CLOSE TO BREAKERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 95, 23 April 1928, Page 10

CLOSE TO BREAKERS.

DISABLED SHIP IN PERIL.

SAVED IT BARBOUR TUG.

ANXIOUS NIGHT OFF WANGANUI.

(From On* Own Correspondent.)

WANGANUI, this day.

Empty /of cargo, and riding high in • tremendous sea, with the sole remaining blade of her propeller thrashing the water, the Northern Company's costal steamer Gale was saved from certain destruction at daybreak on Saturday morning by the Wanganui Hair hour Board's tug Kahanui.

The Gale, on entering Wanganui on Wednesday afternoon, was forced i against one )of the moles, and two ( blades of her propeller were broken and 1 a third was badly bent. The Union j Company's tug Terawhiti was sent from j Wellington to tow the Gale back to ( Wellington, but at 1.30 p.m. on Satur- ] day the towline parted. The Tera- ] whrti, after vainly trying to "hook up" , again, had to stand out to sea, 'while the Gale, after drifting down the coast, . was moored about two miles off shore, six or seven miles south of Wanganui. j Tremendous Sea Sunning. f A north-west gale started to blow, 1 and the seas became tremendous. The ( harbour authorities in Wanganui grew ] anxious, with the result thait the tug j Kahanui was sent out nt ton o'clock to ] the rescue. Immediately after clearing j the bar her crew realised what lay j ahead. The huge seas broke over her, j and her lower decks became impassable. Bain squalls hid the land, and only occasionally could the lights of the Gale be seen. There was nothing to be done but wait for daybreak, and the tug cruised about on a triangular course. When the dawn came it was seen that the Gale was in grave danger. The storm had increased, and the ship had t drifted until she was little more than f half a mile from the breakers on the j beach. Captain Mclntyre, in charge of ] the Kahanui, attempted to float a line , to. the Gale, but just as 600 ft of strong j line was about to be uncoiled a , tremendous sea struck the tug, with the j result that she heeled over and the line was swept overboard. j Third Attempt Successful. j But the tug persevered. Two lines, < with floats attached, were sent over- i board, and the Kahanui steamed slowly i •cross the Gale's bows, but each time 1 the strong current carried the line away. , The third time Captain Mclntyre took the tug even closer to the Gale, and the rope was carried across the anchor cable, and after a struggle a stout wire cable was made fast. As the tug moved ahead everybody wondered, "Will it holdt" It was the last chance, for' the Oale had drifted closer to the beach, fad the storm had increased.

The cable held, and gradually the Kahanui towed the disabled ship out of danger. It was decided tor set out for Wellington, and both steamers dropped anchor in Wellington harbour at 2.20 a.m. The Gale had been at sea for 46 hour* and the Kahanui for 29.

Credit for the rescue of the Gale is due to Captain Mclntyre, who is I harbourmaster at Wanganui, and his crew. The tug put to sea at very short | notice, and her crew had little food and practically no sleep.