A STEAMER'S PERIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14218, 15 November 1909, Page 6

A STEAMER'S PERIL.

SHAVING A DERELICT.

The steamer Star of Scotland, of the Tyser line, which arrived in Sydney from London direct, had a hairbreadth escape from disaster during her voyage, narrowly missing a collision whilst at full speed with a large derelict vessel. The Star of Scotland sailed from London on September 26. By October 27, when in the vicinity of Kerguelen Island, the elements had worked up into a 1 furious gale, and wave after wave smashed down remorselessly on the steamer's deck. To add to the discomfort of those on board heavy rain set in early in the day, and later on immense falls of hail. By nightfall snow was showering down in heavy thick flakes, and the officers on the bridge and the lookout on deck were endeavouring to peer through an almost impenetrable curtain of it. The gale was blowing heavily from the westward, and carrying the steamer on at a rushing speed, when suddenly an indistinct, blurred, and snow-covered object of considerable size loomed up only a few yards from the vessel's bow. The engines were at once rung down, and the steamer brought to a standstill, and it was discovered that the object was a derelict, which had been shaved by, only a few feet. As she wallowed drunkenly in the ocean, • with the gale shrieking round, and the remains of one solitary mast, she looked a ghostly, unwelcome and fearful visitant. Immense billows were playing with a mass, of tangled wreckage and gear, which was trailing alongside her, now dashing it on to her deck; and then tearing a portion away from her side, dispersing it in the ocean. There appeared to be no signs of life aboard, and, as the Star of Scotland was in imminent danger of fouling some of the wreckage, and the gale was too violent to launch a boat and visit the stranger, she was once more -. put on her course for Melbourne. This was about 11.30 p.m., and five hours later a large spar, like the lower mast of a sailing vessel, which the Star, of Scotland's officers believed the semisubmerged derelict to be, was passed. There were only about 70ft or 80ft of the deserted ship showing above the * waterline. The position of the derelict was in 48deg. 42min. south latitude, and 77deg. 59min. east longitude. .