LINER IN FOG

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 103, 1 April 1929, Page 7

LINER IN FOG

TRANSYLVANIA STRIKES ROCK. BUT MAKES CHERBOURG HARBOUR. ° ' RESOURCE OF CAPTAIN PRAISED. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.)

Received April 1, 11.5 a.m. RUGBY, March 31. When approaching Cherbourg in a dense fog early on Thursday morning, the Anchor liner Transylvania, of 17,000 tons, struck a rock off Cape de la Hague. ' , . The accident is attributed to the exceptionally strong currents prevailing in this; particularly dangerous portion of the'Normanby Coast. The vessel had. 300 passengers aboard, and was returning from a cruise in the Mediterranean. She sprang a leak And began a heavy list, but by skilful handling she was able to make Cherbourg harbour without help and without any injury to the passengers or crew. Perfect order was maintained, and the resource of Captain Frakine is highly praised by all. It was his last trip in command of the Transylvania, and he was due to retire on reaching England. SINKING OF THE SELJE. KAITUNA REACHES MELBOURNE. CAPTAINS RETICENT. MELBOURNE, March 31. Tile Kaituna, one of the oldest and best-known of the Union Company’s cargo vessels, which collided with the Norwegian steamer Selje on Friday night, reached port on Saturday night with her bows badly stove in ahd shipping seas in the forward tanks. The crew of the Selje, which sank at 10 o’clock on Friday night, were on board. A Melbourne man named Keys, a member of the Selje’s crew, stated that when lie reached the deck after the crash he found the Kaituna’s nose pushed halfway through the bigger ship at No. 6 hatch, and water rushing in at a great rate. Thereupon the crew took to the boats. Captain Endreson and the wireless operator, Osbjornsen, were the last to leave the ship. They had to jump for it, the wireless operator being a quarter of an hour in the shark-infested water before he was picked up The Selje sank 25 minutes after being struck. There was no explosion. The ship carried 114,000 bags of wheat. When questioned last night Captain Endreson declined to indicate the cause of the collision. He stated that the visibility was good. He saw the Kaituna, but was not prepared to say from what direction she came or why she struck his ship. Captain A. B. Sizer, of the Kaituna, which was bound from Adelaide to Auckland and New Plymouth, declined to say anything. So far as could be ascertained the night was clear. The Kaituna must have come 'c|own on to the Selje from the top of a wave. The Union Company’s ship’s bows were so badly damaged that she probably would have sunk if the forward tanks had not been promptly pumped out, so lifting the forepeak and enabling collision mats to be placed over the gaping holes. Several ships answered her calls, but when they, arrived the crew had the ship’s safety assured.

The Selje was a large cargo steamer of 6598 tons gross, and 4187 tons net register, 420 feet long and 54 feet in breadth. Launched in 1921 as the Hallgrim, she was built by Messrs. Wm. Doxford and Sons at Sunderland, England. The Selje, which was owned at Bergen, Norway, arrived at Melbourne last month from Calcutta, and sailed on Friday with a full cargo of wheat for the United Kingdom or Continent. The Kaituna is a single-screw cargo steamer of 2042 tons gross, and 1208 tons net register, 279 feet 6 inches long, and 40 feet in breadth. She is practically a sister ship to the Komata, Kaiapoi and Kaitangata, and has been engaged for 24 years in the coal and timber and general cargo trade. Captain Sizer was formerly well-known as chief officer of the Maori. He has had cliargo of a number of the Union Company’s cargo steamers, including the Kartigi and the Kaimanawa.