SHIP DISABLED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 173, 24 July 1928, Page 5

SHIP DISABLED.

IN THE TASMAN SEA. TAILSHAFT BROKEN. COLLIER SENT TO RESCUE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The head office of the Union Steam Ship Company received a wireless message yesterday from Captain F. A. Jaunay, of the company's collier Waitomo, which is on its way from Newcastle to Bluff, stating that the vessel is disabled with a broken tailshaft at a point about 400 miles north of Westport. The Kaitoke, a collier, left Westport early this morning, and, on picking up the Waitomo, will tow her to Auckland for repairs in the Devonport dockyard. The Waitomo is a ste*l screw cargo carrier of 4214 tons and was built in 1911 by the Northumberland Ship- j building Company, Ltd., Newcastle, England, and engined by Richardsmans, j Westgarth and Company, Ltd. j Previous Drifts. Among previous cases of steamers going adrift on account of broken propeller shafts may be mentioned the Monowai, the Perthshire and the Waikato. The Union Co.'s Monowai (Captain Chatfield) was adrift from October 20 to the 25th, while en route from Bluff to Hobart with passengers. She was picked up by the Mokoia 100 miles from the point where the breakdown occurred and ■was towed 472 miles to Port Chalmers. Although there was no breakage to the steamer's frame, she was absolutely crippled. In 1899 the Perthshire was adrift for 52 days, as a result of her propeller shaft being broken on April 28, two days after she left Sydney for Bluff. She drifted about helplessly for 1444 miles, eventually being picked up by the s.b. Talune near Norfolk Island. During the drift she crossed and re-crossed the tracks of steamers and a lengthy search by the Government steamer Tutanekai proved in vain. The New Zealand Shipping Co.'s steamer Waikato was adrift between the Cape of Good Hope and Australia for nearly three months, from June 5 to September 15, in 1899, and was finally picked up by the s.s. Asloun and towed to Fremantle, after she had covered a drifting course of 4450 miles, aided by sails. Her shaft had snapped off three feet from the propeller and the prolonged drift showed the difficult}* of picking up a disabled steamer in those days. The Union Co.'s steamer Kaitoke left Westport di, 3 a.m. to-day to pick up the Waitomo, which is keeping in touch by wireless. Captain Jaunay, of the Waitomo, has with him the following officers:—First. Mr. G. W. Godfrey; second, Mr. S. A. Smith; third, Mr. A. H. Dunninpham.

The Waitonio will be taken in tow by the Kaitoke and brought to Auckland.

The tt'aitomo's second engineer is Mr. Charles Scott, a brother of Mr. Gilbert Scott, of the Auckland Education Board (architectural department).