NEARLY DISASTER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 3 December 1926, Page 3

NEARLY DISASTER.

Si'iNSA i lON <>N SYU'XKY bFJBUY. NO ONE AT Y\'H KKL. SY'iYNKY,' -Nov. to. live biavery -a.i.u presence ol mind ot iwo youtii.s pie von led a disaster on Live luirbour oil Saturday, when the Sydney I 1 curies steamer Kosciusko, w’itli nobodv at fclie wheel, wae hetadiujr lor the'Manly terry Baragoola. plie boys, Bu.sseL Gidie.s. ot Bdlong Street, Neutral Bay, and A. Gurraut. ot High Street, Neutral Bay, who* weie sitting in front of the wheel ho use, wondering why the Kosciusko did not change her course, mud why the siren did not sound. Booking into the wheel house, they were amazed to find it was empty. Bushing to the wheel, they telegraph'd the engine-room tor “lull speed astern,” and swerved the deny iiom leu- course. They accomplished the task not a second too soon._ tor passengers say that the Baragoola missed thenKostiusko' by no more than a loot, j running parallel along her side. A MYSIKBY. liow the Kosciusko set out on tier trip without her captain, who, it is. reported, was suddenly taken ill, aim toft the boat at Circular Quay, is a mvstery that will he inquired into i iiis. morning by ollicials ol the company. Yesterday they were loth to make any statement regarding the matter. A collision belween i lie two lei lies, would, no (liiitbi, liave had leiriblej eu n seq lienees, ior the Kosciusko, • which left the Quay ior Kimbilfi and other wharves, at 12.12 p.m., was crowded. When tiie ierry Icit the tvliari it went, straight ahead, tor i lie safely pi ii was io the wheel, and the induct was ticked. 11 bad not gone iar w hen the Baragooia, I mailing ior Jier leu It. apjuvM-cd. Toe captain ot the I’arag(,oj,i, sounded I lie siren. Init there w a--no reply from the Kosciusko. When Gillies and Guiianl ruslied into the wheelliousc, alter seeing it was empty, they tried to turn the wheel, but found it would not move. Fortunately, Gillies knew something of the steering mechanism, and lie released the pin, swerving the Kosciusko just clear oi' the Baragoola, the master of which slowed down when the Kosciusko did not stop a,s lie expected she would. . ' (tilonel Spain, a director of the Sydney Perries’ Company, and Air. Burt, ' traffic superintendent of the company, chanced to he passengers on |,lie Kosciusko, and they took charge of the ferry, which'Mr. Hurt took to Kirribilli. A number ol passengers smiled around the how ol the Kosciusko rush- , (ul towards the end of the vessel when the Biaragoola was seen hearing down ' on her. but Gillies and Currant thought : only of trying io prevent a collision Colonel Spain stated yesterday that ■ the boys deserved to bo complimented for their action. He said that they showed great presence of mind, and ■ had prevented a possible collision.