A PHANTOM SHIP.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 535, 1 October 1902, Page 2

A PHANTOM SHIP.

DISMASTED VESSEL SEEN OFF ARIEL REEF.

SIGHTED BY STEAMER BEATRICE,

TATTERED SAILER OUTSPEEDS STEAM FLEET.

Since the publication of the Hick's Bay marine mystery and the supposed connection therewith of trio missing barque Tiuiuru, a keen look-cut has been kept nil along the coast. A great sensation was caused yesterday morning after receipt of a report that a dismasted vessel flying signals of distress was oil the Ariel Reef, and when other reports came to hand confirming the same there was a stir in shipping as to which boat would bo first to the rescue. Unfortunately the news was received between eight and nine o’clock, and being low tide most of tho steamers at the wharf were unable to get out of the river. THE FIRST NEWS.

The first report came to hand from Mr Bremncr, of Turehau, who described the vessel as being as big as the woolships which usually visit Gisborne. Only her foremast was standing, and on that all sails were set, the sails being the foresail, lower and upper topsails, and foretop staysail. Tho ship appeared to be heading south, and shaping a course outside the Ariel Reef. She seemed to have difficulty, however, in stoering, and was sometimes head on to the coast and at others broadside on. There was a heavy roll at sen, and she was not making rapid progress. Her position at 10 o’clock was about 12 miles off the land, and near to the Ariels. Mr Bremner could not discern any signals, nor could he see the stump 3 of her fallen masts. Ho could, however, plainly discern the outline of the hull and the solitary mast with its spread of canvas. STEAMER BEATRICE IN SEARCH. Tho steamer Beatrice was the first of the local craft to get under way. She left tho wharf at half-past nine, and after clearing the Bay, made towards tho Ariels. When off Tuahini Point a sail was sighted on the port bow, to the southward aud outside of the Ariels. It was very misty, and there was a heavy swell, but the little vessel made good pace, slipping along at tho rate of about eight knots. At noon the vessel was throe miles off, and could be plainly seen to be a ship in distress, having lost her main and mizzen masts. On her foremast she had the foresail lower and upper topsail and fore-stav-sail set. The fore royalmast was gone, and from the top of the broken mast was flapping what appeared to those on board the Beatrice to be either a piece of broken sail or a signal of distress. A man could be seen standing at the wheel. The ship was standing on tho starboard tack towards Mahia, and was about 25 miles distant from Gisborne. As tho Beatrice approached the wind freshened, and tho ship’s head slewed round to tho southward. Signals were made to arrest her attention by blowing tho whistle, hut no attempt was made by the ship's company to lower sail or to respond to tho signals. The dismasted ship, as described, by those on board tho Beatrice, was an iron vessel of about 1800 tons, painted black, with white poop and deckbouso. She was heavily loaded. The davits were seen, but no boats, and there was no sign of the stumps of tho broken masts. AN OCEAN RACE.

Tho ship was running to the south-west before the wind at about 8 kuots, and tho Beatrice after a good spin found herself utiuble to keep up with her. The course she was shaping would take her about 10 miles off Portland Island last evening. There was a lioavy sea outside, and she was rolling heavily. At 12.20 the trawler gave up tho chase and returned to port. When tho Beatrice turned back only the tops of tho hills on the distant coast were visible, and the position was midway between Turehau and Mahia, and over twenty miles from Gisborne, JOHN TOWNLEY TO THE RESCUE. When tho Harbor Board decided upon purchasing an up-to-date dredge, the Chairman contemplated that it would bo of great service as a port tug in time of need for salvage orothor operations. The opportunity of testing the vessel’s fitness fur this work was therefore taken advantage of yesterday, and at 10 o’clock orders were given for the dredge to got ready! There was an admiring crowd of about fifty or more to see the John Towuley off, amongst the number being Mr A. F. Kennedy, manager of Messrs Williams and Kettle, and Mr Sykes, dentist, our chief yachting enthusiast. The John Towuley swung quickly round on the bow lino, and at a-quazter to one Gisborne's dredgo was steaming down the river at half speed. 11 1 will send tho Fanny after you,” remarked Mr A. F. Kennedy. The skipper of the dredge rnado no reply, but like the Irishman’s donkey, ho thought the more, and after we cleared tile blff-kwater our reporter observed that every pound of steam was put on. The man at lua wiitel, y-ho was none other than the popular footballer, Charlie Frcar, would not, however, admit that the John Townley was going at top. “ What rate are you going Charlie ?” observed our scribe. 11 Oh, wo are doing a little over eight knots now,” was tho reply received. “Is that tho best you can get out of her ?” queried the reporter. “ Oh, no,” replied Charlie, with a smile, “We can do better than that; we have never really tried what she can do.” Our reporter was not satisfied, so he

asked the skipper “At what rate is your

boat going ?” “ Well, said the skippor, “ they reckon that she will go seven knots an hour when she is opened out. I guess she is opened out now, and I should say that she is doing six and a-half knots,” Our reporter was satisfied that the John Townley was going at top speed.

And now a word or two as to those who were on board. First and foremost there was the Harbormaster, Capt. Cumming, who had been superintenulfl" the arrangements. He it was who saw that we had an extra boat or two on board, also amplo provisions in the way cf biscuits, meat, and a sack or two of potatoes, besides the hundred and one requisites for towing a disabled vessel.

“ It is just as well to go out prepared,” remarked the captain ; 11 for you never know when you are coming hack, or in what straits you will find those on board the disabled vessel.” The reporter was convinced that the skipper knew what he was about. Captain Chrisp was also on board, presumably representing the underwriters. He was prepared for ail emergencies, and bad a hamper which those on board found of great service before they returned. It was half-tide when the John Townley steamed down t-he river. There was a

; momentary stoppage at the mouth of the : Waikanao, where a great deal of mud ! seemed to be stirring, but the vessel, how- > 1 ever, diJ nm ? rouud ' 11 ma J j be stated that the steamer Fanny woum have left the wharf upon receipt of the news that there was a disabled vessel off the Ariels, but for the fact that she was hard aground at the wharf. Mr Kennedy’s promire to send the Fanny after the John Townley was dependent altogether on the hour that steamer floated, which the captain of the Fanny reckoned would be about half-past two. Off Tuahine Point the fishing boat Ivumi was passed, sailing merrily into the bay, and in a few minutes the skipper of the dredge remarked, ” There's the ship.' at tbe same time pointing away to the south. Captain Cummings got bis glasses on to the object in question, and said, “ why, that is the Beatrice, but what on earth is she doing so far to the Soutn. The Beatrice had no vessel in tow, but it was decided to ruu down to her with a view of ascertaining whether she had sighted the disabled barque. “ She is evidently making into port again,” remarked Captain Chrisp. By this time the special representative for our contemporary w-as hors de combat, lying full length on the deck of the John Townley, and paying generous tribute to Neptune. DISCOURTEOUS TREATMENT. TweDty minutes later the John Townley was almost within speaking distance of the Beatrice, but the latter showed no sign of slackening its speed. The whistle of the dredge was then sounded to indicate that communication with the Beatrice wae de-

sired. No notice being taken of tho signal Captain Cummings asked for it to be repeated, and the whistle was again sounded for half a minute or more. The Beatrice still declined to communicate, or give any signal indicating that the search was over, those on board being evidently anxious that tho John Townley should be sent on a wild goose chase. Captain Cummings was, however, equal to the occasion, and suspecting that the Beatrice knew something about the disabled vessel, he decided to return to port. Tho dredge then put about, and shaped a course for Gisborne. Half an hour later the Beatrice was overtaken, having stopped to take the fishing boat Kumi in tow, and word was then received that the dismasted vessel hai passed South. STEAMER FANNY IN COMMISSION At 2 o’clock, the Fanny left tho wharf, having on buard Mr A. F. Kennedy and press representatives. When the steamer had got well out into the bay, the John Townley was passed, and Captain Gumming waved to Captain Peterson to return to port. Messrs Richardson and Co.’s steamer showed a good deal of pace, and was not long in getting about and overtaking the dredge, being first to reach the wharf. The Beatrice, with tho fishing boat in tow, was a good second, and the John Townley was last to get back. The dredge, although not as fast as the Beatrice ur Fanny, still possesses a fair speed, and was most efficiently handled by Ca, • taiu Fisher. ON Tin-: BEATRICE. In reply to a Times representative, Mr Frank Knowles, who was on the Beatrice, stated : —The vessel was, as far as one could judge, about twentytwo miles square oil /fatapouri, running before a north-east wind. No we had no chance of hoarding lor, as we could not get near enough. Ycys, we gained on her at the start, of course, or we would not have got, so near as

we did, but then the breeze freshened, and instead of us catching up to her, she was showing better pace than we could. We signalled, hut do not know whether any reply was made. They apparently had no means of making a reply as there was practically nothing for them to signal from. She had only two topsails and foresail set. We could see something dangling from the stump, but could not make out whether it was canvas. We sighted the vessel directly we rounded the Tualiine Point, about 10 o’clock. No, we could not tell if there was .u\y connection between the vessel and the one reported as having been seen on lire oil Hicks Bay,, or that it in any way resembled the missing barque Timaru. 1 could not even say that it was a barque. I know that 'it was a big ship of some sort, of about, fourteen hundred tons, painted black, and I believe built of iron. She looked to he a tremendous length. She looked to he a vessel that had been tumbling about a good hit, but we could t ee no sign of fire. From appearance the had all the canvas set that she could put on.

With the naked eye I could see a man at the wheel." The course of the vessel would he set, for about Portland Island. She should he all right unless

the wind changes, in which case one could not tell how she would fare, hut ,she is well oil the laud, with every

prospect of being able to reach Hawke’s Bay. The steamers leaving Napier to-night ought to sight her but, I should not think that she would require any .aid, once she got- that far, The breeze should keep fresh until sundown, and as long as she lias the wind with her, or if there is no wind blowing, she should l>c all right. Otherwise she would he helpless. A SILENT SHIP.

From Mr G. Grant, ono of the two fishermen of tho Kumi, u representative ol the Times learned souio interesting parti? culars in regard to tho dismasted vessel, whose identity is still enshrouded in mystery. “ We were out on tno Ariel fishing ground,” remarked Mr Graut, “ and wo saw a strange vessel coming along. At first I thought it was tho Miranda returning to port, hut upon closer inspection wo saw " that it was a much larger vessel and peculiarly rigged. Our curiosity increased as tho craft came down on us. Tho boat at a distance looked so ugly in the rigging and appeared to have only tho foremast left.” “ She looks jolly strange, George,” remarked my companion, “ What do you say if we run down and have a look at her ? Thero is certainly something radically wrong with her." "We therefore decided to knock off fishing and run down to her,” resumed Mr Grant, “ and on coming close to the stranger we made her out to be an iron vessel of about six hundred tons. She was loaded to tho wator line, an 1 had ooly the foremast standing, with foresail and fqretopsail set. There were two men on board, and we sang out to them enquiring where this vessel was from, and where was her destination. We received no reply, and aftor hanging on as long as we could, we were at length compelled to drop back. Tho wind wus blowing too hard, and wo could not stand by, and had to come away.

“ How close were you to the vessel ? Could you ascertain her name ?” “ We wc-re right alongside, and at times almost grazed her. There were no signals flying. Thero was a man at tho wheol, but he took no notice of us. He appeared like a man lost, and perhaps he was lost, but still one would have expected him to have said something.” “ What time did you leave Gisborne ? Did you know anything about a boat being seen off the coast flying signals of distress ?”

“No; we had heard nothing of that kind. Wb left‘town at 5 o’clock, and went out to the Ariels. Tho strange and peculiar appearance of tho vessel made us carious as to what it was, and we decided to go and see. We could get nothing from the men on board ; there was no name on tho vessel; and all that we could do was to come away.” “ And what of tho Beatrice ; did you sec her '! ”

“ Yes; aftc-r the vessel had passed south the Beatrice came round Tuahine Point. She went after her, but a north-cast breeze having sprung up, the little steamer was '“ft behind.” In answer to further questions,, . Grant said that it was about 11 o’clock when they got alongside tho vessel. The stranger came inside the Ariel reef, and could not have been more than seven or eight miles off the coast-. He was of opinion that the vessol was a barquo of about 600 tons. When they went alongside there was a man at the wheel, snd there appeared to be a young man attending forward. The latter, however, disappeared when they sang out. The vessel boro tbe appearance of having experienced very rough weather.

In regard to the provisions obtained by Captain Cummings, Harbormaster, yes” terday, we arc requested to state that the firms from which the goods were obtained, kindly ag-eed to take them back. The potatoes and biscuits were obtained from Messrs Williams and Kettle’s, and the meat and bread from Messrs McConnell and Millington.