THE WAIKATO AND HER PREVIOUS BREAKDOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 166, 15 July 1902, Page 2

THE WAIKATO AND HER PREVIOUS BREAKDOWN.

The Waikato, a steel single-screw feteamer of 4767 tons register, built in' 1892, is one of the best-known of the New Zealand Shipping- Company's cargo-carriers. The locality where she has been sighted adrift at the mercy of the winds and currents is not very far west of the Cape of Good Hope, and there is a chance that she may be picked up and towed to Capetown. If not, and if she drifts past the Cape away to the south-east, the chances are that she will be knocking about for a long time to come in that great waste of waters. However, a steamer may be despatched from the Cape L. search of her.

It is a remarkable coincidence that the Waikato broke down in just about the same place three years ago, when bound from London to New Zealand. The accident happened on June 5, 1899, off the Cape of Good Hope, and the steamer -was adrift in the region of the "roaring forties" for no less than 105 days. When she was eventually towed into Freemantle by the c.c, Asloun she was 157 days out from London, and had drifted 4450 miles, during which she crossed her own track seven times. The Waikato's experience adrift in the stormy Southern Ocean was unparalleled In the history of steam navigation. The steamer was off the Cape when the shaft broke off the stern tube, aljout three feet from the propeller. It was absolutely impossible to repair the damage. On July 28, 150 miles south of Cape Agulhas, a sailing vessel, the barquentine Tacora, was sighted, and she took the big steamer in tow in a plucky endeavour to haul her towards the Cape. Unfortunately the wind died away, leaving a heavy swell, and the two vessels collided, doing, however, little damage. The Tacora then had to give up the undertaking, and stood on her course. Provisions began to run short on the Waikato, and f_e cargo was overhauled for food. The want of flour was the principal inconvenience. For week after week the steamer knocked about in the Southern.Ocean, under sail. On the 22nd of August she was running along before a westerly wind, with all sail set, when a terrific gust carried away everything except the foresail. Fortunately there were spare sails on board. On September 8 the American barque Alice, bound fror- New York to New Zealand, was Spoken. She gave the Waikato a generous contribution, consisting of two barrels of beef, three barrels of flour, and five spare sails. The Waikato had now drifted so far east as to be as near to Australia as to the Cape, and the captain decided to make for the former. On September 15th the steamer Asloun was sighted, and after great difficulty took the big tramp in tow. The tow-line snapped on two occasions. The second time was on the 28th, when the Waikato fell off rapidly before the gale, her decks were flooded with water, and as there was no sign of the Asloun great fears were entertained for her safety. Nest day the wind decreased, but the Aβloun was not sighted till the afternoon. Another tow-line was put on board her, when it was ascertained she had a narrow escape, the gale having started the funnel and caused other damage. Afte a long and anxious tow, Fremantle (W.A.) was reached on October 7. The place where the Asloun picked up the disabled steamer was 39.30 south latitude, and 34.40 east longitude. The steamer was 53 days out before she sighted a vessel, although right on the track to the colonies. The Asloun was awarded a large earn as salvage.