SHIPPING DISASTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13522, 21 August 1907, Page 7

SHIPPING DISASTERS.

SINKING OF THE INGEBORG.

! INQUIRY AT BRISBANE. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Brisban'h, August 20. At the inquiry into the collision which occurred between the steamer Arawatta and the barque Irjgcborg, Mr. McDermid, second officer of the Arawatta, who was in charge of the steamer at the time, deposed that the Ingeborg came up .suddenly like a cloud iii front of the steamer. There was nothing to indicate her approach, 11 d lie saw no light till after the collision. He was: wide awake, and the look-out was; keeping a sharp watch. There was no probability that, more lives would have been saved if the vessels had kept together a little longer. Several ..members of the Arawatta's crew gave similar evidence. FATE OF THE FORTUNATUS. RESCUE OF THE CREW. CARGO WORTH £150,000. Sydney, August 20. . Latest news shows that the fire on the steamer Fortunatus occurred on July 30, and that the vessel was abandoned on the next da}-. The steamer Forth rescued the passengers and crew shortly after they had left the burning vessel. One native fireman alone is missing.

The cargo included consignments for New Zealand ports. (Received August 20, 11.10 p.m.) Sydney, August 20. The value o?*the cargo of the Fortunatus, consisting of gunny bags, tea, and spices, is estimated at £150,000. London insurance companies are tlie heaviest losers. THE LOSS OF THE VIKING. RUN DOWN BY A SHIP. Early in July last news was received at Auckland from Norway stating that the Norwegian barque Viking, bound from Auckland to New York, with a cargo of kauri glim, had been lost, and that the captain and his wife were dead. ; Further news was received in Auckland by the Vancouver mail yesterday to the effect that the ship Atlas, which left Baltimore for San Francisco on March 25, put into Rio de Janeiro on July 4 in a damaged condition, as a result of a collision with" the Viking.

The Viking was abandoned, and all on board were saved, excepting Captain Pettersen and his wife.

The vessel sailed from Auckland for NewYork on Mav 2 with a cargo of kauri gum, etc.. valued'at about £45,000.

Captain Pebtersen was married to Miss A. Stewart, of Auckland, a few days before the ship sailed. The Atlas is a four-masted*barque of 3381 tons register, and is owned by the Standard Oil Company, of New York.

THE STEAMER BUCENTAUR.

PARTICULARS OF THE ACCIDENT.',

By the Union" Company's steamer M'anaponri, which arrived from Fiji yesterday, full details of the accident to the Alley liner Bucentaur, which went ashore on the main reef off Suva on the night of August 13, came to hand.

The steamer, which was bound to Auckland, left Suva at 10 p.m. on August 13, and ran on the reef, where she remained fast. ;

The Union Company's steamer Atua went to her assistance, and made several attempts to tow her. off, but without avail, and returned to Suva.

The engines of the Bucentaur were kept working all the time, and shortly after the Atua, cast off, the Bucentaur came off the reef and made back to Suva.

As soon as she reached the anchorage efforts were mink to clear her hold of the water, but without avail. There was found to be 17ft of water in the forehold, and although pumping operations were continued without intermission it was impossible to keep the water under.

A diver from the Pacific Company's cable steamer Iris was then engaged to make a survey of the hull of the steamer, and he reported that there were two large holes in the bottom, and a number of plates damaged. The diver put in a- number of wooden wedges between the plates, but this did not have the effect of stopping the leak.

In order to relieve the steamer and bring her up to the water line, about 1100 sacks of oats were jettisoned.

The cargo by the steamer from Vancouver for New Zealand is as follows: — For Auckland: 11,242 packages merchandise. For Wellington : 16,319 packages merchandise. For Lyttelton : 1213 packages merchandise. For Dunedin: 2722 packages merchandise. For Bluff: Seven crates sewing machines. For Melbourne: 829,646 ft timber, 704 bunches and 1646 cases bananas, which were shipped at Suva for Auckland, were transhipped to the Atua. A meeting of the Marine Board was held to deal with the grounding of the Bucentaur. ' The evidence of the officers stated that the helmsman turned the wheel the opposite way to the order, and caused the accident. The. seaman admits that he turned the vessel to port, but states that the capain gave the order to port the helm.

The Court of Inquiry censured the third officer of the steamer for the casualty.