23 July 1936

MASTERS CERTIFICATE SUSPENDED AND RESTORED

Captain Paid £1,000 Compensation

To have his master's certificate suspended for losing his ship, and then to have it restored to him nine years later because the island on which the vessel was wrecked was found to have been wrongly charted, does not fall to the lot of many ships' captains. But that was the experience of Captain Attwood of the steamer Elingamite. More than that, he also received £1,000 compensation from the New Zealand Government.

The Elingamite was built in 1887 by the Wallsend Shiway Company at Newcastle-on-Tyne for the Huddart Parker Shipping Co., and was a dapper little packet of 2,585 tons, and a great favorite with the public. On November 5, 1902, the Elingamite with Captain Attwood in command, left Sydney for Auckland, carrying 136 passengers and a crew of 59, gold to the value of £17,320, mail matter, and about 1,000 tons of cargo.

Crossing the Tasman Sea the vessel experienced favorable conditions for the greater part of the voyage, but when she was some 36 hours distant from the New Zealand coast the weather became very thick. The direct route to Auckland taken by all vessels from Australia lies between Cape Maria Van Diemen (called Cape Maria for short), the first land to be sighted on the New Zealand coast, and the three Kings Islands, about 30 miles north of the Cape. The largest of the three Kings is West Island, while there is only one place on them at which a landing can be made. Precipitous cliffs rise abruptly from the sea, in places hundreds of feet high, and are perpetually lashed by the waves. They are almost continuously enveloped in haze or fog, and treacherous currents surround them. A more inhospitable spot it would be hard to find the world over.

Early on Sunday morning, November 9, 1902, the sea was not very rough, but offing to the ever increasing haze, visibility became so bad that Captain Attwood decided to reduce speed to about 4½ knots. He was proceeding at this speed when at about 10.30 o'clock the first intimation of danger was the sighting of the towering cliffs of West Island two ships' lengths away, and the roar of breakers. The order, 'Full speed astern' was given, and the propeller responded, making several revolutions, but then jammed.

The steamer struck bow on, and orders were immediately given to launch the lifeboats. Six boats and two rafts were successfully launched and all the passengers safely transferred to them. One boat capsized, but another, in charge of the Chief Officer, rescued the occupants. Another boat was overloaded, and in response to a call two persons volunteered to go over to one which was less crowded. This they succeeded in doing, and luck was with them, as the boat they had vacated was the only one that was lost.

The tragic suddenness of the catastrophe was appalling. Within 20 minutes the steamer had disappeared. Captain Attwood was the last to leave his ship; he was washed overboard. He secured two pieces of wreckage and stood with one foot on each as they rocked about in the open sea. There he blew his whistle, the sound of which brought up the life boat, which must have saved 40 or 50 lives. One lifeboat with 37 passengers and 15 of the crew, reached the mainland at Houhora, and details of the tragedy were telegraphed to Auckland.

The steamers Clansman and Omapere were at once dispatched to search for survivors, on Saturday, November 8, the steamer Zealandia, which also be longed to the Huddart Parker Coy., left Auckland for Sydney, and as she would in due course arrive off Cape Maria. On the Sunday, the lighthouse keeper at this cape was apprised of the fate of the Elingamite, and was instructed to signal the Zealandia, notifying the captain of the wreck and asking him to make a search for survivors. When the Zealandia came abreast of the cape the lighthouse keeper could see her, but visibility was so poor that signalling was out of the question. The Zealandia passed the cape, but had not gone very far when her officers noticed smoke rising from King Island which they thought might be a distress signal, and accordingly altered the ship's course for the purpose of investigation.

The Zealandia reached King Island at 7 p.m. on November 9 and found that 11 persons from one of the Elingamite's rafts had landed. Except for a few shell fish which they had found, they had been without food or drink since their boat had foundered, and were in a bad way. They were taken aboard. Subsequently the Zealandia picked up a lifeboat containing 79 passengers and crew. She then returned to Auckland.

On Thursday afternoon, November 13, H.M.S. Penguin rescued eight persons on a raft. It was a small one, 12 ft by 8 ft., and had 19 souls on it when the Elingamite went down. The purser's boat came alongside and three persons were transferred to it. The raft, although lightened of some of its burden, was still overloaded and awash. On the raft was an empty water keg, one oar, one scull, one rowlock, and two apples, the only food. The scull broke when the raft was within 200 yards of the shore, and the occupants, with no means of propulsion, drifted away with the currents, and at daylight next morning were out of sight of land. The crew of an unknown steamer lowered a boat, in the bow of which was a masthead light. The boat was pulled in the direction of the raft. The castaways shouted, but unfortunately their cry was not heard, and the boat returned to the steamer. This was a bitter disappointment to them. The overcrowding of the raft left so little room for the occupants that they, had their feet and part of their, bodies always in the water. Salt spray drenched them; they had no protection from the sun's rays, no food or water. Some drank sea water, which sent them out of their minds, and two at least jumped into the sea. Six died from starvation and exposure.

The eight survivors, when rescued by the Penguin, were in dire straits, but they all survived the ordeal. No trace of one boat with 37 passengers and crew was ever found.

On November 28, 1902, at the Marine Court in Auckland, an enquiry was held into the loss of the Elingamite, and subsequently the court ordered that the certificate of Captain Attwood be suspended for one year, and also ordered him to pay £50 towards the costs of the enquiry. Many fruitless attempts to salvage the gold (£17,320) which the Elingamite carried have been made, one diver losing his life at the work. In March, 1911, the vice-admiral in command of the Australian station notified the Marine Department of New Zealand that the position of the Three King's Islands was wrongly charted. The report also stated that the commander of H.M.S. Cambrian had discovered the error in position. The correct position was found to be one and a half miles to the south and one-third mile east of the charted position. Captain Attwood's certificate was restored to him on December 11, 1911, and the New Zealand Government granted him £1,000 compensation.

In November, 1926, when in Perth, W.A., I had a business matter, to transact with a gentleman at Claremont. The business having been completed, I told him that I had not visited Perth for 21 years. He invited me to take a tour round the metropolitan area in his car. I accepted the invitation, and during conversation he related to me the story of the wreck of the Elingamite, and how he had been one of the fortunate ones who had transferred from the missing boat.— A.J.P.

Reason To Quit

Four elderly brothers each owned property scattered round the district. One of them died, and had appointed he other three to wind up his estate. They duly moved up to the deceased brother's place, which was a simple, but fairly comfortable, galvanized iron shack. With them they took a reliable cattleman, whom they had picked up at the end of one of his droving trips. At the end of the first days mustering, the brothers instructed their employe to water the horses and return them to the horse paddock, while they themselves turned in dead on sunset, in the best bush tradition.

In the morning the man was looking a shade pale and pasty, but he put in a good day's work, watered the horses without having to be told, and turned in himself 10 minutes ahead of his employers. 'He's only got his boots off,' re marked one of them. "Hey, Jack, what about rousing yourself and splitting a bit of kindling for the morning?"

Jack did so and next morning began to appear quite ill. That evening horses and kindling were attended to without any prompting, and Jack again sought his couch. 'I say, Jack,' commented one of the brothers. 'No good, boss,' interrupted Jack, starting to roll up his blankets 'what-ever it is, I'm not doing it, because I'm pulling out tonight.' 'What's the trouble?' demanded the other, surprised. 'Tucker, work or pay?' 'None of 'em,' answered Jack, paler than ever. 'When a cove's got to sleep in the same tin hut as three snoring old coots, it's only fair to let him get to sleep before they start!'— C.M.P.

A Remarkable Escape

A small car was standing in front of the local store in a town on Eyre Peninsula. A young married woman had just finished her shopping, and was ready to drive home. Her two little children, one aged four years and the other, a girl aged six, were playing near the car.

A large powerful car came down the street at a great speed. The driver did not notice the little girl run out from behind the stationary car until he was nearly on top of her. The only thing he could and did do was to swerve suddenly, trust to luck, and apply his brakes. When he pulled up and alighted, fearing the worst, he was perplexed because he could not see the little girl anywhere. He looked at the front of his car, under it, and back in the direction he had come. Finally he went round to the other side of his car, and to his astonishment and relief found that the child had been caught up in the parcel carrier on the running board. As he swerved, she had apparently run right on to the carrier, her dress had luckily caught in it and held as she was carried along.

Greatly relieved, but not knowing what injury, if any, she had sustained, he extricated her and enquired if she was hurt. Although she was now crying, it was not so much because she was hurt, but because she had lost her chocolate. She started to run to the back of the car, crying that she had lost her lolly, so he gave her half a crown and told her to buy more lollies.

By this time her mother, who had received a severe shock, had sufficiently recovered to take charge of her, and examine her for possible injuries. To her joy she found that beyond a small bruise or two the child was unhurt, she had had a remarkable escape from what seemed almost certain death — C.E.P.

Taming A Bully

Some years ago an overseas vessel arrived at Wallaroo to load wheat. There were a number of passengers on board, amongst whom was a burly American negro, who seemed intent on annoying his fellow passengers and the crew. He was fond of stupid practical jokes, and had often aroused the ire of the officers by locking them in their cabins or by arranging booby traps and stretching ropes along the dark alley ways, over which someone was sure to sprawl. In every case he would laugh uproariously, but denied all knowledge of these plots.

While in port the captain invited some friends on board, but chose a day when he thought the negro would be on shore. As his visitors were about to leave the ship, the captain saw with horror that the object of his anxiety had returned. Worse still, he had been drinking and was in a fighting mood.

He singled out the cook's assistant, a cheery youngster, who took his invective in silence, which contempt infuriated him more. Finally he lost control of himself, and, rushing forward, he swung wildly at the young fellow, who easily dodged aside to leave the black man balancing on the edge of the deck, where no railing offered have righted himself and returned assistance. In a few seconds he would anew to the combat.

But the captain acted. In his younger days he had often enjoyed a game of football, and no kick ever met the ball harder or truer than that which he bestowed on the negro. With a mighty splash the bully hit the water, emerging with a startled look on his face that was worth weeks of pay to the onlookers. He was not a strong swimmer, so the captain had a rope ladder lowered to him instead of making him swim to the nearest steps, as he richly deserved. He never discovered the cause of his baptism, but a letter from the captain to one of his friends included this extract:— 'By the way, our colored friend has evidently seen the error of his ways, as he seldom troubles the passengers with as much as his presence.' —'Spero.'

A Zealous Policeman

Motorists occasionally meet with strange experiences on the road, and one young married couple will not readily forget an episode which happened to them while motoring through the north some time ago. They were driving past an hotel, when they saw a policeman struggling with a drunken woman. The officer called upon the driver for assistance in order to get the prisoner to the local police station. Her condition was such that it was absolutely impossible for her to walk.

There happened to be a bottle-cart in the hotel yard, and the constable suggested that the woman be lifted into it and that he should sit in the 'dixie' seat of the car, and thus pull her to the station. The motorist's wife was not too pleased at the suggestion, but the husband had no objection, so a start was made. When about half-way on their journey an accident occurred, in which all were thrown into a creek. The bottle-cart was smashed beyond repair, and the rest of the journey was completed with the prisoner sitting on the constables' knee!

Meanwhile, the officer had some doubts about the driver's ability, so when the police station was reached he asked him to produce his driving licence. The result was that he, too, was proceeded against on two charges reckless driving and not having a licence. All this, of course, annoyed the motorist's wife, but not so much as the warm reception they received from the children when passing through the township. When the driver paid his fine he made a vow that in future he would mind his own business and leave policemen to carry out theirs unaided. — A.D.

Real Life Stories Of South Australia (1936, July 23). Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), p. 18. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92462125