NO IDLENESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 93, 21 April 1939, Page 17

NO IDLENESS

BAR'BQUND STEAMERS

EXCITING EXPERIENCES

(From "The Post'?" Representative.)

SYDNEY, April §. "Crossing the bar" into and out of

many rivers on the North Coast pf New South Wales is often a hazardous enterprise for masters and crews of, the little steamers whieb ply between the river ports and Sydney. Many of these brave little vessels have come. to grief on the bars; others have been trapped inside by mud silting' up the entrances, but few have had so long an enforced idleness as that ef the freighters Cqmara and Tyalgum recently inside the Tweed River bar. Last week-end a scour on the bar. enabled them to put to sea after being bar-bound for 58 and 46 days respectively.

The crew of the Tyalgum told the story before theip ghip cJoeked in Sydney for overhaul. "We had more excitement inside the silted-up bap than in a couple of years at sea," said an officer, ■'A 70 miles an hour cyclone on March 5 carried away the two ships' lines, and moorings. A single stern line on the Tyalgum helped to save the vessels from being driven ashore. With. their starboard engines on full ahead, the two shipg drove into the cyclone. All hands were called out. A night-long battle against heavy seas and terrific wind ended at mindight the following day, when the two ships were safely moored- Even with the engines full ahead the ferqe of the wind was so great that the ships were driven shoreward by squalls, The crews were kept busy for days making new moorings, which enabled both ships to weather a heavy gale about a fortnight ago,"

The Tyalgum's crew said that they had too much work and excitement to make their enforced stay monotonous, Deck hands chipped and painted and overhauled lifeboats and other gear. Engineers dismantled and cleaned machinery and engines. Between jobs the men held fishing competitions at the mouth of the Tweed.