THE GRACE HARWAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 14, 17 January 1901, Page 5

THE GRACE HARWAR.

A PERILOUS EXPERIENCE

ON HER BEAM ENDS FOE

DAYS

ARRIVED AT GJSBORNE

V SEAMAN DROWNED

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)'

GISBORNE, this day

"None of us ever expected to see Gisborne," said the first mate of the Grace Harwar to a Gisborne "Herald" representative after she came to anchorage in th e bay yesterday afternoon, and his expression of thankfulness at being- once more safe was heartily echoed by all on board. The appearance of the vessel, which left Capetown on November 4th, indicated that she had had a rough passage. Her mizzentopmast was gone, and her maintopg-allant was also snapped off. The voyage from Capetown was notmarked by any special incident of the Weather of any kind. On December 20th the vessel called off Otago Heads for orders, and came on to Gisborne on Christmas Day (December 26th, ship's time). A HOWLING GALE. At 7.30 a strong wind increased to a. howling gale and the tipper topsails were furled and made fast. At eight p.m. tlio gale was still on the increase, the wind, blowing with absolutely hurricane force. The foresail was Curled, also the lower niizzentopsail. l!y II p.m. the gale had reached a terrible height, being accompanied by a high cross sea. The vessel shipped a ten-itic sea at this time, which completely tilled the decks and took three of our boats with it, as well as the skids, the bridge, the standard compass; and nearly everything1 moveable on deck before it. The starboard poop ladder, the safe, and a quantity of gear w?ere also washed ■ overboard. The Grace Harwar came in ballast. Whilst she was being swept by terrific seas, this ballast shifted, and threw the vessel ON HER BEAM ENDS. Sonic idea, of her position may be gained from the fact that her lee rail was rift under water. The water came almost to the combings of the hatchings, and washed over them. At times the keel of (he ship could be seen on the weal her "i'1- '''nt> men, to get from cud to end of the vessel, had to clamber along1-the weather side.

The sea that was shipped was, in the opinion of the mate, something in the nature of a tidal wave, otherwise he cannot from his experience account for its force. The lee yard arms were all at this time TEX FEET UNDEII WATEIt, To right the ship orders were given to cut away the mizzentopmast, and to let the maintopsail sheets go. Before this the foretopsail had been blown a.way. Notwithstanding all that could be done, the vessel still remained in her awful position, at 6 o'clock on the following morning, the captain's cabins beinf'half full of water, and his chart being hall1 full of water. AHhandswere turned out to go below and commence Hie work of trimming ballast. The gale moderated at noon, but there was still very high sea running, and the vessel lurched very heavily, the water being four or five feet above starboard rails. Next day the weather began to moderate, the gale being from westward, but the position of those on board was not more pleasant, for, notwithstanding the trimming work done on the previous day her decks were still awash, water occasionally coming down the main hatch. WORKING NIGHT AND DAY. The crew worked like Trojans nighty and day trimming, and when, on the ■ next day, the weather became fine, with a strong breeze and aheavysou'west swell, the effect of the continuous toil of the men began to be aj>parent. The lee side commenced to rise. An attempt, was next made to make fast some of the sails which had blown away from the gaskets. Most of these, though, had been blown to ribbons. The storm struck the Grace Harwar when she was off Hawke's Bay ajid about 200 miles out to sea, and carried her under practically bare poles for a considerable distance further out while decks were all awash. On Christmas Day the rigging was a mass of tangled wreckage and cordage, and the tattered remnants of what had once been a sail. A SEAMAN DROWNED. An ordinary seaman named Cornelius Eckhard attempted +o make his way along the deck, and was washed overboard. He was never seen again. The man was shipped at Capetown, and was a young fellow. TRIMMING BALLAST AND CLEARING WRECKAGE. On 'the 28th the attention of all hands was turned to the task of further trimming ballast, and of clearing wreckage that hung up aloft. Ballast trimming was continued with good results on the 29th s tlie ship rising still further on the :SOth. The deck on the lee side by that time wasi quite dry. On the 31st the breeze freshened somewhat, and efforts to right the vessel were still continued, and before tile end of the day's work the ports on the lee side were awash. On January Ist the ship still had a list of 20 decrees, and this by continuous work had been reduced by the 2nd to live degrees, and tangled masses in rigging had also been straightened somewhat. Up till the 9th the crew were- occupied _in clearing the rigging and making things ship shape, and on that date LAND WAS SIGHTED at Portland Island, the ship being wore E.N.E. Thence battling winds were encountered, and the ship had considerable difficulty in making port. The vessel sighted the Union steamer Hawea on the Bth, and though signals of distresswwe e made they were not noticed. The. Grace Harwar after being repaired here, loads wool for London.