IN TOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 148, 25 June 1931, Page 7

IN TOW.

CRIPPLED FREIGHTER. SATISFACTORY PROGRESS. SPEED OF EIGHT KNOTS. Completely crippled through the loss of her propeller, the Ellerman Bucknall Line steamer City of Kimberley is now being towed towards Auckland by the motor ship Opawa. The ships are piogressing at the rate of eight knots. This information is contained in wireless messages received by the New Zealand Shipping Company, who are agents for the City "of Kimberley and owners of the Opawa. In a message received last evening by. Mr. A. H. Sinel, local manager for the company, the City of Kimberley- leported that the tow was proceeding satisfactorily. No mention was made as to the actual time the Opawa got a tow line aboard the crippled freighter. This morning Mr. Sinel was advised of a wireless message sent to the head office of the company at Wellington by the Opawa. In this it was stated that at mid-day yesterday the two vessels were approximately 1200 miles from Auckland, and that the tow was, being made at the rate of eight knots. . When the City of Kimberley first reported that she had. lost her propeller she gave her position as 1300 miles from j Auckland, so that the message received, from the Opawa makes it appear that the crippled vessel has already been towed one hundred miles. Assuming that a speed of eight knots was maintained from the time the City of Kimberley was taken in toAV until the Opawa wirelessed at mid-day yesterday the tow must have commenced at an early hour yesterday morning. . With the vessels still so far away, from Auckland, it is difficult to estimate when they are likely to reach: port. The weather, <of course, will be an important factor, and it is quite likely that adverse conditions will be encountered when nearing the New Zealand coast. In the meantime it is expected that the tow will be completed about Tuesday evening. • As the result of the diverting of the Opawa and the 1300-mile tow, in addition to the fitting of a new propeller to the City of Kimberley, considerable expense will be involved, and this will be the subject of a general average. The amount of general average to be declared, however, cannot be announced until the local agents have received full particulars of the cargo on the City of ELimberley, and an estimate of the costs likely to be incurred owing to the mishap. The City of Kimberley, which is loaded with New York cargo, is commanded by Captain W. A. Wooster, who was formerly master of the City of Mobile, at one time known as the Kentucky. The vessel has visited Auckland under both names with Captain Wooster as master; The last occasion on which Captain Wooster was at Auckland was in November, 1929. The Opawa is commanded by Captain Robinson, formerly master of the Ruapehu.