The Great Storm of 1868

[Razor]

Spotted on Old Wellington Facebook page....

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY, The Great Storm of 1868
An Extratropical cyclone swept the country 1st to 6th Feb
At the time the great storm struck there was a small number of meteorological observation stations around NZ under Dr James Hector's Geological Survey, but there was no ability for them to know of the storms approach, origin or intensity. The ship 'Maori' encountered the storm on 31 Jan in the vicinity of the Three Kings Islands, while sailing from London to Auckland but could not be reported until she arrived, by which time it was in full swing here.

On Sat 1st it commenced from NE and gradually veered to the East. On Sun it was SE from which quarter to SW great violence was experienced. On Mon the storm was at its greatest fury, very heavy rain, thunder, lightning and hail swept the country. Huge waterspouts were seen to suck up large boulders to be dumped further afield..

Over 40 LIVES LOST
* 1 drowned trying to cross the Tokomairiro River, Otago
* 1 mate was washed overboard from the ketch Emerald in Cloudy Bay. His body was found south of the White Bluff by some shepherds a week later and buried at Blenheim.
* 1 elderly man died at Nelson, although cause unknown
* 2 people killed by a falling tree at Hokitika
* 2 people drowned at West Taieri
* 2 children drowned at Rangiora
* 3 children drowned at Ashley, North Canterbury
* 5 members of a family drowned at Temuka
* 9 died when houses, occupied by employees of the Totara Estate, washed away, some while they slept, near Oamaru
* 14 crew and others from ships .. see below

JUST SOME OF THE DAMAGE
* At Lyttelton Harbour all the ships in the bay dragged and drove towards the reef. It was feared the "Melita', 'Glenmark', 'Beautiful Star' and 'Mermaid' would be dashed to pieces on the rocks but they drifted in-shore, the sea making a clean breach over them, the spray leaping right over the top-gallant yards. Numbers of small craft, among them 4 schooners, were dashed ashore and smashed. Dampiers Bay was completely strewn with pieces of the wrecks. Among the schooners completely wrecked were the IONA, which was loading grain for Hokitika and the smart little schooner, THREE SISTERS, driven ashore and totally wrecked.
* At Oamaru the jetty was entirely washed away
* At Timaru the "Timaru" rode out the gale but her chain cable was buried 6 inches deep in her mast, due to the immense strain upon it.
* The Waimakariri broke its banks, its waters poured along the Avon and flooded nearly the whole of Christchurch. The swing bridge at Kaiapoi and the Selwyn bridge were carried away.
* At Kakanui the fellmongery and houses were swept away.
* Mine Bay copper mine machinery was washed away on Great Barrier Island.

SOME OF THE SHIPS THAT WERE LOST ..
* the schooner 'BREEZE'
~ Crew rescued by the residents of the bay.
Laying at bay, riding heavily on the cable, parted from both chains and was wrecked on the rocks at Le Bons Bay, Banks Peninsula.

* the ketch 'CHALLENGE'
~ The mate drowned while trying to row to shore.
Laying at Le Bons Bay, she parted from the starboard cable, parted from her port anchor, capsized and was totally wrecked.

* the ship 'ECHUNGA'
~ All lives saved.
Lying in the roadstead at Napier, getting ready for a return trip to London with a very large cargo of wool, hides etc. Went on shore on the Western Spit. Several horsemen quickly left for the scene and four, well-manned boats sailed up inside the harbour to check. They saw the ship begin to drag her anchors and that no attempt was made to put to sea as Captain Knight was not on board, having left town a couple of days previously. All three masts were gone and her back was broken - a total wreck. The hull, spars, sails, rigging, anchors, cables and an iron tank sold in store for
£85 (today $10,165). At the court of enquiry it was decided no-one was to blame.

* 160 ton brig ''FORTUNE'
~ 7 lives lost, 1 survived.
On a trip from Nelson to Hokianga, 45 tons of stone in ballast. Due to hazy weather, the captain was unable to take any observations for three days. She struck on the reef and the masts went overboard. The next sea knocked her to pieces on the bar, 10 miles south of Hokianga. The surviving seaman, George Orchard, was washed overboard and clung to the rocks until daybreak when the tide was out. He clasped a broken spar and hobbled to shore. He walked until sunset when he came upon a native village where he was looked after until morning. They showed him the road to Hokianga which he reached at 11am and stayed with the pilot for a week. He returned to the wreck on the 10th and saw all the bodies of the crew but one, had been recovered and buried. He then made his way to Auckland, caught the barque Novelty and headed back to Sydney.

* the cutter 'GLITTER'
~ No loss of life.
Heavy rain caused a sudden rise in the Thames River. The 'Maori Chief', the 'Safety' and the Glitter were driven from their moorings and carried on the sandspit. The Glitter was carried out to sea where she was totally wrecked at Tararu Point. She was a newly-built centre-board yacht.

* the 26 ton ketch 'OTAGO'
~ Although first thought lost, all hands were saved.
She was wrecked 8 miles north of Oamaru

* the schooner 'SEA BIRD'
~ All hands were saved along with Government marine surveyors on their way to Gore Bay.
She had put to sea freighted with limestone, heading for Lyttelton before the storm struck but was driven back to Amuri Bluff. She broke in two pieces and sank at her anchorage.

* the ship 'STAR OF TASMANIA'
~ 3 crew drowned when they tried to swim to ashore & 2 children aged 3 & 5 drowned in their berths where they had been placed for safety. She was totally wrecked at Oamaru, her bows only remaining.

* the schooner 'TRIUMPH'
~ No loss of life.
She was lying in Kaikoura Harbour when her easterly mooring gave way. She then dragged her anchors and was driven violently broadside against the end of the wharf, breaking 15 feet off the end of it. She broke up and sank.

* the schooner 'WATER NYMPH'
~ No lives lost.
About an hour after the Star of Tasmania was wrecked, the Water Nymph, loading wool for London, dragged her anchor at Oamaru. Captain Babot immediately let go another but she parted from that one also. He then immediately spread all the canvas possible and the vessel drove ashore. Having a good deal of canvas spread, she canted upon her port side and all her crew escaped safely to land, even saving their effects before she broke up. She was the property of Messrs Shaw, Savill and Co and was built in Paimbœuf for a French Corvette in 1855. She was never in commission but was employed in the Melbourne trade for 8 years until she was used expressly for the NZ trade.

* the 142 ton screw steamer 'WILLIAM MISKIN'
~ 1 seaman drowned.
Was at anchor in Timaru having landed her passengers the previous day. The seas washed over her and one of the seamen, James McDonald, was washed overboard. The following day she struck the rocks and went to pieces. The engines, boilers, hull, anchors etc sold a week later at public auction for about £47 (today $5,600)

.. "The Great Storm of 1868" was a 2008 play based on this event, by NZ playwright & author Michelanne Forster

[midgrove]

Here is (hopefully) an image I found years ago. this map was done sometime in the 1880s, unfortunately I cannot find the original article.

MSL_03_Feb_1868.jpg