VESSELS ADRIFT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 191, 14 August 1899, Page 5

VESSELS ADRIFT.

A YACHT DESTROYED.

The wind, which has been blowing from the eastward for about a week, yesterday gradually freshened up, till at night a strong gale was blowing from about due east. Frequent squalls accompanied the gale, and a considerable quantity of rain fell. The wind became stronger and steadier to-day, there being few squalls, while very little rain fell. A very heavy sea was raised in the harbour, and the Devonport Ferry Co.'s st.earners coming1 across from North Shore and Northcote had very rough trips, the spray washing clean over the decks. Against the wind the boats travelled very slowly, the trips from Northcote to Auckland occupying about 40 minutes. The regular service was not kept, one boat being taken off each running for part of the day. The Eagle found it impossible to get into the tee, and had to berth on the western side of tint Queen-street Wharf. During the night the Northern Co.'s steamer iona, which has been anchored for some months among the hulks to the westward of Queen-street Wharf, dragged her anchors and drifted clown the harbour before the gale until abreast of the Chelsea wharf, where she brought up in deep water. It was thought this morning that she. had fouled the Northcote cable, but she drifted over it. The old schooner Medora also dragged from close to the Queenstreet Wharf, her anchors holding her on the sand bank off Ponsonby. A 24ft, half-decked yacht, which was sent down from Kaipara about a fortnight ago by the owner, Mr Chadwick, of Pahi, and which was anchored oft" the breakwater in Mechanics' Bay, drifted ashore. She ran on the seawall near Messrs Logan Bros.' slip, and quickly broke up on the rocks. She was to have been hauled up on' the slip, but no opportunity offered. Another small yacht, of the patiki class, was swamped at her moorings oft Mechanics' Bay, but having no ballast aboard did not sink. The other yachts rode out the gale without receiving any damage. The new steamer Kawau, which Messrs; Logan Bros, are building for the Kawau trade, received a good deal of knocking about. She was berthed on the windward side of the Queen-street Wharf, and - the heavy sea bumped her against, the wharf, smashing the covering board and part of the railing, and breaking in part of the port deck-house. The fender was also chafed. The vessel was moved nearer the foot of the wharf, but as she was still knocking against the piles she was taken in tow by the s.s. Durham and removed to the other side of the wharf. Ml along the coast vessels are sheltering from the gale, while the running of coastal steamers is considerably interfered with. The blowing down of verandahs and other damage is reported from the suburbs. A verandah in front of shops opposite the Eden Vine Hotel was blown down. In Shortland-tetxeet a section ot the. verandah in front of Mr Blakey's shop was thown down across the street, .the ground being strewn with sheets of iron. As a result of the gale a maid in the employ of Mr Montgomery. Manukau Read, Parnell, got the side of her forehead cut, and also a. cut under the eye, about 8.30 this morning. She was standing in the middle of a room, when the force of the wind 1 smashed a window and hurled the glass over the room. Dr. Gordon was S called in and attended to the sufferer. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION.

In the past when a gale has taken place like that of to-day telegraphic communication with other centres has been cut off. The newly erected wire to Wellington via Wangamu proved its worth and utility last night and to-day by remaining intact during the. severe gale. This goes Ho prove the great advantage of the Department having a duplicate wire via the West Coast. No doubt under the old system of communication on the East Coast circuit there would have been interruption to-day. In the forenoon the North of Auckland wires at Waipu and in that locality were affected, but nothing serious happened. The Telegraph Department received no information of any telegraph poles being blown down. Shortly after noon the gale moderated somewhat, though the wind was still very strong. ■ A telegram from Gisborne states that the gale did not extend as far South as that port.