THE MARGARET GALBRAITH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 40, 15 February 1894, Page 5

THE MARGARET GALBRAITH.

STORMY PASSAGE FROM

AUCKLAND.

A TRYING EXPERIENCE AND

NARROW ESCAPE.

Ths Sbaw, Savill, and Albion Company's abip Margaret Galbraith arrived at JJPort Chalmers from London, via Auckland, early on.-Friday morning laab, having made the Heads' latejhy previous night. Quite a feeling 0/ relief was experienced ac Fort when her. presence waa made known, as she had"-.twin twenty tone days on the passage from Aubfeiand, arid considerable "anxiety was fall as to her safety. The voyage down proved ai most tempestuous one, and Cap* tainCollingwood was severely injured during the northerly pate, and is now con£n«d to a private hospital ashore. We are indebted to the chief officer, Mr Long, foi iktfdetails which follow :— TheiVfiMeL sailed from Auokland on January 19th," with Btrbng southerly winds tad heavy rain, and the weather coatinued unchanged till Crerier Island was abeam, whin the wind dropped, and for a time the f easel was becalmed. The wind then came out of the north-east and blew for two days vary bard, the ship being driven considerably off her course. On "January 24th she rounded North East Cape with a strong loutb-wesfe breeze, which veered into the north-west and occasionally into the northoast. This carried the veeeel down the ceaat fairly well, but on January 27th vivid lightning was noticed to the southward, with loud thunder, and the ship was put under lower topsails in anticipation of the coming storm. It blew very hard for a few hours and then moderated, and on January 28bb the ship was off Kaikoura ; variable and light winds were experienced from this date till February 2nd, when the •hip was fifteen -milea ott Uodlay Heads with every prospect of coming to an anchorage next) day. The wind at this time was moderate from the N.E., with thick drizzling rain. During the afternoon it veered into the N.N.E., and then again into the north west, and blew with hurricane force. The g\m. fell very rapidly, dropping from 30.20 td 28.50 in a very short time. By 10 p.m. the hurricane had raised a heavy toi, and the canvas on the ship at that time consisted of lower topsails only. Huge green seas continued to- make clean sweeps over the ship, and by 11 p.m. she wat thrown on her beam ende. The lower topsails were cut adiift and the canvas was blown clean out of. the bolt rapes. AH bands were sont below, to try to trim . ballast and cargo. The nigbt wag rpifcch -dark, and the position of. the ship andthoseon board was anything but safe. I'he ballast was about the worst they could have had under the circumstances, namely,

; ibiajjle, but the crew worked with a will, ; as- their live* practically depended on .their efforts. The lee rail and balf of the deck were under water, co it ma) beimagined the difficulty bhere was in thoveiling the shingle back to windward. It was at this time Captain Collingwood was dashed by an enormous sea into the lee scuppers, and narrowly escaped being washed overboard. VVh,en picked up he was. found to be very severely cut and bruised in several place?. His right leg was very severely bruised, and ho hau received severe injuries in several

parts of hia body. He has been confined to _ bis room ever since, and is now jus* able to •«et about with assistance.

During the whole of Saturday and Sun'•lay the hurricane raged with great fdree, the ship gtin being driven off shore and the men working for their lives at the ballast *hl> the hopes of righting the ship. During Sunday the gale moderated a trifle wd the vessel commenced to get; back to an even keel, after having drifted ovet 200 miles on her beam ends. The wind then went round, to the southwest, jrod the glass commenced to .slowly rise. ■The vessel was no! sufficietly upright, ■•www, to allow of sail, being set. On ow»d»y nigab watches were seb and one watch turned in for a rest ihey were sadly wmed of. During the following dayMonday—the ship continued to lurch heavily, M & ft, i M ra n WBB still constantly QBder water, bus the men still stuck to their work, and by noon the vessel was gob into a fairly upright position, a«d canvas was «et. Variable winds, chiefly from the *oubh to the northeast, were then experienced till arrival at Lyttelton. The vesßel has certainly hid about as narrow an escape as it was possible to have, and heT officers and trow will doubt'ess remember ?«>r many a long cay the experience they wye unvorgone,