AROUND THE WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 209, 3 September 1932, Page 4

AROUND THE WORLD.

GOSSIP OF THE PORTS. THE WRECKS OF CENTURY. INCIDENTS IN 1910. (By LEE FORP-i BRACK.) Schooner Waiapu —Sailed from Auckland on April 11 for Gisborne. When in the Bay of Plenty she encountered an extraordinarily heavy gale from the sou , - weet, and on April 26, when attempting to run before it her clocks were swept, bulwarks smashed, and deck houses stove in. During the height of the gale both masts went by the board. The helpless .schooner was then sighted by the s.s. Ennerdale and towed back to Auckland. No one was injured. S.e. Indradevi.—While lying at the Queen's wharf, Auckland, fire broke out in her cargo on June 22. All the Auckland fire brigades were called out, and for 20 hours they fought the flames. The fire gainejl, and to save the ship and cargo in the after holds the vessel was flooded. Damage to the extent of £16,000 was done to the ship and cargo. S.s. Lauderdale. —When entering Greymouth Harbour on Juno 27, to complete loading for Australia, she stranded on the bar, and immediately afterwards ewung broadside on to the beach and became a total wreck. The crew of 23 were rescued by means of a basket slung on a hawser between ship and nhore. The Lauderdale was a vessel of 1068 tons, and was previously named the Taieri and the Cairntoul.

Danger of "Blind Seas." Ship Bcccroft.—Arrived at Dunedin on September 2 after ;i passage of 154 day« from Marseilles, France. When passing Cape Leemvin a succession of extraordinarily heavy seas pooped the vessel, doing extensive damage and sweeping her captain and two .seamen overboard. The seae were «o great, and the ship was so extensively damaged that nothing could be done to rescue the unfortunate men. For many years past seamen the world over have advanced innumerable theories as to the origin of these "blind seas" as they are called; the moet accepted explanation being that of volcanic action on some part of the .sea bed. Records show that they are often met with in the Tasinan Sea, and ae they give no warning of their approach there is no doubt that many ships which have been posted as '"missing" met their fat by being overwhelmed by these great rollers. Barquentinc Alexa.—When entering VVanganui Harbour on December 12, rail ashore on the South Spit. Schooner Jessie Niccol, —Blown ashore on Macquarie Island on December 18, and totally wrecked, the master, mate and cook being drowned. The Jessie Niccol wan owned by Hatch and Co., of Invercargill, and was engaged in bringing up seal oil from the southern ielands. She carried a crew of seven, and at the time of her wreck had ten men aboard who were going down to relieve the men on the island. The writer visited this island in 1913, and the Vreck of this schooner was lying high and dry, fully 200 yards inland from the top of high water mark, which gave one a good idea of the power and height of the seas which rage in that part of theHvorld. Incidents In 1911. S.s. Aotea.—When bound from Glasgow to Auckland, stranded on Moulle Point, Capetown Harbour, on January 22. Barque Speculant.—When proceeding to Warrnambool, Australia, to load timber for Auckland, was driven ashore on Cape Patten on February 10, and became a total wreck. Her crew escaped with great difficulty.

S.s. Boveric—Stranded on Nukualofa Island, Cook group, on March 29. She was after ivards refloated, but was considerably damaged. S.s. Wairau.—Collided with, the s.s. Himatangi in the Manawatu River on May 16. The Wairau was struck amidships, and drifted on to the bank of the river and sank. The Wairau was formerly the sailing vessel Ronga, which capsized in Cook Strait on September 6, 1901, and right throughout her career was continually in trouble. S.s. Tofua.—Stranded on a reef in Navula Passage, Fiji, when steaming for Levuka, on May 31. The Government eteamer Ranadi and the s.s. Manapouri made eeveral attempts to get her off the reef without result. Cargo from the forward holds was discharged, and the big vessel floated off on June 2, without having sustained any serious damage. During the salvage operations Mr. C. S Hudson, chief officer of the Tofua, was accidentally killed, and the bo'sun severely injured owing to a hawser suddenly parting when the ship was being hove off the reef. The Tofua was able to return to Auckland. without mishap Barquentine Pelotus.—Stranded near the m , out ,S, of the Wanganui River on June 18. Ihe vessel was laden with hardwood from Australia for the West Coast railway Various attempts were made to salvage the vessel, but it took three months to get her afloat again. No one wa3 injured.

Ketch Lizzie Taylor.—During a voyage trom Timaru to Wellington a heavy gale was encountered on July 26.. The vessel's decks were swept by the sea, her wheel and tiller were smashed, and deck fittings ?h»YYe£ e board - P urin S the hei gat of the gale her mate, Mr. C. Brusla, was washed overboard and never seen again. Schooner Bellflower.—When bound from Uunedin to kaipara, laden with general cargo, was totally wrecked off Little River Akaroa on July 20. All her crew managed to reach the shore in safety

Scow In a Cyclone. Scow Whangaroa.—When bound from Mokau New Zealand, to Sydney, was overtaken by the cyclone whicli the Tasman Sea from June 19 to June 23 During the height of the cyclone her deck cargo was swept overboard, taking with it the cookhouse, lifeboats, and the greater part of the vessel's bulwarks it was mipossible to work about the vieel's decks, owing to the heavy seas which swept her fore and aft, and the crew had to SXT,? 3° P ° f + , the after deckhouse! frnm VL ?S da3 - S COuM Dot move from their precarious position. On Jimp 22 the scow, owing to the fact that X was, unmanageable drifted into the vortex of the cyclone and the seas soon made opTtpcS^lL^f™ they had to sustain life being a few bScoltcted r\r- atoes ' , r ™fcer being collected m their eou'-westers which took ofl the crew managed to launch 0 large flat-bobtomed dinghy which wVs stern , davits and in thfa fiail craft they successfully reached Lord Howe Island, more dead than alive Six months later the battered remains of the TnTr? dn T tC i (l " Ned's Beach feet of £ * Is,and ', and many thousand fohermen. Many strange sforiSare, told of the passage of CJie Tasman by the seamen who manned the timber shins trading between New Zealand and Australia but no more thrilling esoapf ?,

B.S. Knight of St. George.-When hound from San Francisco to Auckland stranded on a reef near Tonga August 20. -\ email portion of the carsro wae salved, but the vessel became a total wreck, the insurances on ship and cargo, amounting to no less than £125,000, being paid by Jjloyd s underwritera.