THE TRIUMPH DISASTER.—LITTLE PROSPECT OF GETTING HER OFF THE ROCK.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3861, 1 December 1883, Page 3

THE TRIUMPH DISASTER.—LITTLE PROSPECT OF GETTING HER OFF THE ROCK.

Auckland, This clay.

There is very little hope of yetting , the steamer Triumph off, and she is expected to break in two. The officers arc very reticent as to the cause of the disaster. Captain Brotherton says they went ashore at 10.15 p.m. The pilot had been discharged an hour previously, having given the course, and it must have been through some error or misunderstanding that the bungle occurred, for the captain states that he kept up to the Island light (Tiri Tiri) to get a straight run to Capo Colvillfs. How it occurred may be explained in the future, or may never be explained ; but, at all events, the Triumph got ashore across a rocky reef .stretching a short distance from the southeast of Tiri Tiri, and immediately under the light of the lighthouse at 10.10. Immediately after she struck an was made to back the ship oil" from her position. Ah to who gave the orders for this there ore conflicting statements. The engineer says that he felt the_ vessel graze, and reversed without waiting for orders. The second mate .says that she was being backed astern when she struck, and the captain said she was going full speed ahead—that is to say, eleven knots an hour—and this seems the most likely story from the fact of the vessel having gone so far on the reef as to remain swinging just under her foremast, probably more than sixty feet from her bows. The captain took, apparently, most prompt action to get his ship off. Some 300 tons of ballast was pumped out of her forward compartments, and an anchor was got out aft, when it was found that she was in danger. Rockets were sent up at frequent intervals, and guns were fired, but the former were not seen and the latter were not heard until daybreak. Meanwhile it had been found that the ship was making water in the fore hold, and the crew were set to work to snitfc the cargo, and worked energetically until worn out. A largo quantity was saved, but the water rose to a height of 11 feet in tins compartment, and although the engines were kept working the men were manifestly

fagged out when the Stella arrived. Excursions to the scene of tho wreck today are boinsr run. The Triumph was built in ISSO by Clayton, Dixon and Co., Middlcsbro'-cm-Tees. Her dimensions are—Length, 3;>o feet: beam, 35 feet 2 inches ; depth of hold, 27 feet: registered tonnage, 1797 tons, but she i.s capable of carrying 2997 tons. Her engines were manufactured at the workshop of IJlair, of Stockton-on-Tees, are compound, on the direct acting vertical inverted principle, nominal horse power -100 and actual 2000. Her hull has a full licavy appearance, she having been built with the main object of being a large cargo carrier. The saloon accommodation is small. She is schooner ringed, with double topsail yards, and is fitted with both hand and steam steering apparatus, is divided into_ six watertight compartments, and provision made for 500 tons of water ballast. There i.s a largo refrigerator on board. She came out to the colony under charter to Shaw Savill and the Albion Company. She finished discharging the Auckland portion of her cargo on Thursday afternoon, and proceeded on her voyage to Wellington shortly after 8 o'clock on Thursday night, with 1200 tons of cargo aboard.