WHANGAPE'S BREAKDOWN

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13875, 8 October 1908, Page 5

WHANGAPE'S BREAKDOWN

FURTHER DETAILS. FORTY HOURS IN AN OPEN BOAT. Further details of the breakdown of the e.s. Whangape on September 25, when 240 miles south of the Fijian Group,- were brought to Auckland by the s.s. Atua., which arrived from the Islands yesterday The Atua, it will be remembered, was the vessel which picked hp the Whangape'si boat off Suva, and afterwards proceeded in search of the disabled steamer, but without success. Subsequently the Whaagape was located by the Tofua and towed into Suva. The experience of those who set out in the open boat, as narrated by the officers of the Atua, is an interesting one. It ap pears that on the breakdown of the Whangape, she was put under sail, and made for Kadavu, covering 150 miles Captain Chrisp, finding then that he was getting near reefs, decided to despatch a boat to Suva. There was no lack of volunteers, and the boat was finally sent, under the command of the second officer, Mr. R. J. Reeves, with Mr, G. Brown, *.h'e third officer, a-i his assistant, and a crew of six seamen. Favoured with a stiff breeze, the boat made excellent progress, and in 40 hours had covered 200 miles, which left 20 miles to Suva. Darkness then set in, and with it a calm, and the crew not appreciating the idea of such a long row into port burned a flare light. This was seen at two a.m. by the Atua, which happened then to be making port, after the voyage over from Sydney, and the crew were taken on board. Though glad to be relieved of the discomforts which necessarily attended their occupation of so small a craft, the officers and men treated their experience more in the nature of a joke than anything else. . On reaching Suva the Atua received instructions to search for the disabled steamer, but after cruising'about for two days, in which time 640 miles ejp covered, the Atua returned to port. Notice being received that other veseeis were to carry on the ecarch, the Atua came on to Auckland.