TWO THOUSAND MILES TOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 72, 28 March 1921, Page 5

TWO THOUSAND MILES TOW.

FROM PAPEETE TO AUCKLAND. KAIWARRA'S FEAT. BRINGS RETRIEVER INTO PORT. After a strenuous tow of 2222 miles the steamer Kaiwarra brought the. bar- j quentine Retriever safely into the port , of Auckland from Papeete last Saturday evening. The Retriever was picked up by the Island steamer Talune last May ' iii distress, with her masts carried away. She was towed to Papeete, where Captain G. F. Watson, late of the Rosa- ; mond, with Mr. E. H. Wilson, late of the Wairuna, as chief officer, was placed in command, with UjCrew of ten i'iteairn Islanders. On March 12, after preparations had been made, the barquentine was again taken in tow by the Kaiwarra. The vessel proceeded at full speed, making j about 8t knots. The weather was : | moderate until March 19, when condi- ! j tions changed for heavy seas, causing '■ the Retriever to roll and labour. At I 10.20 p.m. on March 20 the port cable ' connecting with the towing wire carried • away. The voyage was continued with i the one cable, and at reduced speed. On j March 23 at 7 p.m. the weather having i increased in severity, the starboard I cable broke, leaving only a preventer j wire securing the towing cable to the j barquentine. The strain on this wire. which was of 4Hn thickness later caused it to snap, and the two vessels parted , company. By skilful manoeuvring and by means j of an ingenious method Captain H. S. I AVhyborn of the Kaiwarra contrived to pick up the Retriever again. Two lifebuoys with Holmes signal lights | attached, together with a light, line, were floated away from the barquen- j tine and secured by the steamer. This enabled the broken hawser to he picked !up by the Kaiwarra, anil at 2 p.m. the ; following day the voyage was resumed. The remainder of the journey to Auckland, a distance of 280 miles, was accomplished without further mishap, an improvement in the weather facilitating matters. The Retriever is to be converted into a coal hulk at Auckland. - i