SHIP OUT OF CONTROL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 July 1927, Page 8

SHIP OUT OF CONTROL.

HELPLESS IN THE PACIFIC. With a crippled rudder, battered and rusty, sides, a great gaping rent in her bow, and her starboard rail torn from the deck for a distance of 20ft, the Norwegian steamer Proteus was towed up the Brisbane River to the Pinkenba Wharf on June If- Her olhicers told a, story of persistent .and heroic efforts under terrible difficulties to rig a jury rudder that steering way might be kept on the vessel, but all efforts were unavailing. Captain Oakland gave an emphatic denial to a statement that, there had been trouble with the Chinese crow during the 10 days that the steamer was drifting helplessly in the Pacific. Air. I jar.sen, the first- officer, said that on the afternoon of Saturday, June 4, when 275 miles from Noumea, thev ran into rough, weater. About 3 o’clock the rudder stem snapped and the vessel immediately became uncontrollable. Owing to the heavy seasrunning at the time, repairs were impossible. That night the weather became worse and the vessel -at times wallowed, perilously in the waves. Next day they decided to ration, the water supply, hut there was never any real shortage of water and when the steamer berthed there were still 13-in in the tanks. On the Sunday afternoon an attempt was made to rig a. jury rudder. There was no timber oil board, so the starboard boat deck was pulled do\\ n and the timber bolted together to make, a rudder. This was. fitted with great difficulty and at considerable risk in rough seas that were stilt running, but again the ship refused to answer.

DRIFTING TOWARD THE COAST. Finally, on June 10, an attempt was made to attach chains* to the old rudder, and by carrying these round the side of the .ship, to etc or by this means, but owing to the heavy sea it was impossible to’ fasten the chains sufficiently low down on the rudder to give proper control and this attempt ended in lath lire. In the meantime- the Proteus had been drifting steadily toward the Australian coast. The engines were kept going to keep the ship, steady, hut at other times she was just allowed to drift. Qn Monday. June 13, the istea.mci Gross Keys was sighted and by nightfall a line li-ad been got on board the Proteus. When the Cross Keys starred to p'ull. however, the strain was so great that it tore the “puller,*' to which the line was attached, from its fastenings. At- the same time the Proeus swung round into the wind and the steel hawser ripped through the eve in the starboard bow, and tore a great, jagged rent through the solid steel plates of the vessel’s side, levelled the starboard rail for the whole length of the forecastle and dragged the starboard rigging, from, its fastenings on the deck. TT?nrT>pE EXPERIENCED.

Next morning another line was put aboard and the tow to Brisbane began. The vessels arrived- oif Cape Moreton late on Thursday afternoon. The troubles of the Proteus were not yet over, however. The vessels stopped t.o allow a pilot to come on board and when the Gross Keys started again the sudden wrench smashed, the forward winch of the Proteus. The tug Foreful took the vessel in hand at Gape Moreton, but owing to the rough state of the bay it was deemed .advisable to seen,re another tug and the Goring was sent down early on the morning of June 17. The two tugs, one on each side, started to tow the Proteus, bill the seas wore too rough for this method, and the steamer beans on the plates .several deen dints made by tile humping against- the tugs. The Forceful again took the vessel in tow and with the other tug in attendance the hay was crossed and the vessel .safely berthed.