LATER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7976, 30 January 1897, Page 3

LATER.

THE KANGITIKEI DRIFTING. SIGNALS OF DISTEESS. Early in the forenoos a considerable amount of anxiety was felt at tho Bpit when it was noticed that the barque Bang. - ikei had jjonicasnced to drag, and tho excitement increased in intepsity as the day woro on and the vessel contiuued .till to daft. , . It was observable that Bhe was showing a eignul of distress, but it was' impossible to understand its exact purport, as tho signal could not bo pioked up owing to the hazo off the land. Soma interpreted it to mean •'Must abandon her,"" other. "Want aßsistanoOj" but that the signal was one o. di-tress all were agreed. At 3 p.m. ahe was .till visibly drifting, and the opinion of experts was that ahe had only a abort distance further to drag whan but anchors muet lose their bold on tbe

j soft bottom. The vessel would then diift I helpb'f sely on to thr, Petane beaoh.

It wr.s impo .iblo, owitify to tho high soa, to render any asii.tftnoo from aho re, »nd crowds assembled on tho wharf aud bench could only look on.

I ho Hhip Auckland also appeared to have drifted _ little, but )'_■ c.m.'-id'jr.-d to be safe

The DingHde. arrive-, iv tho bjy ut 3.30, but it i;i uncertain whether the will be übio to tcvko the bar.