPING DISASTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2770, 15 April 1890, Page 2

SHIPPING DISASTER.

WRECK OF THE BARQUE EMILIE. THE CAPTAIN AND SEVEN MEN DROWNED. [by telegraph.—press association.] Bluff, April 12. By the arrival of the ketch Clyde, which has just returned from landing a party of mutton .birders, off South Cape, Stewart Island. a letter is to hand from Geo. Newton, a mutton birder, on Big Island, stating that on 31st March, at 8 a.m., he saw a ship drifting about with only the stump of a mast, about five to six miles to the westward of Easy Harbour. As there was a strong breeze from the south-west, Newton was una'ole to launch his boat, and the vessel drifted into Wainawa, and became a total wreck. Wainawa is about nine miles from where Newton and party saw the ship. From appearance the vessel was laden, and three days later timber and wreckage was found floating all around Big Island. On the 7th instant, the Clyde passed Red Head, opposite Wainawa, and came among the wreckage of tha ship. Captain Jose, of the Clyde, launched a boat, and examined the wreckage, and caine across parts of the vessel red painted, and also found wreckage of every description, sawn timber amongst it. The wreckage stretched for mile?. . . The vessel is supposed to be the Emilie, which left the Bluff about the 27th March nit., with a timber cargo for Port Pirie, and commanded by Captain Gordon Small. Sheiwas a.Nicaraguan barque, of GOO tons, and carried about 12 hands. There is a chance that the crew have escaped to some of the islands, but nothing|as to their safety ispossiblyiknown.

LATER. Inveucaugill, Monday. News was received late on Saturday of the wreck of the barque Emilie, which left the Bluff on tho 25th ultimo, with a cargo of timber for Port Pirie, under charter to Mr Ward. The day after leaving the vessel was struck by a squall and thrown oil her beam ends. Capt. Small and seven men were washed overboard, and the vessel drifted into Dougherty Bay, Codfish Island, south of Stewart Island, forty miles from the Bluff. The survivors, consisting of the mate and three men, landed and walked to Mason's Bay, where they fell in with a party of mutton birders. On receipt of the news Mr Ward telegraphed to the Premier, who authorised the Bluff Harbour Board's tug to search for the castaways, The searchers found the party in Mason's Bay and returned to the Bluff at 11-45 a.m. to-day. The survivors came up by train and were taken to the hospital. The mate is very weak. The Emilie was a a barque of 729 tons, a Nicaraguan vessel and last from Melbourne. She had 4(51,570 feet of timber on board for the New Zealand Pine Co., insured for £1300 in the New Zealand and Union offices, equal shares. The names ot the survivors are: John Brownrigg (first mate), Joseph Green, George Cummings, and William Meen, A.B.'s The vessel was thrown ou her beams ends whQn clearing Eoveaux Straits by a terrible hurricane, and the decks and masts were torn out of her. Before the masts went, one boat whs got out, but it was cut in two by the falling masts. All on board the boat' were drowned, except Green, who regained the vessel, after being two hours on a piece of floating timber. The ve« el drifted for five days, »nd then went ashore on thp 31st March at Red Head, south point of Stewart Island. Cummings swam ashore, and the others stuck to the vessel till next day, when she broke up, and they landed on pieces of timber, having been five days without food or water. They wandered about the rocks for seven days, living on tvvo Maori hens, part of a dead seal, a few shell fish and seaweed. During this time they ascended a clitf to search one part of the'island, and when half way up Brownrigg, whose feet and ankles were in a fearful state from exposure, gave up, and lay down on a ledge of rocks. The other men reached the beach opposite. A party of mutton birders on the adjoining land, under G. Newton, saw the vessel strike, and as soon as the weather allowed they made a search. Thoy first discovered Brownrigg, who was still on the ledge, after lying there three days, and his mates were subsequently rescued by the same party, and taken to Mutton Bird Island, receiving the greatest kindness from the natives and others. The tug Avvarua went out and brought the survivors to the Bluff, and they are now in the hospital at Invercargill. Brownrigg is in a very critical state, and there is little hope of his recovery, the others are doing well. They say Captain Small, who was lost in the boat, behaved splendidly, giving orders with the greatest coolness to the last. The three sailors saved joined the vessel at the Bluff a few weeks ago, and the steward of the vessel, among the drowned, was charged with attempting suicide, and was dismissed, but he returned to the vessel. He was a swimmer of phenomenal ability.