WARNING TO SHIPPING.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17247, 10 September 1921, Page 10

WARNING TO SHIPPING.

(press association telegram.) WELLINGTON; September 9. The Secretary of the - General Post Office has received the following message from the . Customs Boarding Inspector at Auckland: "Schooner Cecilia Sudden reported burnt outaide Great' Barrier Island. Ships are warned to keep clear of wreckage. The crew are safe."

THE SHIP ASHORE ON GREAT

BARRIER. "A EAGINGr FUENACE, FOBS AND AFT." ' . (PEESS ASSOCIATION TJSLEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, September 9. The harjbour tug Te Awhina, which was sent out to search for. the Cecilia Sudden, and, if possible,' to salvage her, returned to-night, having found the burning vessel ashore one mile southeast of Tryphena, Great Barrier Island, and about six ..miles from the locality where the vessel was when the fire on board was noticed. The harbour* master, who went with the tug, reports that the Cecelia Sudden's masts and boom have disappeared.. There is only the shell of tae vessel left, with the inside a raging furnace, fore and aft. I It was estimated that she would i'all to pieces • and sink- at any time. Ihe captain of the Cecilia Sudden, interviewed, described how the fire . waß discovered at 5.45 p.m. on Thursday, but Ihe smoke increased rapidly, in spite of the efforts of the crew to quench the flames with buckets of wpter. When a trawler was noticed'in the distance,' a bed-sheet was hoisted as a distress signal.' This was noticed by the trawler, which came to the ship's assistance. The captain's theory was that the fire was due to spontaneous combustion of the coal. ■He could not signal with flags or rockets, as both-were cut off by the fire. He indicated that if anything possible could been done about .the schooner,.he was determined to do it. He was. Quito certain, howiever, that there would have been no hope of towing the. schooner anywhere before the fire-had Bunk her.' It was slow progress' getting away from the ship without rowlocks, and they felt the heat of the fire', before they wereaway.

The disaster which terminated, the career of the Cecilia" Sudden was the [ last of a series of misfortunes which had attended the vessel during the past few months. While en route from Newcastle to Callao, she sprang a leak, and put into Auckland on March 9th for repairs. It was found that the damage was ' much more-serious than at first supposed, and her cargo of coal was discharged and sold in Auckland. She was docked and repairs effected. On Ttfay 7th she left for. Sydney, and pro-' ce'eded thence to Newcastle to load for Callao. She left Newcastle on August--Bth.