THE ANTIOCO ACCAME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 60

THE ANTIOCO ACCAME.

"Various rumours concerning the condition*" of the stranded barque have been in circulation during the past few days, but from ,what we have been able to ascertain the following is briefly the true condition of affairs: — The syndisate who purchased the Napier for salvage operations succeeded in placing a powerful centrifugal pump, together witn adequate steam power, on board, and everything was rapidly approaching readiness to commence pumping operations, when a heavy easterly swell set in, compelling the men on board to leave with the Napier, which sought Bhelter at Moer&ki. The sea increased in violence, making a clean breach over the vessel and causing Qier to lurch from side to side with such force that two of her masts went by the ('board. The heavy sea continuing, the .Vessel soon began to break up, and the remaining mast went overboard. A member Vof the syndicate received a message on 3?riday intimating that the vessel was breakIng up, and later on it was ascertained that 'her back wa3 broken. The Napier left

•Moeraki on Saturday afternoon, arriving at the Rattray street wharf at 3 a.m. on Sunday. She brought a quantity of sails and running gear from the wreck, and returned ,hext~day, should the weather permit, to endeavour to recover the large centrifugal pump borrowed from the Dock Trust, and which has disappeared — sither overboard or into the bottom of the wrecked vessel. We learn that the Antioco has broken into four pieces, and the bow and stern are both fading the samp direction. An attempt will be made to recover the anchors and chain fables, but the vessel is a hopeless wreck. The syndicate are' to be commiserated on their hard luck, as we -■mderstand that a few- -hours' time would have allowed pumping operations to have been commenced when the unexpected heavy sea set in.

. The s.s. Shrewsbury, now at Lyttelton, loads oats for *South Africa, on account of Messrs G. G. Stead and Co. and Messrs Friedlander Bros. * The Norwegian barque Sijzne returned to Port Chalmers on Monday, 25th, with a full cargo of Maiden Island guano, consigned to the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, and was towed up to Dunedin on Tuesday forenoon by the s.s. Plucky. Captain Petterson reports the Sigue left the Maiden Islands on October 5.

, The s.s. Westralia, from Melbourne, via •Hobart- and the Bluff, arrived at the cross wharf at 7 o'clock on Wednesday morning. She left " Melbourne on the 20th instr

About 100 tons of cargo were shipped by the Warrimoo, which left for Sydney on Saturday. The chief items were 126 sacks of fungus, 125 cases condensed milk, 80 boxes apples, 24 bales wool, and 17 cases brandy. During the voyage of the Delphic from London to Wellington, the ship's carpenter, named Myall, fell overboard. An alarm ■was raised, the ship was stopped, and a 'boat manned and sent away. As the steamer had been- travelling at the rate of 12 knots an hour the unfortunate man was some distance astern, but although only an indifferent swimmer he succeeded in remaining afloat until his rescuers arrived. /When picked up he was insensible, but by pieaus of restoratives be was brought round, und shortly afterwards he resumed duty. The s.s. Maori, after a protracted sojourn in the stream at Lyttelton, is now loading for London.

The promoters of the trawling operations now being conducted from Lyttelton ara -congratulating themselves on continued suqcess, for the results of the trips of the Express are invariably highly satisfactory. On Saturday night the trawler left Lyttelton and returned early on Monday morning with 20 dozen large soles and flounders, a dozen brill, a dozen skate, and a couple each of gurnet, ling, and groper. A large quantity of cod had also been netted, but released. At half-pasi 8 o'clock on Monday morning the trawler again left harbour, to, return at night with 12^ dozen soles, four dozen flounders, two brill, a yellow tail, a groper, 50 dozen fine cod, and a caskful of edible fish of assorted varieties. The operations on both occasions were carried on between Double Corner and the mouth of the river Waimakariri, and, owing to interruptions from bad weather, were not by any means continuous. The promoters of the enterprise have been so fortunate as to obtain, as mastei of the Express, Mr Galvin. who has recently arrived from Gnmsby, and has had considerable experience in trawling. — Lyttelton Times. Writing to the secretary of the Merchant "Service Guild, the Marquis of Graham says: r*lr *I shall never be satisfied until I see our

great mercantile marine universally recognised as one of the grandest services and most important pillars of the British Empire. On all sides, those countries which are now progressing rapidly, and are looking forward with justifiable pride to occupying a place in the front rank of the nations, are advancing solely by interesting themselves in their mercantile marines. On the other hand, we, of Great Britain, who are being outstripped in the great race for trade, are undermining our very existence by a callous and persistent neglect of our sea power." It is announced that the ?.?. Knight of St. George has been chartered to convey produce from New Zealand to South Africa. The American ship Erskine M. Phelps has (says an exchange) made one of the most wonderful runs in the history of American shipping. During her voyage from New York to Anjer Head she averaged 250 knots a day for 26 days. The best run was 300 knots, and the poorest 200 knots during the 24 hours.

The breakdown, to the s.s. Pukaki, as far as can be ascertained until she is floated into the graving dock, consists of a fractured tail shaft. The accident occurred when the vessel was between Oamaru and Tiniaru at 8 o'clock on Wednesday evening. 'Die vessel drifted helpless after the accident until her signals of distress were seen from the Te Anau shortly after, noon on Thursday. The latter boat went to her assistance and promptly took her in tow, and arrived at Port Chalmers as previously reported. The distance the Pukaki was towed was about 80 miles to Otago Heads. The tow rope parted once, but beyond that there was no difficulty experienced in towing the disabled vessel into port. As •soon as the dock is available she will be floated in, and the necessary repairs effected.

The s.s. Talune, from Sydney, via Wellington and Lyttelton, arrived at 2 p.m. on Saturday. She left Sydney on the 23rd ult. - The s.s. Zealandia, from Sydney, via Auckland, arrived at thp tongue wharf at 9.30 a.m. on Sunday. She left Sydney on i the 20th ult.

The following vessels have been in harbour during the past week: — Arrivals.: Pukaki, s.s., 917 tons; Rimu, s.s., 143; Ganymede, barque, 237; Signe, barque, 659; Westralia, s.s.. 1819; Te Anau, s.s., 1028; TaHme, s.s., 1370; Zealandia, s.s., 1736; Upolu, s.s., 700: Knight of St. George, fc.s., 4389;— t0ta1,' 13,037 tons. Departures: Pareora, s.s., 383 tons; Rotokino, s.s., 1304; Rimu. s.s., 143; Mararoa, s.s., 1381; Pukaki, s.e., 917; Alliance, barque, 977: Isabella Anderson, schooner, 79; Janet Nicoll, s.s., 496; Westralia, s.s., 1819; Sir Henry, schooner, 96; Tarawera, s.s., 1269; Talune, s.s., 1370;— total, 10,244 tons. All the rabbits and butter stored in the freezing works at Port Chalmers were «eirt by train on Sunday to the Bluff, where they will be put on board the s.s. Tongariro for London.

The steamship Knight of St. George arrived at Port Chalmers on Sunday evening, and proceeded up to Dunedin wharf under tender of the s." Plucky. The Knight of St. George is a steel screw steamer of 4398 tons, built in 1890 at the Palmer's Shipbuilding Company's yards at Newcastle-on-Tyne. She is schooner - rigged, and classed 100 Al at Lloyd's. Her dimensions are: Length, 404 ft 4in; breadth of beam, 48ft; depth of hold, 27ft 4in. Her engines are of the triple-expansion type, and were constructed by the Palmer's Company: the diameter of the respective cylinders being 29in, 47in, and 76in, with a length of stroke of 51in. The hull is divided into six watertight compartments, and she is fitted with a cellular double bottom for the reception of water ballast.

The New Zealand Shipping Company's steamship Rakaia, Captain E. T. Smith, from London, with over 7000 tons cf general and dead-weight cargo (including 2530 tons for the Fijian Island^, arrived off Otago Heads at 3 a.m. on Sunday. The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's Rangitira is expected to load wool at Oamaru in a week or 10 days. This vessel will connect with the March sale?.

The New Zealand Shipping Company's splendid sleamsliin Rakaia from London. which arrived off Otago Heads and anchored shortly after 2 a.m. on Sunday, steamed into port on Monday forenoon. On this voyage the Rakaia brings no less than 707* tons of cargo for several ports of which 1922 tons measurement, and 1241 tons dead weight are for Dnnedin. 1112 tons for Lyttelton, 269 tons for transhipment to other ports, and no less than 2530 tons for the Fijian Islands. Amongst her cargo she lias transhipments for Invereargill, Oamaru, Timaru, Wellington, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Nelson, and Auckland. Her Fijian cargo consists of the full equipment of machinery for the new sugar factory at Latahour, and which consists of cement, rails, and other necessaiies.