RUDDERLESS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13871, 24 October 1910, Page 7

RUDDERLESS.

STRATHCLYDE IN DISTRESS

ADRIFT FOR 23 DAYS

THRILLING STORY OF THE SEA

Late on Saturday night the signalman on the hill-top at Lyttolton Head's noticed the lights of a largo steamer approaching from the northward. Tho vessel was bhou ing two red lights—tho "not under control" signal —and was burning blue lights to indicate that she required the services of a pilot. The Lytteiion Harbour .Hoari's tug Canterbury way sent out at on:e to the which proved to be the steamer Strathclyde. The pilot, captain T. M. Hunter, lioardca h:>r and iound that siui was in distress. Bound iron , . Newcastle to tho West Coa-a of .South America, &he had broken her rudder over threw week, previously, but had managed to crawl back to liie .\tw Zealand coast with the aid of a jury rudder. As she. was :-teering with difficulty, Captain Hunt?: 1 ordered tho tug to g,".t a tow-line fast to tho afior end of v'ic .-itrathdydo to steady her and asiist I lier to .steer, while Lα brought her 10 'an anchorage in the (itream below J Camp bay about two o'clock yesterday morning. " A thrilling story ol the sea was told Iby Captain Watt and the orlicers oi the ' .Straihclyde when n representati>e <■•[ ••Tho Press' , boarded the vessel yesterday, as she lav at anchor.

The Strathch.de ia not a .stranger to Lyttelton in August last she ealUd hero to discharge general cargo in the course of a voyage Iron New York via Meibcurne, ii.vdney, Auckland and "Wellington. On August 27th sho l«ft for Dunedin, ar.d iroin that port she railed on August 31st for Newcastle, where she arrived on (September 7th. Nino days sufficed to load her with 600G ton's of coal for C;ironel, a port on the Chilian coastj about 250 nrles to the -xnithwurr ot Valparaiso, afcd she sailed from Newcastle on her COOO mile tramp across the Pacific on Septen her 16th.

The day after she sailed saw the conriieiiconi'.'iit of iic-r troubles, when eho ran into a strong northerly gale, with fierce squalls auf heavy sons which brcke on board, {loading tho decks i'oro and aft. The vessel plugged lir»r way •across tho Tasman Sea against the galei :uci soas and pa.HEcd Pencarrow llead at 8.25 a.m. on September 22ud. Ope Pallisor was passed rliroo hours J;i*«r, and with a ire?h north-west gulp driving heavy :sCas over her dct:ks, the Strathclydo dropped tho coast of New Zealand out of astern. The next day tho vessel crossed the ]BOth meridian, and was driving and labouring against a hard south-wost gale, which raged violently day ;.fter diy. Hard squall;- , of hail and sleet swept over tlig steamer, tremendous g»een seas smashed on board, lifting tho lifeboats out of their chocks and damaging the rails of the navigating bridge. Oil was freely used, to calm the breaking waves on Tuesday, Soj>tember 27th, but the weather got rapidly wor.se, and at 10 o'clock that night the vessol had to be hove-to. At midnight tho barometer read 23.62, and tho wind was blowing with hurricane Wee. Terrific squalls Mvept over the vesse , as she i.iy labouring and straining heavily in the tremendous sens which thnn-lercd on board and swept her decks fore and aft.

The Strathclyde rode out the fury of the gale, which at noon on September 28th had moderated so much that it was deemed safe to keep the shipaway on her course. But it was found that she would not answer her helm, and a hp.&ty examination revealed the startling fact tint the rudder-stock had broken right through in the trunk. The vessel was quite, uncontrollable, and the heavy sea. , ! wero banging the broken rudder about with great violence, and as it threatened damage to tho propeller, the steamer was put slow ahead. The Iwomcter had started to rise, and .r.s ifc did ko the wind increased, and again blew with hurricane force, bringing up mountainous seas, which crashed on board the helpless vessel, filling her decks to the rail and sweeping her fore and aft as she wallowed and laboured in the trough of the giant waves.

Immediately it was found Hie rudder il»a<l broken, a. bis; "drag" was mad-e from a great coil of mooring rope, viiioli was .'securely lashed with wire hawsers, and was put over the stern ami towed by a stout wire cable. This had the effect of steading the vessel, and all hands at or.cc set to -work to make a jury rudder. All this time tho pa'o wr.s raging furiously, and oil had to bo used continuously. In fact, tho mate attributed the fact that the ship did. not founder in tha tremendous seas to tho uso oi" oil, which smoothed the breaking waves in a marvellous manner. Altogether three largo barrels of lubricating oil were used to calm tl|3 beab. The oil was allowed to dri'i from perforated tins down the waste pipes on cither side in the forward end of the vessel, and its effect in smoothing many a mighty sea which would otherwise have wrought havoc to the ship was almost miraculous. On Saturday, October Ist, the gale was raging harder than ever. Oil was in constant iise, as the vessel, with her engines going dead slow, forged ahead. At 4 o'clock that afternoon an endrmous soa broke clean over the steamer, doing serious damage. The tarpaulins were torn off No. 2 hatch, thr» foro part of which was stove in. Tho navigating bridge was awash, tho wheelhouse, the cabins and tho storeroom were washed out, the ventilators on the bridge deck were broken or swept bodily overboard, and thick glass ports weresmashed. A kedge anchor weighing over two tons, secured by iron br.-ioketo to the steel house at the after end of the forward well deck, was torn partly away from its fastenings. The officers and crew had a terrible time working to secure No. 2 hatch with new tarpaulins to keep water from getting below, and making the kedge anchor fast with steel wire hawsers. Mountainous coas continued to come aboard, and the men, in imminent peril of their lives, worked like Trojans up to their necks in water and oil. Next day blindinp squalls of hail and fdeet accompaukd tho high and dangerous seas. A faint idea of the size of the seas may be gauged from the statement of the mate that when the vessel fell away into tho trough between the seas, the waves rcee level with the top of her funnel, like huge green hills. In the deep valleys a dead c?lm prevailed, but when the steamer rose on the crest, a fierce hurricane ecreamed at her.

All this time the Strathclyde was gradually driving away to the scut toward, as her engines had to bo kept going slow ahead, with the object of preventing the banging rudder from (striking the propeller. On Sunday, October 2nd, she was in latitude oOdeg. south, and next day she was twenty miles further south. On the Monday niorning a huge sea, sweeping her decks,, tore tiie steam-pipe- covers from their fastenings, and twisted and tore the iron-work like so much paper. The drag which was towing astern had to l>o cut away, as the heavy sea« drove, the vessel down on it, and there was danger of it-s fouling the propeller. A jib and a staysail were set on the wiro stays cf the masts, with the object of heading the fehip back to the northward, but a violent squall blew the jib t'leaii out of tho .bolt ropes.

All this time the men were engaged in making a jury rudder. Tho engineers v.-ere kept hard at work handling their en.dncs. and between times in making belts and fastenings and cuttint;; iron-work, whilC f tho carpenters were -working* up on the bridge deck.

! No. 1 derrick was unshipped and fitted up with tho necessary gear, and on the oth inst., it -was put overboard and towed astcrii by a stout wire hawser, which was secured to the middle of tho spar. From each end of tho derrick. I whi<:h measured about 43 feet in length, a sUol steering wire ■was brought in over each quarter of tho ship and taken to tho two winches at the after end of the welldock. A man was stationed at each winch to act as helmsman, and ho worked in obedience to signals given by whistle by the officer on the bridgeI the rudder, although a cumbersome contrivance, worked surprisingly well, except when the seas were too great. On the (ith inst.. tho barometer fell rapidly to 28.70. and tho gale increased to a hurricane, with mountainous seas, which drove the vessel astern. Thero was grave danger of the jury rudder fouling the propeller, and the wires had to be cut. Once more the vessel fell away to the southward, and canvas was set in the main rigging, and also on the ship's rails, but it had not much effect on the vessel's way. At 6 a.m. on the Bth inst., another derrick was imshippod and fitted out as a jury rudder. It was put over tho stern at 9 o'clock, but for the nsxt two days thero was little or no chance of working it. On the 10th, however, tho vessel was got away on a course for New Zealand, and tho jury rudder worked well. The next day brought a welcome spoil of light variable winds, but it was not for long. At midnight on the 13th the- vessel was plugging against a strong westerly gale, shipping great seas over her bows and filling her'decks. At 5. lo i>.m. on t.Lo 1-Jth a heavy sea caught the jury rudder and snapped the big spar in two. Tho remnants were cut adrift next morning, nnd at 1 p.m. No. 3 derrick was unshipped and fitted as a jury rudder. Three hours later it was got into the water, and the vessel was once more being steered by means of her winches. Heavy westerly gales continued for t!u> nest three or four days, oil being used to smooth the seas. A violent squall blew the forestaysail out of the bo!' ropes. On Tuesday last the gale moderated. Wednesday was dropped out of the reckoning, as the vessel crossed tho 180 th meridian. The vo.ssol was now making better progress, and at daybreak on Friday land was sighted bearing N.W. At'" a.m. it was found by observation that the steamer was 43 niiles south-east of Cnpo Palliser. A heavy gale came on during the afternoon, and blew hard all night, tho vessel having to bo eased down. At 6 o'clock on Saturday morning, tho weather having moderated, tho vessel started full speed ahead, the jury rudder working very well. An hour later the vessel was headed south-west for Lyttelton, and everything went well on the run down tho coast, until 5.2,5 p.m., when the port steering guy carried away. A boat was lowered, and a new wire, rove, and twenty minutes later the vessel was under wiry again. She steered splendidly within half a point or two; vessels thnt were spoken did not appear to notice anything .amiss. Goclley Hend was sighted at 7.30 p.m., and at midnight the pilot was on board taking fh© vessel into port.