STRUCK BY CYCLONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18879, 29 November 1924, Page 11

STRUCK BY CYCLONE.

SCHOONER IN DISTRESS.

RESCUED BY A STEAMER.

DIFFICULT SALVAGE; WORK.

TOW OF V OVER. * 6oa; MILES. •

A four-masted American schooner that had been badly damaged by a" cyclone was picked up in the Gulf .of Mexico and towed 650 miles to Colon by the Eeardon Smith- Lino steamer Quebec City, which arrived at Auckland last evening from Texas.

The -Quebec City sailed, from Port Arthur, Texas, for Auckland on October 15, and experienced tempestuous weather until noon on October 20, when the four-masted American schooner Florence B. Phillips was sighted five miles on the port bow flying signals of distress. The schooner was bound from Betize, British Honduras, to Mobile, Mississippi, with a full cargo of copra and coconuts. On the previous day she had been' struck by a cyclone, which had smashed her rudder, blown her sails away,' and washed the lifeboats overboard.

When the Quebec Qity arrived on the scene the wind was blowing a fresh gale from the south-west, and there was a high confused sea. The Quebec City was then hove to close to windward of the schooner, and with difficulty a lifeboat was lowered, manned by the chief officer, Mr. Roberts, and four seamen. The boat reached the schooner's stern safely, and hung there fast to a line. The captain of the schooner informed Mr. Roberts of the damage done, to the" sailing vessel, and requested that the Quebec City should stand by-him.

Schooner Leaking Badly. The lifeboat then returned to the steamer, which was then hove to to lee- <• ward. At 3.30 p.m. the same day the schooner hailed the steamer and reported that she : was leaking -badly, and wished ' to be towed to port This was more easily said than done, as .the gale continued unabated, and the heavy sea made boat work extremely difficult and dangerous.

A number of unsuccessful attempts were made to get a line 'aboard' the schooner by the aid of the lifeboat, and by lines attached to floating lifebuoys. As darkness was approaching salvage work was suspended until daybreak next day. \ •

The effort were resumed at 6 o'clock .the following morning, and at. 7.20 a.m. a line was passed from the steamer to the schooner by the aid of a floating buoy. This line was then attached to a. towing hawser, the end of which was got on board the schooner by 8.30 a.m. An hour later the Quebec City was under way with the schooner in towt The wind had increased to a stropg westerly gale, which blew in furious squalls, : . and the seas were running high. The tempestuous conditions put too heavy a ; 'strain on the which carried away at noon. ' Line Again Made Fast. Various unsuccessful attempts were made that afternoon, to get the, tow line fast to the schooner again, but owing to the weather conditions the work was abandoned until the following day. Shortly after 6 a.m. the salvage work was resumed, and half an hour later the tow line was again 'fast .to the schooner. The tow was resumed at 8.15 a.m., but an hour and a-half later the steamer stopped and shackled a long length of cable to the tow line. An hour later the cable was fast, and- tho steamer got under way

again. .." Next day the weather began to moderate, and the conditions gradually improved with the result, that'.,the Quebec City reached Colon on October 25, and handed over the disabled schooner to a tug. Besides losing rudder, sails 1 and boats, the schooner had lost both her anchors with cables attached. When she was struck by the cyclone the anchors with nearly all the cable were lowered to try to bring the vessel's head to the wind. Later the crew of the schooner were unable to heave the anchors/up and in consequence the cables werfc slipped: and lost.

The rescuo brvhe 6chooner and her crew was carried out under-very adverse conditions, and the. accomplishment of the difficult work reflects great credit on Cap-

tain G. Rees, the master of the Quebec City, and his enicers and crew.