THE PENGUIN WRECK

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2427, 16 February 1909, Page 5

THE PENGUIN WRECK

NARRATIVES OF SURVIVORS.

A WOMAN’S HEROISM.

THE REMOVAL OF THE DEAD.

LATER PARTICULARS.

THE DEAD BROUGHT TO WELLINGTON. A PUBLIC FUNERAL. ARRANGED [Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Feb, 15. It is believed from their position that the three boats were intact until they got into the surf and capsized not far from the shore. This is further borne out by the appearance of the bodies. Dead bodies do not bruise, but nearly all the corpses are much injured -about the face, and, in some oases, covered with blood, showing what a stern fight for life must have taken place in the dark hours of that wild night among the bristling rocks that stand up like needles along the shore. One pathetic incident happened on the. bcaoh. A searcher lifted a blanket from the face of -a dead woman. It was not the one he wanted, but a man standing by exclaimed, ‘ 'That’s my wife.” A FIREMAN’S STORY. Pierrie, the only fireman saved, speaks in similar terms of Airs Hope, who was distributing life belts until the last boat left. He gives a different version to- Airs Hannan of what happened to the first boat. He says: “There was roughly about thirty women and children m the. boat 'which crashed into the Penguin’s side and sank. There was une lady hanging to a- davit. We threw her a life belt, and after about 20 minutes’ trying we palled her on hoard. That was Airs Hannan, who then accompanied the party in the second boat.” He also says: “A young married couple, Air and Airs Hale, -were clinging; to the engine room skylight. Airs Hale would not go into the boat, but she preferred to remain with her husband.” Pierrie supposes they must have gone under when the boat’s boilers burst and broke the vessel in half. RESCUERS AT WORK. The first to reach the scene of the wreck were the station hands from Mr McAlenamin’s. So thick was the weather that they could see no distance, and had to keep whistling to remain in touch. They found Luke clinging to a bush half way up the cliff, and carried him down. West came across a young fellow, who told them a woman and boy were imprisoned under a boat. They found it upturned in the surf. The men are of the opinion that they only just arrived in time or Airs Hannan and Matthews would have been drowned. These men started pulling out the bodies -at once, and secured thirteen, but they were up to their waists in water, and they could not have persevered but that they found some bottles of brandy on the. beach, which kept off the cold and cramp. The Mayor is .arranging this morning for a public funeral to-moriow.

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

SECOND ENGINEER’S EXPERIENCE. A THRILLING NARRATIVE. Luke, the second engineer, who is the only surviving engineer, had a miraculous escape. He told a pathetic story of the loss of the first boat which .put out from the vessel. “At about 8.20 p.m.,” he said, “I was on the engine room tops, and the captain came along. He said that the steamer was going along very well and making a southerly passage. There was a big sea at tills time, when 1 went on duty, but she was coming through it beautifully. “At two minutes to ten by my clock I heard a grinding noise and knew very well what it was. Somctliing seemed to have struck her forward and aft. There was no water in the engine room. The third officer came down to see if any water was being taken in, and I told him I had the pumps going fore and aft, and that they were pumping full bore, taking water freely. “As soon as she struck the chief engineer came down below. He dispatched me to tell the captain' that the pumps .were working. The captain sent me hack to see if any water was coining in aft. I found that it was coming in pretty freely and fold him so. He said 'Go down and tell the chief engineer I will ring off in a few minutes.’ The signal came shortljr afterwards and we all came up from below. The engines were then stopped, but the fires had been drawn before this.” Mr Luke continued that he left the ship in the first boat, No. 2,. with about 13 or 14 women and children. There, were also in the boat a sailor, a fireman, and a young fellow who was at one time assistant purser in the Company’s service. The boat Was somewhat smashed in knocking up against the ship’s side before it got clear. . , „ ~ When they got away ,clear of the wreck and were heading out to sea seas broke over on all sides and swamped. the boat. This was about a ship’s length from the Penguin. Hie others took off their hoots and gave them to the Avomen to bail out tlhe. boat, .and one side was taken out of a lamp, Avhich was then used for the same purpose. Just after the boat was swamped'the. lights of the Penguin disappeared, and she set Led down. • , ~ When the boat capsized the engineer was hurled 20 yards off. lie

struggled back and got on top of the upturned boat. Just as he scrambled on a woman called out “Give me your hand,” but by the time ho could turn round she was gone. The only other who succeeded in regaining the boat was a young lad from Picton, and the two held on as best they could. Although the unhappy pair on the boat saw many bodies of women and children floating aboTit they heard no further'cries and were unable to render any assistance to the scattered members of the boat’s crew. As each successive wave came over them the were washed off the boat, for their hold was very insecure mnd the cold was beginning to tell on both of them. Luke, however, was a strong swimmer. The. greatest difficulty die experienced 'was in dragging himself out of the water on to- the boat. At last his companion, who was growing weaker and weaker, after such unwonted exertion, said a last despairing, “Good-bye,” and dropped off. He went down and was not seen again. The second engineer, now the last survivor of the boat’s crew, managed to cling to the keel for some time longer, although suffering terribly from cold. He was washed from liis perch between twenty and thirty times before the boat finally struck the reef and .commenced to break up. The reef was not- visible, hut the grinding noise made its presence apparent. Then Air Luke left his little craft and proceeded to swim. He. was alone in the water for over an hour and a half, and had it not been that he wore a lifebelt he could never have reached land. As it was lie was just about to give up several times when something spurred him to renewed efforts. Although shivering and chilled through and through he had no touch of cramp and whenever he struck out the feeling of coldness seemed to pass away. After being five hours in the water that seemed like five years he clambered out on to the rocks and staggered up the beach. Here lie was found by a shepherd named "William Hook, in Air Ale Alena min’s employ. Hook lent his outer coat and carried the exhausted engineer along the beach to a shed. Here he made him comfortable till some -others came down, 'and by this time Air Luke was able to walk with .assistance up to Air AlcAlen am in’s house. “The sea was a seething, boiling mass,” said .Luke. Had it been a true sea, he feels sure that with the aid of the steering oar, which lie had out, ho could have kept the boat’s head on. As it was, however, the sea was such that none of the lifeboats could live in it.” THE LIST OF 'MISSING. FURTHER PARTICULARS. BLENHEIM, Feb. 15. The following passengers whose names appear in the list -of missing did not proceed to Wellington by the Penguin, but broke their journey at Picton, and came up to Blenheim: Rev. A. B. Chaippell, Miss Jennings, and Air and Airs Cunningham (Taihape). - DUNEDIN, Feb. 15. There is a doubt -as to whether Gonic, ia trimmer, was lost. It is thought at the head office that he was replaced b.y Henry Leggy. It was also telegraphed here on Saturday that Air Lynn, chief cook, was amongst those saved. M iss Livcsey, mentioned in a Christchurch wire as missing, is at Alotueka. She. did not go on by the Penguin. AUCKLAND. Feb. 15. Mrs Durham, an Auckland resident, has received a -telegram stating that her brother, James Collins, a passenger from AYcstp-ort, 4 was on the Penguin, intending to visit Auckland. His name does not -appear in the lists published.

ANOTHER SURVIVOR’S STORY,

EXPERIENCE ON A RAFT. AN IMPRESSIVE ACCOUNT. (Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. One of the best accounts by survivors of what happened to the boats is that given by Mr. F. Shaw, manager of the Marlborough “Herald.” When the vessel ■ struck he rushed on dock and heard the captain shouting an order to distribute life-belts and get out the boats. It was raining at tell tim, and a big southerly sea was running. It was not pitch dark, for a moon, hidden behind thick clouds, made the immediate vicinity distinctly visible. Everyone was ordered on deck. Mr. Shaw went below to get Noel White, 16 years-old, son of a Blenheim business man, of whose presence on board he knew. DISCIPLINE AND HEROISM. When he got on deck he saw the first life-boat lowered. It avus filled with Avomen and children, and there were nine men in it to do the rowing. Either the first or _ the _ second officer was in charge, with instructions to keep out to sea. Splendid order was preserved on hoard. Thoro was no excitement, and all did as they Avere hidden. He felt proud of his race Avhen ho saw the manner in which everyone was behaving. The women behaved well. “The stewardess, God rest her fsoul,” said Mr. ShaAv, .'‘bore herself like a heroine, fastening on life-belts and talking words of cheer to poor women and children, so pathetically helpless in face of' the calamity. Without loss of time the crew and others put the rest of the Avomen and children and some men ju the second

life-boat -while it was on the davits; but hardly had they lowered it down a little, when one of the ropes ran, lowering the boat- at one end to such an angle that all were, precipitated , into the sea, and half of them (about 15 or 16) wore drowned before the onlookers’ eyes. —lt was an awful sight. ' While the boat loading had been going on, about eight or nine detonators had been fired, and red and blue lights wore burned as signals of distress. They might have fired fifty big guns, for all the good it was, for the wind was howling so high and the sea was clamouring so loudly that we could hardly hear each other speak, and guns would not ho heard' fifty yards to windward:” ON THE RAFT. Air. Shaw, •with others, assisted to unlash and launch the first raft, while others were working at the windward boats. They got one raft afloat, and were Seeing to the other when the vessel gave a jerk, and plunged her bow into the sea'. He. thought it time to jump. He saw Air. C. Bird (traveller for T. and AV. Young, of Wellington) just then, :and called to him to jump, but ho only shook -his head. Mr. Shaw had no thought of drowning. He put it that “ho felt his time had not come yet.” Ho was a fairly good swimmer. When lie sprang in, lie struck out strongly to get clear of the steamer’s whirlpool. He had been swimming for a time when he caught sight of a raft, and lie was assisted 'on to it by a steward. There were twelve on it altogether, but after it was overturned, oue poor fellow who could not swim Tailed to get back. THE CAPTAIN’S BRAVERY. Twice they saw the captain on his overturned boat, holding a steward, who had damaged his hand. The rain was descending in sheets, and the waves were twisting the. raft about ars if it was a feather. They drifted on before the gale, and were near a white boat (the first boat lowered, and full of women and children), when a big wave swamped it, and all on board of it were drowned. The raft was upset also, but the eleven occupants all struggled back. They saw the captain once more. He was still helping the injured steward. They could hear the howling of the wind and the roar of the surf. Around them all kinds of wreckage was floating. At one time the raft got so close to the captain’s boat that it was decided to try and transfer the steward to the rart, but the .raft overturned at this stage. Again the eleven all managed to scramble back. THE LANDING. They were fortunate in dodging the. outlying rocks as they surged inshore, and a big roller finally landed them high up on the beach. Behind them came the captain’s boat, and the first thing he said, sadly, as he joined them, was, “I’ve lost my man.” He had been washftd away from the captain’s grasp when only fifty yards from the shore. It was 2 a.m. when they landed on a strip of beach, some sixteen feet wide, between the water and the base of a steep cliff.

A TELEGRAM OF CONDOLENCE. CANTERBURY VICTIMS. fPiiKRs Association."] CHRISTCHURCH. Feb. 15. In connection with the Penguin disaster, the Aiayor has sent the following telegram to the Right Hon. the Premier:—-“On behalf of the citizens of Christchurch, 1 desire to express heartfelt sympathy with the sufferers by the wreck of the Penguin and with the relatives and friends of those who lost their lives. Is it required to raise funds for the relief'of the sufferers?—C. Allison, Aiayor.” The friends of Air. John Seed, flaxdresser. of Southbrook, received intimation by telegram that his body had been identified by a young man named G. Campbell, who knew him well. Mr. Seed, in 'addition to the flax works at Southbrook, had a mill in the Nelson district, and lliis lie had been visiting, and was- returning by the Penguin. He was a son of Air. James Seed, who established the flax and twine works at Southbrook, and was well known and highly respected. His widow -is a daughter of Air. Alariin, of Southbrook, and has seven children.

Mr. Cb;rs. Bird Avas well known in football circles, and played as a junior in the Southern Club, and later in the Merivale Club. For his Aveiglit (■9st 71b) Bird was one of the cleverest live-eighths ever seen hero. In ’Wellington lie was a member of the Wellington Football Club, and also played for the province in representative matches. REMOVING THE BODIES. GROUNDLESS COMPLAINTS. (Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. Complaints are appearing in the press, both, signed and anonymous, of delay in dealing with the bodies washed up on the beach. Those who went out to look for friends contend that the corpses should not have been left for two days exposed to the avc;x flier and insects, and that there was ample time to bring them in yesterday. To this the Union Compagy and the police, both of Avhom have been 'attacked, point out that the obvious course nvas to’ bring them by water, seeing that the bodies were scattered over miles of coast, and that the difficulties of transport were very great owing to the rugged and mountainous country. The weather, how ever, was too rough up to last night to permit this. A large number of police..Avent. out as soon as it became definitely known there Avas likely to have, been considerable loss of life.

AUSTRALIAN PRESS COMMENT. United Press Assent atton. Copyright SYDNEY, Feh. 15. The “Telegraph” declares that the Penguin would not., have' been lost if there had been .a lighthouse, at TeraAvhiti. The adequate lighting of such a dangerous coast should he a prime consideration with the Government. The puhlio mind is touched with sincere. sorrow for the heavy loss of life, and with admiration for the fortitude displayed by (all,-especially by the two stewardesses who perished, and by the lady passengers. Mr Mclntyre, the chief officer of the ship, Avas a son of Mr Just ice McIntyre, of Hobart, who, with his family, is at present travelling in the East,

IDENTIFIED BODIES. 37 PASSENGERS AND 14 CREW. [Pbess Association.] WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. The following is a list of the identified bodies: — PASSENGERS. Mrs. Alary Brittain, Blenheim. Mr. G. Bird, Wellington. Mr. H. E. Bone, Wellington. Mr. J. Bates. Mrs. Bishop and -child, Wellington. ■ Miss Alary A. Doran, Wellington. Airs. L. Evans, Kaiponga, Taranaki. Air. C. 11. Sale, Wellington. Air. and Mrs., AY. H. Henry, Kelburner Aliss Jennie Hunt, Island Bay. Mr. Hannan and four children, Tadmor, Nelson. Master and Misses Maguire (3), Wellington. Aliss Marion McAlley, Avondale, Raiulwiok. Aliss Clara Nodinc, Karori. Miss Jessie Rennie, Wellington.Aliss D. Ribbands, Sydney. Air. Rogers, Newtown, Wellington. Air. Seed, Rangiora. Air. Wharton Shaw, Melbourne. Airs. W. R. Symon, Wellington. Misses Symon (2), Wellington. Airs, and Aliss Alice Toomer, Berhampore. Airs. Trice, Newtown. Gustave T-roadcc, Nelson College. Keith H. C-. AVilliamson, Christchurch. Felix AVoodward. Brisbane. CREW. G. A. Barnes, trimmer. Ernest Crooke. steward. O. Fairbairn, fireman. Edward Gale, A.B. Airs. Annie Hope, forecabin stewardess, AVellington. Airs. C. Jacobs, stewardess, Newtown.

W. A. Alclntyre, chief-officer, Tasmania. John Rafferty, greaser. Stanley Rentoul, third engineer. R. Urquhart, chief engineer. Wellington. Thos. AYoodford, A. 8.John Wood (shipped as John Ward; fireman. . AVellum. second pantry-man. H. Wood, fireman. A marine inquiry into the disaster opens on AVednesday. A VERY SAD CASE. [Panes Association.] •AVE6TPORT, Feb. 15. A private wire has been received that Air. Jas. Collins, Charlestown, was on hoard the - Penguin at the time she struck, and is among the missing. He is the only son - of Air. and Airs. Collins, both of -whom within the past two years have suffered the affliction of becoming totally blind. The deceased had three sisters, two married, one at Auckland. ASSISTANCE FOR SURVIVORS. [Press Association.] DUNEDIN, Feb.. 15. A special meeting of the Shipwreck Relief Society was held to-day to consider what steps should be taken to render assistance to those who suffered as a result of the wreck of the Penguin. It was decided to telegraph to the Aiayor of AYellington, asking him to draw on the Society if necessary up to £IOO or more, for the purpose of giving assistance to- " the survivors. It was also decided to ask Alessrs Kennedy and Aloore (of the Seamen’s Alission, AYellington), to associate themselves with the Aiayor in affording relief. The Aiayor intends t : o call a public meeting with the view of raising subscriptions for the widows and orphans of those lost in the wreck.

THE FUNERAL. AT 10 O’CLOCK DHLS MORNING. [Prices Association.] WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. Final arrangements for the funeral were made this afternoon. A conference) was held between the Attor-ney-General, the Mayor, Air. Kennedy (Union Company’s manager), and the Town Clerk, and it was decided that the funeral should leave tlie Garrison Hall at ten a.in. to-morrow. Those who so desire may have the bodies of friends buried separately. The remainder will be buried in separate graves in the Karori Cemetery, in the divisions apportioned to the various religions as nearly as can be ascertained. A lialf-boliday will be observed in the morning. The Mayor (Hon. T. AY. Hi slop), while deprecating public exhibitions of a morbid nature, expresses the opinion that in the face of such a disaster, which may be treated as a national one. a fitting observance by the public is fully justified.

THE HEROINE OF THE WRECK. MRS. HANNAN’S UNSELFISH HEROISM. A SPLENDID STORY OF COURAGE AND ENDURANCE. [Speciatj to “Times.”] "WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. The more one learns about the heroic conduct of Airs. Hannan, the more one wonders at her endurance, her courage, her cool-headedness, and her kind solicitousness for others in the midst of scenes and circumstances that were sufficient to unnerve many of the sterner sex. An extraordinary rumor that she died to-day went through the city this afternoon, and some people were already talking about her monument. On my inquiring as to the truth of the rumor, I found that she was taking a walk down town. She is the daughter of 'a Pieton settler named Wlnting, and is only 27 years of age. Her husband, she antE her children were steerage passengersv Her husband, who was in very poor health, put her lifebelt on. She says the passengers were wonderfully calm, andNonly the clnldrgncried. None inndemty-Hiss-pAhey were all quite brave, and the stewardess behaved magnificently. Mrs. Hannan was in the second boat. “I did not want to get into it,” she remarked, “but they made me.” As they were being lowered, the boat tipped up at one end, and with others she was thrown in

A FRIEND IN NEED.

the rough breaking sea. Her baby was washed out of her arms, but she felt about ir. the water and got hold of its clothes. She not only got back into the boat with the iiaby, but she helped other women into the boat as well. She saw her other, three children in the sea. They were calling to their mother to help them, and she called out that she would help them if she could. She endeavored to get the men to save them, but they had all they could do to keep the boat from being smashed In the midst of all this her husband was standing on the deck surveying the scene by the aid of the ship’s liglits. He'called “Good-bye!” to her, but she could not bring hersell to say the word in reply, thinking it might be too much lor him to heai from her lips. After a time she suggested to a sailor in the boat that they should cut away the mast, as it was no use to them, and if it was out of the way it would make room for the women. Her advice was taken, and' while the sailor was cutting the mast away she helped to bale out the boat. The little baby "kept prattling to her while she shielded it as well as she could from the storm. After a while a huge wave- capsized the boat. She found someone clinging to her dress, another clutching her feet, and the boy Matthews holding on to her h'air, all underneath the upturned Fyoat. Two of these disappeared, and then there were only the boy, the baby, and herself left, she 'icing suspended from one of the thwarts of the boats, mostly in the water, as she herself described it, “like the tongue oi i bell.” There was a lit le air to breathe, and every now ai d then, as a big wave lifted the bo t up, they got fresh air. (Eventually she got on to one of the seats; then the took the lifebelt off her baby, placed it under the little mite, and tied her to the seat, hut she knew before she got to the shore that the child was dead, because' in the darkness sue felt it; clenched teeth, and found that she could not got her finger into its mouth. She then devoted all her energies to save the life of the boy who was with her, and in this she succeeded. Finally they were washed ashore, with the boat still on top oi them.

“AA'hat would you have done if they had not found you?” asked a lady friend of mine, who had gone to see Mrs. Hannan. “I would have scratched my way out.” she replied, calmly. As a matter of fact, she bad actually commenced to scrape a hole in the sand and gravel under the side of the boat. The moving wat *r kept filling up this hole, but slie broke- bits of splintered wood and.poked them under the boat, so that people might know she roes there. One of the wrecked men ascertained that there were people ruder the boat, but he was too weak to do anything. He, however, told Mr. AeAlenamiirs shepherds, and tiny w lit along to the boat, and turir ig it over found beneath it Mrs. Hannan and the boy whose life she lad saved. AA hen she heard their voices she called to them to break the boat open with an axe and let them out, but there was no need to do this. One would have thought that by this time Mrs. Hannan would have been in a state of utter collapse, but no sooner was she relieved than she again began to think of others. There was a body on the beach near by, and she found it was still warm. She called to the men, and with them she attempted to restore animation, but without success. Then she walked along the beach a little way, and up the steep path to Air. McMeniman’s homestead. Next day she rode over the hills on a bridle track to Makara, whence she was conveyed to town in a motor car. Such in simple words is the story of this brave woman’s experience', and what- is more extraordinary is the fact that she is not exactly in the condition in which a woman should be to undergo such trials. One’s eyes become moist* in telling the story, even in such prosaic language, but it is a story that needs no embellishment, and one’s heart thrills with pride to think that the AngloSaxon race can still breed such women.

MR. McMENAMiN’S GENEROSITY. AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. [Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. Air. AlcAlenamin, the owner of Terawliiti sheep station, is a truly philanthropic man. He gave ail the spare clothes he had to the Penguin’s survivors on Saturday morning, and now only possesses one suit. Ho has not even a. pair of boots to bis name. When, seen by a New Zealand “Times” reporter yesterday at the homestead, he mentioned casually, but not thinking that it would be published, that tlie pair of slippers lffi was wearing was the-.only footwear he now possessed. The Union Company, he said, deserve great credit for the expeditious manner in which they sent out food, spirits, and blankets. Captain Naylor should also be commended for bis unselfishness amongst the survivors. When those who were rescued came up to the homestead, all the clothing and boots that oou.d be scraped together wore placed at the men’s disposal, but the captain refused to take a stitch until everybody else was satisfied. “I would like you to giivo the captain ft notice about it.” said Air. AlcAlenamin, “I do think he deserves praise. As to the police, they did excellent work, especially the two mounted men, Suns and Gardiner, who were tlie first, to arrive. They kept jat their task all dav Saturday, and had the heaviest of ’ tlie. work done before the other men arrived from town. I really cannot speak too highly of tlie mounted police. Late oil Sunday night one of them kode down to Oterangi station foe me with a message, and that was a big job for a pitch black night along five miles of treacherous beach. PREVIOUS WRECKS OFF TERA- / WHITI. ME AlcAlenamin has lived nearly pvlt liis life -at Terawliiti, and lie recalled some previous wrecks. When approached bv a “Times’ reporter on the subject. “Let me see, lie said, reflecting on the past, “it must be 20 vears ago when my mother was jiving here' that the barque tHaverslianf was wrecked ou the Karon reef. Nobody was drowned, a vessel which was lying off the coast picking up the crew and the passengers. The

next wreck, if my memory serves, was the barque Grasmere, which was wrecked one Christmas morning about eight years ago. A cow-boy saw her strike near'the homestsead ,• and cameup and said a barque was wrecked. I asked the lad what the weather was like. He said, -'Quite calm. It is a lovely morning.’ ‘Then I will not get up,’ I replied. I wias sorry afterwards, because through my action the crew had a very narrow escape. Had it not been that a cable steamer came along just in the nick of time the whole crew would have perished. The schooner John Bell went ashore at Cape Terawhiti very soon afterwards. She ran right up on the rocks one very calm night, and everybody on board was saved. On January 16th, 1.905. the s.s. Naniliucca went on to Tom’s Rock, and the night was very, foggy, but all on board got safely round to Island Bay in tlie vessel’s boat. Then the barque Lutterworth was dismasted quite near here, and the current took her off the rocks just as it seemed that her destruction was inevitable. We were all waiting on the beach to render assistance. The Penguin, which Iras now gone down, stood by all night and took off the Lutterworth’s crew right opposite the beach where most of the ill-fated -passengers and crew of the Penguin were washed ashore. The Lutterworth was finally picked up and towed to Wellington. Then there was the barque Yvoollahra, in July, 1907. She came ashore near Tongue Point, about a mile from the homestead. The vessel broke right in half. The captain and one sailor were drowned. The survivors came up to the. house in an exhausted condition.” WHERE THE PENGUIN STRUCK Asked where he thought the Penguin actually struck, Air. AleAlenamin said: “I’ll tell you where I reckon it was. Certainly not- on Tom’s Rock. The wrecakge was too far south for that. I consider it was Luna Rock. This rock was named by Captain Fairchild, of the Government steamer Luna. A lot of people say no such rock exists. It is certainly submerged at all times, but I think it is there all the same. It lies to the north of Sinclair Head, between that point and the Karori Reef. She could not be on the Karori Reef. The wreckage shows this to be the case. If she got on to Tom’s Rock .some of the wreckage would have drifted against the wind and tide to net where it was washed up ; so that explodes the' Tom s Rock theory. There is plenty of wreckage south of Tom’s Rock, and with the south-eas-ter it could never have, got there if she- had struck that point." Speaking about boat operations in the surf at the homestead, Air. AlcAlcnamin said the beach could only he worked in dead calm weather, and in a nor’-west wind or very light southerlv. He- emphasised the fact, however, that no matter how rough the weather or what the direction of the wind, surf boats manned by experienced men could always get out when the tide was receding. _ “i consider.*’ lie concluded, the boats could have worked the beach on Sunday, when the tide was running out.”