A CLOSE CALL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 43, 21 February 1925, Page 6

A CLOSE CALL

ULOOLOO'S MAIDEN VOYAGE

DRIFTING HBLPtESSLY IN WEBOB^ GALE..

(X tiLMKn—tetcui to tnmr.)

AUCBUJAND, This Day. Tho maideu voyage of U»exAd»la:d«i Steamship Company's eteamer Ulooloo, jvhich reached Auckland on Thutzday afternoon from New Tork, will long lio remembwed by her pre»ent o!c»ni aud ■ <a.ew, for after being severely bofloUd by a succession of gales, -when eroßsbig the .Atlantic from England, {ho:voissel was almost driven ashore during the trip from Newport News to Ne;v York. Those on board had an unenviable erperience| and at oyio stage many thought they would never reach Uieir dosUnauoli. lho Ulooloo, \vbich' was built nt Glasrow, left. England for New York, vi.i Newport News, with a cargo "of chinii clay, towards tho end of Jaet-yefir, anJ ' her Ei^worthiness w»b soon te-stcd, as slje ran into a series ) of westerly gales.*Xnough swept by h«>avy aeas,\ which caused come minor damage, slie ■ weathered tho atorms satisfactorily, and the. first stage of tho. journey was accomplished. ;

- But the worst wag yet to come. After leaving Newport News a fierce gale was ; encountered, and owing to the fact that ' thejessel was down at the stern and up at the. bow, she would not answer her helm, and it became impossible to keep her on her course or with her head to the wind, which was blowing toward the land. When the gale waß at its worst the vessel became practically -unmanageable and she drifted helplessly towards the shore. The heavy E eaa -running lifted the forepart of the steamer hiirh out of the water, and the ehpek. as it fell seemed almost enouffh to shake out her masts So close did the Ulooloo go to land that.her an*ripus crew, many of whom thought the end had come, oould see the coastguard crews following her wh^ 'S, read, mT t0 como .<« the rescue ins * S- '3S &:}VP«^_ she

jAs a last resource an anchor was dipped, but it failed to hold and the sWcontmued Wdrift. It was imposibleto lake in the anchor owing to the anXrV 0*" 16 Cable WOB sii W<™d ship' out of the danger zone. To tl>e umver S al rehef of those on board this .at last proved success ul, and as the gale Ml ted-^«P**»«» Plodded on. and fin»llv reached New York in safety and without assistance. .

3len who; have been at sea for years consider they are not likely to have a closer call, and none of the crew would agVin. g° thr°USh *ach™' "Perigee

While the steamer was iv danger Wacastmi ob land was suspended^ that it would not conflict with her wireless'distress signals.