Ships and the Sea

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 26

Ships and the Sea

-GALES m SEA

THE DALLAM TOWER

AN EARLY VOYAGE

One of the' most, thiilling stories gf peril at sea is recalled to a ivnt*r m au Auckland, paper bj vm ccath at Takapuna of Mi. John Walter Bnndley, who nmdu the *o New Zealand iiy the sailing ship Dallam Tow or in 187 S. The vessel left London for Port Chalmers in the summer of that year, under'ehaiter to the fc>hav>, Savill Company. Meeting with a succession of gales of unprecedented fury, the ship was dismasted, had her hatches stove in, and was thrown on her beam end's. In snit,e of'her ciippled condition the brew rigged a wonderful array of jury masts, with strangely ftnd weirdly constructed yards, and sailed 2000 miles and more, into port. Tremendous s,eas were shipped during the gale, in one of which the captarn's cabin was smashed-in, and the charts and nautical instruments were washed away. The saloon passengers, who had lost all their belongings except the clothes they -were wearing, were obliged ;to take to the after locksrs for-safety. -The next day the ship was laid" on her beam and it was necessary to cut away the topmasts in oider to right the vessel. Shortly afterward the mainmasts and booms vveie carried iway. Heavy seas were continually breakng on board, and although it was found ifterwsids that not'one leak had-been sprung all hands were .working at the ■jumps in order to get rid of the water n the,'-cabins and -holds. The gale ,hen > moderated slightly and part of ,he crew- ;<ind passengers kept the Dumps-constantly working. As all the effects/charts, books, weather glasses, md chronometer had been comsletely' washed away, there was nothing le-ft 'with wMch to navigate the ship/ It was found, L however, that one ■>£ the, passenger/, had an epitome and in almanac; and these were made to serve in-the emergency. Three days later the crew succeeded in rigging a. vjttry mast at .the fore and jut .about 15ft of spare yard and add--3d i£' to "the 'jury mast. On the fol'owiiig-- three -da.y/3 the ship was rolling ioo Tieavlly to enable the crew to get the ,main jury mast on'end. N Meeting Hie ship Cape Clear on 26th July, bound, for, Sydney, the captain transferred several of the -tvpmen passengers, . and 'they were safely landed in SlelboUTae. During the next, two days two further jury masts were erected in the stumps of iho .mainmast and afte<mast, and a course was set for Melbourne, - which was reached on 19th August, after a course of 2000 miles mdci' jury rig. Of-the passengers who :ame to New Zealand" on this eventful voyage, Mr. Brindley was one of the last survivors. Another is Mr. Henry Scott,, of Timaru. Clansman Breaks her Tail Shaft. Atao.2o o'clock on the night of 13th March, the Clansman, tho Northern Steamship Company's well-known vessel, "broke her tail shaft when off Bird Rock, near Cape Brett, oa her voyage 3own the coast from tho north. There was a. heayy swell, and Hie sudden release of the power caused a great vibration in the ship. Fortunately, the secjnd engineer, Mr. Bagghtrom, happened to be, passing the throttle at the moment and shut off the' steam. Captain W. Bark at oace "wirelessed 'Auckland, and sient a Morso message'to Cape Brett lighthouse.1- A launch was sent from Russell and reached fho ship, which was tGssing on the swell, in the early hours if tho morning. The work of transhipping the passengers to the launch was commenced immediately. It was a labour of no slight difficulty, but by strenuous and'-careful work on the part

)f the captain and officers ana the crew, ;he task was accomplished. The passengers said that it was hought at first that some serious accilent had occurred when the steamer juivered, but were soon reassured by he'captain. The ladies were very nave, and -3ome seemed lo^ enjoy the j'piee of adventure. The Clansman lrifted only a bhoit distance, and that yelL clear of the land. She was picked tp by the tug Lyttelton, which had seen engaged jaftiug logs at Whanga•oa. It was the Clansman's final trip before being laid up, and the accident ,vas the first that has happened to her n nearly fifty , years' service. The Dlansman is one of the veteians of the Yew Zealand coastal ser\ico. She was Duilt in 1884 at Glasgow for the Vorthern S.S. Co. Her measurements ire 191 ft in, length, beam 2Gft, and a lepth' of 10ft. Her gross tonnage is 335. Originally the Clansman had ,hree masts, but many years ago one waa removed. Her rigging was also iltered. Obituary. Captain Thomas Basire, who died at 'ort Chalmcis lccently, at the -ige of 72 years, was for man}' yeais a wellknown, officer in the .service of the Union Steam Whip Company. The eldest son of tho late Dv. Fipdeiick D. Basire, who arrived in New Zealand in 1849 on tho barque Mary, au'd settled m the South, ho was bom in | Port Chalmers, and mad© his first voyage at tho age of twelrc years in the brig rhomas-and Heniy, in the Australian trade\ "He served- his' apprenticeship in the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's ship Margaret Galbraith, in which-he served subsequently as second

mate; /He was-, also. second mate, and mate: in', the -'ships :..-Canterbury; Gape Breton, \ and Grosvehor, After .serving twelve months , as.'. chief, mate of the ship Lyttelton, under the late- ■Captain B.- ■• Str'aiig,:: who was- ;■ subsequently marinei superintendent o.f the; Union .Company,v.Cap.ta,in 'Basire obtained, his .extra-master's' certificate, being prpb;; ably.-the firsts-New .Zealander to. gain that ydJßtin.ctio.Hi.-i Captain Basire. after..wards Centered..the../ Union. •service^ as a- junior officer, and ho had ■kdvanced to- chief ; offlcer of the- Ealca-.jiba'.w-hfcn, 'in ; 1899,, the Union. Steam. Ship Company' appointed him wharfingprat.Po.rt Chalmers.,- Extensive repairs -and _altei;atioiis. to steamers -were' tlieii Being carried oUt, i.and:. Captain' Bagire '}•■- ---■ special, knowledge aud' ability .enahh\\ h|ni •tq-cafry on 'the-work.successful];-. His 'seamanship and'-skill earned"'.»»'.. rtho respect ...and '. adniiration of' all '.sea'"faring me'h'/r Captain. "'Bksire; .married Mi'ss-..C; M: M'Kiriuqhj.daughter.'of: the late Captain A. ■MfKhinoh: Their only .son":'(Mr:'T. F. Basire) resides in'Dunedin, and' the' :-other : "only .. surviving aa-ughtei'-- (Mrs. Ma'rtindalp> .at -Port Chaimers..:Mr.'-J. Basiro,'' fbr": maiiy years a \chio.f Engineer ' in the Union Company's/ships,-1 including"the Maheiio and Maori,:-aiuVMrv A.'Basiro, of -Luke Bros., of -Wellington, arid surveyor • to . the:' Britis h; dorpor'ation' Eegistei- ot ShipiiTOgraro 'brothers-rof ■ the late- Oap^ tain.Easire. ■. .• V ' ; . Captain. y?;';C..,Bacon.,i . . ; ,- .-. /.. ; '. . ■ The P.ort of-Manchester', has/suffered i >evere'--loss by the ..death: oi Captain ' W": C. .Bacon, whb'.had been: chairman ..of., the -Ship .Canal si^C'-lSl'?.": Captain Bacon's "association.with.the canal began .itf'l9o2"j:and'he^wbrked'his way up .in its service-, during -the-- many- lean years of • its first, two..decades.,..;;Finanr eially-'-ihe- undertaking",.;ufied.Vthe corner 'shortiy after"" his''ac'cessibastb the ; chairrinytHe^middle^qf^-the'^war. years, "and^.her'naturaUyy^ar;e4fiii?^he:.!credit ■^'d;i-p6prtiaT'i'tyr;tK'at':.i'I|iav;e; since been ; earied! : fbri tho-^ntprprise ;• 0f... which he, ■was:;th'e%^eaa.;^!"There-.:have -^been . vast '• SxteMWns'^andi:aeyeloptoßntsVi^all de-;

partments since 1916. During the 15 years of his chairmanship the traffic oa the canal increased from 4,800,000 tons to nearly 7,000,000 tons per num. In addition to many other public offices in Manchester, Captain Bacon was president of the Dock and Harbour Authorities' Association in 1929, and chairman of the Port of Manchester Branch of the Navy League. A native of /Wivenhoe, Essex, as a boy of fifteen he went to sea in the Bays of sailing ships, and after a successful career afloat (h© was given his fir«t command at' 22) he went into business, and ultimately became head of'Sivewright,' Bacon, and Co., shipping-,brok-ers, of •West Hartlepool and Manchester.

Whaling Activities. . ; "' •'JEhe^ following >the ■ niovemen.ts ;vp, the •. / nidtof-fcariker ' Vigdis, whic.hxreiurned-jtbVCape Town- recently from .the will .give an'iridic'a;tionv of •■•/ the? 'conditions, prevailing am.ong^the 'ice floes 'this.year:-— ■■■■■ ■ ;; ..;,The :;yigcli's..diiring;-.HerJ five week? '.in'ijths •An£arctic.»li£ ted-J.58J00.Q" barrels .(4b'out*9opO-. tbu'f)'■ ff .w.liale,-bir from .the• factory. Sliijjs.Lansiugj -Pelagos,-' PontoS, and Antarotic.;v'.; -The.' J:farthest\: south .travelled/iliy tHevVigdis/vvas: : 6s : ' degrees, biit:'Blie-;jfidiflp't:'see\-My;.ieaiiy';.big;a<se-bergs' hersefE, .■'although "■she ..was. con; Btintl^ 1|Lamon'g:l^tiie^V}ce/^|s^her;'P.aintle.ss sides boar- witness.' ■ Deeply ■loadedj'.the yigdis'Syas'washed; from side to side by the.-lieaVy^ieas.'thafe-broke : - across her iii;..,the Soaring forties, -and her steel decks, ..although she, was only at -tlie e'ftd' of. pctpber, were rusted over every-square.-inch',;just as the-weeks.of, grinding • against . : ice;floe,S'; had; scraped the.';paint;'.ifr,om■ her : sidesi 'Her.-plates \vere. hardly..dented, 'however. "Although an--officer,'onC.the-Vigdis .confirmed : t):o report: that, the ic.c:barriei\:.was: farther north'v than ,• over- this ;year, '.-and: that whales ..were ; being .'seen, hiore .'plentifuHy.than in-any previous known season, he. stated that since;the" beginning of .the year,in,:.the:last week or two' the Vigdis- was. among' the ice, -it .had been noticed that the 'blue,, whale was giving way...to^ the ...fin whale,.. „■ The .oil- catch from the''-fiii whale' was' considerably .smaller .than. that from' the bluo whale, being-between .50 andj'W barrels from the average''finwhkle, against, : 90, 100, and,.oven a great deal more from, the* blueVwhale,-.on .'whiphfthe whale-catcher cre^ys .-have , always'; been paid the greatesfrbonus'.- • ■ :r■■'"■■"■■■ ■■■' ■ "■• ■