STEAMER CAPSIZES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 75, 31 March 1910, Page 3

STEAMER CAPSIZES.

OVERTURNED BY ROLLERS. UNUSUAL ACCIDENT AT NELSON. [BY TELEGRAPH — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] NELSON, 30th March. The steamer Koi, owned by the Anchor Shipping Company (53 tons net) capsized half a mile westward of Nelson entrance a few minutes after Jiree o'clock this afternoon, and now lies on her side submerged, the rail being just awash at low water. She is on a sandy bottom. No injury has been done to the hull. Tho circumstances attending the accident are very extraordinary. The steamer was coming from Motueka with a cargo of hops and produce and a deck load of 287 sheep and lambs (within the regulation number). She carried no passengers. \ heavy S.E. wind was blowing, but this makes little sea in the bay on account of the conformation of the hiils. A heavy swell was, however, coming down from the N.E., the effect of the big sea in the Straits. For intervals of a quarter of an hour at a time ths sea was quite calm off the entrance. Then Jl few rollers of extraordinary height would come down and break on the bar to the westward of the entrance. Tho Koi was caught by one of these rollers and put on her beam-ends, and before she could recover a second came aboard and flooded the engine-room. A third . followed, and sent her down by the stern. She lies out of the fairway in about twelve feet of water. The crew of six clung to the side of the vessel. Some were washed off, and Franklin, the steward, who could not swim, was brought buck by two mates, Dave Stewart and Hugh Fowler. The engineer (J. Weir) and a seaman (Hendi'y) were washod away from the vossel. Weir was kept up by Hendry, who is an indifferent swimmer. Mr. A. J. Glasgow, who was cruising inside the harbour in an oil launch, was the first to go to the rescue. He picked up Weir and Hendry 200 yards from the steamer Pilot. A crew in a whaleboat took Captain Scully and the rest of the crew from the side of the vessel just as she was disappearing. The whole thing took about a quarter of an hour. There was great excitement ashore, and there were many witnesses of the whole occurrence. The company have an insurance fund of their own. The consignees of the sheep are not insured, and stood to lose £150, but during the evening the consignor, Mr. Thomas Pattie, of Riwaka, generously telegraphed that he would share the loss. Good hopes are entertained of floating the vessel. The pilot crew made a line i'ast at low water, and this was connected with a winch on the boulder bank. An attempt to draw her in to the boulder bank will probably be made in tho morning. Mr. Tom Lawson, the sculler, a member of the Pilot, rrc.v, was nearly drowned. While he was limiting fast tho hawser the Undertow took him to tho bottom. Great sympathy is felt for Captain Scully, who is a great favourite with the public. The phenomenal character of the rollers coming from apparently a calm sea is a subject of general remark among the large crowd attracted from the town to the scene of the accident. Pilot Collins says he has seen the same thing twice before, dining a heavy south-east gale.