Boisterous weather continued till entering the passage between Stephens and D'Urville Islands, where there are several rocks. Here the vessel piled up on Saddle Rock, where the Wainui struck some years ago.
The Captain declares that Steeple Rock and Saddle Rock were wrongly marked on the chart, the names being transposed. At midnight the vessel was steaming beneath heavy clouds, all hands being on deck. At 12.20 she struck, and sank in five minutes.
Despite the black darkness the crew showed no panic. The captain ordered the boat to be lowered, and the mate took charge, while the captain stayed aboard.
The engines were racing furiously, telling of a snapped propeller.
Rapidly the hull listed sideways, and slid off the rock. As the water came level with the deck the captain grasped the lifeboat, but was sucked under some depth.
He came up half-drowned, clinging to a lifebelt, as he was unable to swim a stroke. After some search the boat found him, and he was in rather a bad way.
The captain thinks the vessel turned turtle before reaching the bottom. The plight of the shipwrecked crew was deplorable. Almost all were half clad.
Some were without boots, and others without shirts or coats. A course was set in the boat for Port Hardy, the heavy sea soon tiring the rowers, who took four hours to struggle to the land.
Here also they were unable to get ashore, owing to the tide being against them, till at 5 a.m. they effected a landing, tramping, mostly shoeless, over the rough country to Mr Lord's homestead, where they received every kindness.
Here they stayed till 3 o'clock in the afternoon resting, as the captain was far from well after his immersion. Then they were taken on to the French Pass in a launch joining the Pateena and coming on here.
Mr E. S. Wilson, secretary of the Shipwreck Relief Society, telegraphed to the Collector of Customs at Nelson yesterday authorising him to draw on the society to the extent of 10 for the immediate relief of the crew of the Jane Douglas, and asking him to advise what relief was necessary.
A shag shot recently on the Clutha River by Mr H. Hill, was found to contain no fewer than 25 trout of various sizes. It has been demonstrated that one shag will, on an average, consume 10lb weight of trout per day, and as they are very numerous on the Clutha, it is little wonder (says the Cromwell Argus) in view of the above, that the stream is being gradually depleted.
The Opunake Times mentions that an old grey horse and trap were left standing in the township on New Year's Eve while the owner went to an adjacent hotel. The horse was found next morning in a local blacksmith's shop painted like a draught-board. - ODT, 12.1.1912
