FLORA'S PERILOUS VOYAGE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 148, 26 June 1925, Page 6

FLORA'S PERILOUS VOYAGE

CREW. ORDERED TO STAND BY

THE BOATS

STERLING WORK BY ENGINEERS.

(II ISLEORAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

■■■■ v ::..;■ AUCKLAND, :This Day.s ■: -The Flora 11' returned to port, at 1 3.55 o'clock this J morning, under her ;own steam,' :taking;>twelve;.hours from; Great 'Mercury.:.l. The breakdown- was .due to a' broken pin in" the crank-shaft. : Repairs, whicli held, fora few minutes at a time enabled her Vto get. : to shelter at. Mercury. Island,- where more :-lasting repairs were, effected : by., drilling a hole. She, got away, just;in .time to avoid a danger of going ashore^, as.'the wind'suddenly chopped round, blowing very hard,arid placed -her 'on a lee shore. She saw, neither the Te. Awhiria nor the. Kamona, which are still'searching.;, -. - . ; ■*■'"■■-■■■ :;-'V -vy;>v: ■'-■: ;-'^:'..-':•</": Later.'■■■■•. ; It was thought when "the Flora reach-" ed-:the.. shelter -of Mercury-Island .that she was safe jat leastifrom.the. elements, and that, temporary:repairs vwoiild be effected with some sense of security.- This hope .was irather. short-lived, :-for,'after 'three-hours the,wind made a, disquieting change and commenced:.t6 ■ blow/with a force even■;greater: thaii in the northerly: previously^ endured. V;By;t3 o'clock; .the' vessel's security -was threatened, but fortnnately: all was";';ready.: down below for the.ye'nturo back to^port.',: When:the anchor came up the .'ship ■ had; to fight her way out of. the.-bay,:- and was. again ':hi'. ; tlie".thick. of- the;-storm;pPrior; to; this': the Richardson; steamer -Awahou, :'which, ■was sheltering, in: the bay, and the Mako, which;■ arrived Jater;-, had cleared xout, though a scow, remained with every pros ' pect.;of 'being 'driven. on '':■ to the' beach ■ Out in ..the gale again'-'it"-was 'realised-, that ■ with "a^change-in .the wind the sea' had: been,beaten;, to.. even r greater jfury, 1 but ;therej^wasl now.- a' measure of security -even;; if the. engines were running slow;;'■;[.:,>:>v;.;/;^\ -,-:-:-:";v/;' -,::■■■'.■: 'o^;-»'• . : .There:;waS: another; trying 1 run' up'to tne cape,Vmadß allthe TOoreeo by: a-.halt' to-effect: repairs ?to brie of the ■ cylinders/-' The■'■;.cape':-? was. .rounded,; and ';about -.1 o'clock the Flora was .reported fronvTiri . :- She.: eventually dropped ■''anchor .-.in-:-: the ■ harbour".at "3.55" this mornj"s- V :X:;?;;: ■:: -v; : : ;r v v:- %i!^i< ' ■ ; ; THE WORST WAS FEAR ED; V ■ The. solo -passenger, on'the Flora said that .before there-was any sign^'of' engine trouble': his .cabin 'in': the ..poop -.'.was i flooded,Und:helay in his.bunk-"fullyJclothed. In the.-'ihbrning the 'ship's officersi inform-, od him.of .the^Flora's {dangerbus'plight, and -he -kept ready■'; to. go;'on 'deck if- 5t became"' necessary, to ibandonf/ ship. He: ;says;:—;V :■' :;.;;;.;.:/;. ■';•:. -.- ; ;.'-. -„.-■■■ .-'.;:;:;. v." : You"can't.imagine ,wha.t the gale.was: '* 'like.: vlf we:had once touched .shore ■it: ' :.; would.hayeliieeiirthe 'end. .v As itwas, "^itiWas a-very close; calL: '■. At one stage: ,■, oif Cape Cblville;. we \yere so. close in a? that: the worst. was' f ea-redf ■'. y Never be-" ;.. fore.'have I-,: experiehced;:such a howl-? .;. ing'gale, "such; heavy seas, wind,/and -I; rain.;•: ....We owe': our . safety" .to: Captain ■ :-::.Gray... It waslhis excellent'seamanship ; .that'saved :us.:--';.:;;;-;;;';;"'■ -:; I'-'-;;. V;; iN DANGER OF>BEING WRECKE,b •-,'>: Captain Gray, -says "that f soon .after midnight the: Flora's .plight 5 became' seri-i bus, although .sh'e''was: riding the .seas well.:- She was ;perilously! near the coast/; and ; was; ih::;d>nger ;:of ,beingi' wrecked.' ■Before. daylight ..the' >vessel". 1 reached a ;po-.. ,sitipn;'eastTof ;.Cape.'"Colville,: but ithe. at-". tempt.to .weather it-was: impossible; At daylight she,had:.battled'towards Cuvier again, -and -it"^was decided'to run Tiefore : the; storm 1 for the Great •Mercury. ■The engiuesHvere working occasionally, ;' and with th'e.gale.behind-her.better progress^ was made-? to v the sheltered .position 'of;Westpßay.'. .liVi,, V;:;-^-,/-;.:'■•-:.;■•■'■'■. ■-.; '■) ; WKetfthe .vessel's plight ;became:so ■-serious at. midnight,, as, previously men- ;■-' tipned, .'all;:hancls".except;the erigineer- % - ing" /staff iw'ere "ordered ■: to* stand by" the :• boats,; whicHv\y'ere provisioned and ,'pre- ■■ pared for launching. , Some:of.the. crow ■;. , actuallyput .bn; : their, lifebelts. i'-It was ;-: pitch ■ black', i.'a .hurricane :>vind '■ was ''blowing,"and heavy i-ain falling. -\ It is "■■' 'doubtful if the ship's' boats 'could have ;;; survived ihad "they 'been ■ launched.: .' ;; TRI BUTE TO THIE; JNGj N EERS t ;'"..-During 1-.tha-- Flora's driit: and; voyage Jba.ck.-to, portothe firemen kept -the, usual ;.watches; ■ and ; ,the .'eiigineers ;cweie ■,:on duty ,all the tune, as, .on the;, engines "alon'e'the safety; of ..the :.vessel. depended. The trouble; was due: to..a -pin in the .shaft:beinj: loose.". It slipped out gradually 'catching.' on: the,.piston.:and interfering 'with the,- whole : engine;, While the storm ...raged :tlie ' engineers kept knocking ithe projecting: portions :of, the pin as they .appeared. This was-respon-sible., for the spasmodic working'of. the engine V":"/"'"- ■■■■■":"/"'"- 1 ' ':'.:■■} ;\'"'..' ■•''.,'■■. V : '. :ij ■';■. "We had. the devil of a, time, down ■below;" : said ■ ono of "the - engine-rooni staff, "but ,-ive;took-things calmly. Steam was, kept'up vail.the. time; and the engineers .. have "been going strong- ever since the trouble began.". : :■:_"■;A tribute to; the men below -was paid by" the captain, who said : they; performed their hazardous duties in a wonderful manner. ".'. .- .;', ■..-..!■ -: ..: r . : :