THE STEAMER FLINTSHIRE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1881, 15 August 1874, Page 2

THE STEAMER FLINTSHIRE.

This steamer has managed to reach Sydney, but her voyage from Magnetic Island appears to have been attended with great danger. The following account is from the "Sydney Morning Herald" :— " After the fore compartment of the vessel had been filled with water casks and tanks, on the Ist July, the Flintshire steamed to sea from Magnetic Island, with fine weather and moderate S.E. wiDd At 4 p.m. on the 6th the weather looked very threatening, the vessel being then off Sugar Loaf Point. The coal ran short, the weather increased in violence, with terrific squalls, and the ship could scarcely steer. At midnight on the 6th Port Stephens light bore N , and the wind had increased to almost hurricane violence, with tremendous sea and heavy lightning to S., the barometer still falling. The ship was now quite unmanageable, heading S.fc., rolling and lurching in the trough of the seas. Great fears were entertained for the securiey of the tanks and casks in the fore compartment, as it was feared if these broke adrift they would beat a hole in the bottom. The chief officer describes the noise made by the water rushing in and out of the holes near the bows as like the roar of artillery) Th v . pale continued with unabated violence throughout the night, and at 4 a.m. on the 7th it had increased to a hurricane from the S.S.JB. There was then very little coal left, and it was deemed advisable to stop the engines and let the fires out, so that the slight remaining fuel might be used as a last resource to enable the ship to make port when the weather moderated. Th.c ship was now considered to be in great danger, as she was perfectly helpless, and unable to steer, and rolled gunwale uuder with almost every sea. There was also difficulty with the Malays and Chinese, who did their best, but were quite unable to be of service during the height of the gale. They stowed themselves away wherever protection from the weather could be obtained, and they could not be found when wanted. In fact, the general opinion then was that the vessel would founder. An attempt was made to set a small sail in the rigging to keep her head to the wind, but to no purpose, as she remained quite unmanageable throughout the night. At 10 a m., succeeded in getting the ship's head to N.W., when a heavy sea smashed the starboard quarter boat, and washed everything moveable from the quarter-deck overboard. At noon the gale had abated somewhat, and towards sunset the weather still moderated, and the sea went down considerably. All hands were then employed collecting fuel to keep up the fires. The forecabin timbers were removed and broken up, together with all loose wood from the hold ; at midnight there was a moderate S.W. wind, and at 3 a.m. on the Bth the fires were lighted, and at 5 o'clock the ship stood in for the land, which was made ten miles north of Sugar Loaf Point ; at 9 o'clock passed Port Stephens, and signalled 'short of coal.' Then stood in for Newcastle, and entered port about noon, just as the fuel was exhausted. "