THE CONSTANCE CRAIG,

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2161, 17 August 1907, Page 2

THE CONSTANCE CRAIG,

LOSS NOW FAIRLY CERTAIN. Press Association. AUCKLAND, August 16. The Collector of Customs has received a communication from a resident of Awangare, at the Great Barrier, as follows : “I have picked up several pieces of wreck on the south side of the Great Barrier, some pieces of timber, broken, with large letters, when put together had on one side “Margarita, and on th% reverse side “Constance Craig.” also the leg of a table, and a chock for holding a boat on. deck, one lift paddle, and sundry other bits timber; also a...piece of a skylight.’ This, taken with the recent report that the Constance Craig’s boat had been found washed ashore at Hokianga, is regarded as a pretty conchlgive proof of tlio wreck of "that, vesselA steamer is being despatched to search the islands in the hope of findin v the crew. . ' The following wire has been received by Mr. Clirisp, one of the owners of the vessel, at present in Auckland, from Mr. Martin, harbor-master and pilot at Hokianga:—“A barque was sighted on July 26th, and reported. She was painted in the Craig colors—grey with, black ports. No signals were exchanged. I know the old Margarita well, and as the Marjorie Craig, the only vessel I could have mistaken her for, is here, and as Captain Campbell says that he did not leave the ade on that date, and was not within 60 miles of here until Saturday night last, I feel confident it was the Constance Craig I. saw. If she has had the hard winds which have prevailed here, viz., south-east and east until August 8, and westerly since then, she should have shown up again unless the vessel has been disabled.”

WELLINGTON, August 16_. Captaip Schultz, of the barquentdne Mary Isabel, now in Wellington, was formerly master of the Constance Craig. He says the captain of the latter vessel was Finlay Morrison; not Peterson. Ho w as a native Of ' The Orkney Islands, and leaves a wife and two children, now in Melbourne.

The Constance Craig left Gisborne on July 15th for Hokianga, and evidently encountered very stormy weather. Before leaving Gisborne she was fitted with a new suit of sails. The following comprised the crew when the vessel sailed: —Captain Fanlay Morrison, Sydney; E. Petersen, (mate), Sydney; H. Lewis (second mate), Anglesea, Wales, aged 48; J. Nelson, sailmaker, Liverpool, aged 46 • L. McDonald, A. 8.; A. Mailer, A. 8., Norway, aged 24; H. Hansen, A. 8., Brooklyn, aged 28; T. Brown, A. 8., Perth, aged 26; M. Keogh, A. 8., Liverpool, aged 24; A. Stein, R. Roberts, F. Mann (cojok and steward, aged 32, Aberdeen). Several men transferred to the lima at this por.t, the following joining in their stead : —H. Lends (second mate), A. Mailer, H. Hansen, T. Brown, M. Keogh, and J. Nelson. The second officer, Mr. Bridgen, left the vessel at Gisborne, and was to have boarded her at Hokianga. The Constance Craig was a steel barque of 547 tons gross, and was classed A 1 at Lloyd’s. She was launched in 1593 at Sunderland. She was insured for £2500 in the North Queensland office, but the owners’ loss null amount to twice that sum.