MISHAP TO S.S. FLORA

Grey River Argus, 26 June 1925, Page 6

MISHAP TO S.S. FLORA

ENGINES liiiEAk I)(A\N. ANCHORS IN A (-/A.E. WEL id NOT UN. .June 25. Ihe Secretary of th;- Fos k a,: . f. elegraph office early this morning Received S.O.S. message from 1 inseamer 1< lora, then four miles west d Cuvier light; “Engines bro K.-n down. Hard northerly gale and iu_.. >ta-s. Drifting five miles an hour. Nlasx be able to proceed in half mi hour." ALCKLA.nD, Juno 2‘>. A second message received Horn Flora stated Jiat the engines wd-c going again for five minutes, but stopped again. ■£>t 2.40 a.m. the Flora repented that the engines were going slow, an,, •she was endeavouring io weatin r Capo Colville. The Florai reported at 7.1 a.m. :— ••Running for shelter at Red Mercury before strong north-east gaie. under own steam.” 1 he I-lora was then about 09 miles from port and seventeen miles from Red Mercury s .the largest of ihe Mercury group. The steamer Ramona left port to go to her assistance at 6.30 this morning. The ie Awalun. l did not get away to lend asa’stanco (frill 4:. 30. With her greaiter >p«-e<i, the Kamona will pron nbly reach Ike Flora first. The speed of the Te Awahina is between seven and eight knots an hour, so unless the Flora is able to come in to meet her, it will probably be noon before the tug is able to pick her up. Thu Flora has one passenger and is commanded by Captain Gray. AWAHOW STANDS BY HER. AUCKLAND, June 25. The Flora reported at 10.30 this morning: “Ebcpect to anchor in halt an hour off Great Mercury. No sign of tug- Awahow in attendance. FLORA reaches shelter. AUCKLAND, Juno 25. The Flora wirelessed at 11.28: — • Anchored in West Bay, Great Mercury. Hope to have repairs effected at 4 p.ii-, and proceed to Auckland at half ip ee( l- There is a hard gale, and the weather is very heavy. VESSEL STEAMING TO PORT. AUCKLAND, June 25. Advice pas been received that the Flora, aft|r four hours at Mercury Is. Jxi t

land, effected repairs to her engine, and left at 3.30 p.m. for Auckland, under her own steam at half speed. A later message states she expects to arrive at 8 a.m. to.morrow, A hard southwest gale is blowing in the gulf, with thick weather and heavy rain. The Flora reported she had seen nothing of the tug Teawhina and the Kamona, which left early this morning to assist her. Neither the tug nor the Kamona has wireless.