SUNKEN TRAWLER

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 June 1933, Page 5

SUNKEN TRAWLER

OFFICERS' NARRATIVES. [PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] GISBORNE, June 9. The crew of the wrecked trawler “Serfib” arrived in town late this evening, with the exception of Captain Flett, who went on to Auckland by the Margaret W. from Tokamaru Bay, to-day. The mate Mr J. Black, stated that the vessel left Auckland on Tuesday morning, and after operating in the Bay of Plenty the following day, reached Hicks Bay on Thursday morning, but had no luck with the trawl, and the ship proceeded towards Tolaga Bay. He was reading in his bunk at three o’clock in the afternoon, and heard an uncommon tremor, and jumped up. Just then the fireman, J. Elliot, rushed in and said the trawler was making water fast. At that time a good southerly sea > was running and the vessel was approximately four miles from the land. The mate turned the head for land. The skipper came up and investigated | and found the report correct. The lifeboat was hurriedly prepared, and lifebuoys put in. In half an hour’s time the water had risen eight feet in the engineroom. The vessel started to labour, and it was decided to abandon the ship. A big roll was oh and it was a hard job getting the lifeboat out, the keel being damaged in the process. The lifeboat started to leak. Two men were kept constantly bailing. Within a few minutes of leaving the ship

there was over seven inches of water in the boat. The sea was increasing in roughness and the men’s position was, most perilous, though the crew took the matter good humouredly. I Then the man who was steering, espied a light, which proved to be the launch Huia, and later a boat. As the men left the lifeboat, it filled with water. Mi* Samuels, the chief engineer, corroborated the story as to the trawler’s mishap. On hearing the news he rushed to the engineroom and put on all available pumps on the bilges. The dynamos were then started to see if light could be obtained, to show where the water was coming in, and the fireman on watch was instructed to get as much steam on as was possible, to j drive the ship towards land. In ten minutes times, the water was rising through into the stokehold and flooded it. The .cranks -were then splashing water on to the dynamo and put it out of action, leaving the engineroom in semi-darkness. When Mr Samuels left the engine-room the water was up to his knees and coming on fast. He paid another visit to the engineroom to look at the steam gauge, but the dynamo had failed. The water was level with the dynamo head. All the crew took the affair* quite philosophically. They leave for Auckland by service car this morning.

CHANNEL MISHAP. [OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, June 8. The French cross-Channel steamer “Cote d’ Argent” this afternoon came into collision wXth the Swedish steamer "Clivo” during a fog some miles from Dover. The former arrived at Dover about an hour late with 276 passengers on board. Only one person was injured, one of the crew.