A SENSATIONAL TOW.

Lake County Press, Issue 2300, 25 November 1909, Page 5

A SENSATIONAL TOW.

Takapuna's Adventure.

The Takapuna, which arrived in Wellington on Sunday from Nelson, via Picton, picked up the barque Hippalos, in ballast and water-logged, at 8 p.m. on Saturday on Jackson's head side of the French Pass. The Hippalos had six feet of water in her, and she" was flying the signal: " Immediate assistance." When boarded by the chief officer of the Takapuna and a party of that steamer's crew, the Hippalos was found to be deserted. A quantity of used distress signals were lying about. There was every indication that she had been left in a hurry. The barque's boats and the belongings of the crew had gone. The Takapuna, using the barque's wire line and her own hawser as a safeguaad slipped one of the barque's anchors heaved the other on board, and commenced to tow. This she did for five hours, when the water in the barque gained rapidly on the ship'a pumps. The Hippalos gave an ugly lurch, which aoted as a warning to the skeleton crew put on board her by the Takapuna. All. hands took to their boats and an alarm was sounded to tho Takapuna to leave off towing, as the barque was sinking. Captain Stewart stood by at the stern of the Takapuna, and with a hatchet severed the tow lines just as the Hippalos took her final plunge. The Hippalos sank opposite Pig Maud; homestead,' within threequarters of an hours' run to Picton, in thirty-five fathoms of water. The Takapuna crew which was doing duty on the Hippolas had just time to leap over into the steamer's boat alongside before the Hippolas disappeared bow first. It is believed that the barque's crew have reached one of the homesteads in the Sounds, or may have been picked up by some steamer. The Hippolas was bound from Timaru to Kaipara in ballast.