THE LOSS of the MIOWERA. HOW IT HAPPENED.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 118, 16 November 1893, Page 2

THE LOSS of the MIOWERA. HOW IT HAPPENED.

Captain Stott made the following statement to press representatives i — " I wish to say that the first land I saw was the hill directly back of the town, which I took for Diamond Head, as that, was eutiroly covered by clouds, and there being no light npon it, I naturally took the land furthest to windward for Diamond Head. We took our bearings by the snn at noon, and later on also, and reckoning our speed from the last sights, I thought we were ■sveral miles further off than we weio and should have been if the speed had been correctly registered. There were no lights on the buoys, and there was absolutely nothing to warn mo of any danger. I oamo along at slow Bpeed until I picked up a red light, and, a [little later, the green At that time I was a long way to windward of the line of the lights, and, of oourso, knew that when I had them in line I would have a leading light. Consequently I came very slowly to leeward, and while yet to windward of the leading light, the green light suddenly went out. I stopped the engines, and just then a man in the bow song out that there was a. buoy on the starboard bow, and close aboard. I took a sounding and fonnd six fathoms of water, and while I apprehended no danger I believed that there was little enopgh water, and rang to back slowly. It waß then I first learned that we wore aground, as the sorew would not move her. We had drifted aground bow on, *nd the rollers hod swung her around until sho rested where she doos now, broadside on the rocks. There was no pilot aboard, and I saw no pilot-boat till after wo were agronnd, and then he was lighting the lamps on the bnoys to show ns where we were when it was too late. Tn any other country the pilot would have been outside and not in the mouth of the ohannel lighting lamps to show a stranded vessel her position." The efforts to tow off the steamer were continued throughout the night, but proved futile. During the night the incessant pounding of the surf caused the big rudder to break off and disappear. The American warships Philadelphia and Adams now offered to help. On the 11th the 2500-ton Japanese liner Aikokumaru went and supplemented the efforts of two powerful tugs, the Miowera also having two heavy anchors out for use as kedges. In the afternoon the steamers made a combined attemptto pull tie Miowera off, but after an hour of the hardest work that either vessel's engines ever did, it was given up for the day. On the following day a supreme effort was put forth to shilt the Miowera from her precariouß position. The United States warship Adams, two coastal steamers, and a powerful tug, fastened hawsers on to the wrecked steamer, and at high tide the Adams gave tho signal to tho other vessels to haul up to their anohors and keep their hawsers tight. At 2.30 the general signal to pull was given, and every vessel oracled on the lost pound of steam it could safely carry. Each vessel had its own hawsers oonneoted with the bows of the Miowera, besides hauling in on the kedge anchors. It was a supreme effqrt, and one deserving of success, but it was not to be. After half an hour's hard work the 1500-foot 9-inch hawser of the Adams parted with a report like a cannon, and the effort had to be given np for another day. At noon the following day the Adams, Likelike,.. Hawaii, and £len mads another effort to pull the vessel off, but it was of* no use, and finally the effort was given np. On 24th October the rudder and part of the Miowera were recovered by divers, and a contraot wus entered intotwith Captain A. M'Dowell to float the stranded steamer. The contractor was to make the attempt the day after the departure of the mail boat, and he w«b verj oonfident of success. The work was to be done with the aid of eight huge Sampson posts. The posts are capablo of lifting 800 tons dead weight, but after pumping out 500 tons of water ballast he believes the actual lift will be about 600 tons. As Boon as the vessel makes a headlong stait towards deep water, the watertight compartment forward will be opened, and tho vessel will soon have sufficient water-ballast in her to prevent hor capsizing.