THE DISMASTED VESSELS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1836, 24 June 1874, Page 4

THE DISMASTED VESSELS.

[MELBOURNE AQE.]

It is a singular fact that the two dismasted vessels, about which so much anxiety- during the last week has been shown, were pitted against each other for the passage out from England to this port; both got dismasted, and both arrived off their port of destination about the same time. The Loch Ard left the Clyde on the 27th January, and was spoken off the Tuskar on the 29th by the steam tug which had just previously left the John Kerr, after towing her from Liverpool. It was therefore a very good start, and the vessels were well matched. The singularity of these and two other vessels being dismasted within such a short space of time, when for many years past nothing of the kind has ever taken place, gives rise to the surmise that there must be something wrong either in the cargoes carried, the overmasting of the ships, or, as stated in the case of the Cambridgeshire, faulty iron. The disaster to the Loch Ard occurred 4500 miles from this port, and is thus described by Capt. Robertson : — "2nd April, in longitude Gldeg E., latitude 44deg 30min S., in a very severe storm from S.E., with tremendous cross sea, ship's head leading under lower topsails ; 10 a.m., the bees of fore topmasts stays carried away. The helm was put up at once, but in a few minutes the topmast came down, bringing the foremast with it, which broke off close by the deck; the wreck falling across the ship. The foremast in coming down carried away the mainstays, and the mainmast followed almost immediately ; bringing down the mizentopmast and head of mizenmast, and springing mainmast at a butt 4ft from deck. We were obliged to cut mizenmast away as the wreck was holding by it, and surging heavily under the counter ; we used nearly all our spare sails up as fenders in keeping the wreck from injuring the hull, as a quantity of heavy wire and thain had to be cut before we got it clear. The .ship rolled so terribly after the masts went, and shipped so much heavy water, that a quantity got into the hold before we could get the broken deck, water-holes, and ventilators secured. From the 2nd to the oth heavy gales continued, and the terrible rolling broke the cargo adrift ; it was with great difficulty secured. We found it impossible to get jury-masts rigged until the sea went down, but rigged two sea anchors to keep her head to wind with thirteen and ten inch hawsers, fast to them from either bow. This partly answered ; but the first jury-mast was got on end early on the 6th, as the rolling continued to be very severe, the hawsers fast to sea-anchors having carried away after about thirty-six hours. Alter getting the ship in a manageable state, bailed her out with buckets, as the pumps were so injured that they were useless, the hull continuing perfectly tight, notwithstanding continued heavy gales and dangerous rolling, 22nd May : Fierce gales, with very heavy weather, so thick that nothing cculd be seen, Kept lead going constantly, and when we judged we were off_ the Beads, let go both anchors in seventeen fathoms water, with both cables out to the clinch, the ship at the time rolling gunwale under." The ship must be very strongly built to have come through all without straining herself, she not having made any water since.

The John Kerr was sighted by the stramer Albion on Friday evening, about twenty-five miles S.E. of Cape Schank, with the steamer Williams in attendance upon her. The steamer Victoria reports : — Left the Heads after seeing the Loch Ard in safety on Saturday, the 23rd inst., at one p. m. On the same evening, on her way to the Promontory, sighted the Joh» Kerr in tow of the steam tug Williams ; at the time it was blowing hard, and there was a heavy sea running throughout the night. Kept the vessels in sight, and on the following day steamed up and communicated, when it was ascertained that the Williams was short of fuel, and it was arranged that the Victoria should remain by the ship while the Williams went into Western Port to coal. On the next morning the Victoria took the vessel in. tow, and brought her on to within ten miles of the Heads, when she gave her up to the ■Warhawk, which had been sent to assist in towing her in. The Warhawk then brought her on. The John Kerr was dismasted in 45 S. lat., 70 E. The voyage has been one of very long duration, having occupied 118 days. There were twenty-nine prssengers on board the resssh