THE LATE GALES.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 190, 15 August 1887, Page 5

THE LATE GALES.

S S. MACGREGOR MISSING,

GAIRLOCH AND STAFFA IN

SEARCH.

No small amount of excitement was occasioned in town to-day by the circulation of the intelligence that the steamer Macgregor, which met with an accident when leaving Whanganui on Thursday last, is still at sea in a disabled condition, without the services of either propeller or rudder. The weather during the last few days has been of such a stormy nature as to inspire uneasiness on the vessels safety, but it is a.t all events reassuring to become that one was all right up till Saturday forenoon. The Gairloch sighted her after leaving Waitara on Friday and took her in tow, but the attempt to bring her to port was not successful, and she was left under canvas about forty miles from the Manukau bar. The Stafl'a and Gairloch have since been out in search of her, but their errands were barren of result. The Maejjrearor's Accident. The accident to the Macgregor happened when she was leaving Wanganui on Thursday. She broke her stern pose and propeller in crossing the bar, but proceeded on her course northward. The next news of her is from New Plymouth, and is contained in the following paragraph published in the "Taranaki Herald" of Friday evening :—The s.s. Macgregor was off the breakwater this morning about ten o'clock, flying signals, but the signalman ati Moturoa was unable to read what the top flaw was, consequently the exact signal couls not be made out. The steamer continued on under sail towards Waitara, where the Gairloch was anchored. The latter steamer went to the assistance of the Macgregor, and towed her to anchorge outside the Waitara. The Macgregor will, we understand, remain at the anchorage till to-night, when the Gairloch will, after embarking the passengers by the express train, tow her on to Onehunga. Subsequently, a wire from Waitara to the same paper stated that the Gairloch had taken her in tow to Onehunga. THE ATTEMPT UNSUCCESSFUL. Captain Me Arthur, of the s.s. Gairloch, states that after leaving the Waitara on Friday, he saw a vessel under canvas flying signals of distress, and the Gairloch immediately bore down to her. The vessel proved to be the Macgregor, which had earned away her rudder, sternpost, and propeller, and consequently, was in a disabled condition. Hawsers were got aboard the Macgregor, and she was then taken in tow, and brought as far as Woody Head—a distance of about 40 miles from the Manukau Bar ; but, owing to the continual sheering about of the Macgregor, through having no steering gear, the hawsers carried away, and Captain McArthur had to abandon the task of further toying.as a portion of the broken hawser had fouled one of the Gairloch's propellors, and so partially disabled that vessel also. This occurred at about eleven o'clock on Friday night, and the Gairloch then stood by the Macgregor until eleven o'clock on Saturday morning, when Captain McArthur, finding the Macgregor wag quite safe under her canvas, left for the Manukau for new hawsers and a fresh supply of coal. VESSELS IN SEARCH. Immediately these facts were reported to the manager of "the Company, instructions were given to the Gairloch and Staffa to proceed out in search of the Macgregor as early as possible yesterday morning. The weather was very boisterous, and the Staffa had a bad time of it getting out. She was too hours iv getting clear of the bar, and the signals from the station instructed Captain Norbury to como to an anchor. He, however, persisted in his attempt, and succeeded in getting out to sea. The vessels teamed about 30 miles in a westerly direction, but did not discover any trace of the Macgregor. The Gairloch took a different course, and expecting that the missing steamer would have drifted in a northerly direction, she steamed as far as the south head of the Kaipara. Her search was also fruitless. Neither steamer returned to the Manukau until after midnight. The Staffa lost no time in coaling, and the weather having moderated, she started off again the first thing this morning. The Gairloch also left about noon, taking with her Captain McGregor, the Managing Director of the Northern Steamship Company. THE MACGREGOK'S PASSENGERS. Owing to the strong S.E. wind and heavy sea that was prevailing, the Gairloch was unable to take off from the Macgregor her passengers, consequently they were forced to remain on the disabled steamer. It is believed that the Macgregor would drift up towards the Kaipara. The steamers with the Macgregor should arrive at the Manukau this morning. Our correspondent at Wanganui telegraphs to-day that the Macgregor's passengers consisted of Miss Aylton, Thomas Donovan, and nine Armed Constabulary for Opunake.. She has also on boaxd a quantity of cargo from Wellington. PROBABILITIES OF THE SEARCH. The Macgregor is tinder the command of Captain Johnson, who has been in the company's service for many years. He is a capable officer of considerable skill and judgment. It is considered probable that the steamer would be headed off the land, and that although driven gradually northward by the prevailing wind that she would keep some way and hold well off the land. If this expectation should be realised, there is but little doubt that Bhewillbe picked up to-day by either the Staffa or Gairloch, and towed into the Manukau to-night. THE ORETI TO THE RESCUE. Mr. Waller's steamer Oreti was to have left Hokianga for the Manukau early this morning, and it was considered almost certain that she would fall in with the disabled Macgregor, the latter going along the coast northward whilst the. Oreti was coining south. In order to provide as far as possible against the chances of the steamers missing each other, the owner of the Oreti telegraphed to Captain Robertson to keep a good lookout for the Macgregor, and render her all possible assistance. In the event of the Oreti being the first steamer to pick up the Macgregor, it is most likely that the latter vessel will accept her aid and be towed into Manukau. THE CLANSMAN TO BE DESPATCHED Failing the receipt of any satisfactory intelligence respecting the missing vessel before to-morrow morning, the Northern Company intend to send the Clansman on as far as the North Cape, in the hope of picking her up thereabouts, or to render assistance to other steamers which may have picked her up betweon the Manukau and that point. The Clansman leaves for Russell at 7 p.m. to-day, and will arrive at Russell about 7 to-morrow morning. If necessary she can therefore be sent further north at very short notice.

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