PORT KEMBLA WRECK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19413, 23 August 1926, Page 8

PORT KEMBLA WRECK.

SHIP CBASHES ON ROCKS. DISASTER IN DARKNESS. PASSENGERS' EXPERIENCES. ATTEMPTS TO REFLOAT FAIL. "Momentary confusion following a crash on the rocks in pitch darkness was inevitable, but apart from this there was but mild sensation in the wreck of the Port Kembla," said a passenger, Dr. H. M. Birch, of Adelaide, who arrived in Auckland on Saturday by the Port Dunedin. The Port Kembla, a comparatively new Commonwealth and Dominion Line steamer of 8435 tons, ran on a reef off San Salvador, an island in the West Indies, on July 8, and has since become a total wreck. The vessel was about threequarters laden with a cargo of motor-cars, machinery and soft goods for New Zealand valued at nearly £500,000. There were ten passengers and a crew of 93. Dr. Birch said the weather was fairly clear when the Port Kembla left Newport News on July 5 for Colon. The vcnaf] had been very heavily coaled at Newport News and all available Space on th® upper decks was occupied. Good weather prevailed for the trip down the American coast. At 4 a.m. on July 8 a terrific impact awoke. everyone on board. The footplates in the engine room buckled under the feet of the men on watch. The emergency steam pumps were started simultaneously with the reversal of the engines, but the full power produced no movement. . No Panic Shown. There was • a hurried mustering on deck and the lifeboats were swung out, A member of the crew, who was thrown from his bunk in the forecastle, proved to be slightly injured. The blackness of the night revealed nothing, but the watch reported that San Salvador was within easy reach. The leadline showed that the vessel was on rocky bottom and the inrush of water indicated that the hull was badly pierced through both skins. A hasty inspection of the bilges established that the pumps were reducing the inrush materially and the officers were able to assure the four women passengers that it would not be necessary to abandon 'the vessel. • Wireless communication was established with Kingston, Jamaica, and a salvage steamer was promised, J,ho proximity of San Salvador making the Safety of the passengers certain as long as the sea remained calm.

Daylight came within two hours and it was then seen that the Port Kembla was in the midst of a large reef area, within two miles of the island. Natives came alongside in pulling boats and volunteered the information that the battered hull of another ill-fated steamer had been fast on a reef off the island for several years.

Feverish Work With Oargo. As the quantity of water was serious in one hold only, it was decided to maka an attempt to refloat the steamer. The day was fine and all hands were engaged to jettison the coat It was found that the fresh water storage and ballast tanks in the double bottom had-.&een pierced.and the only drinking water available was that distilled in the. engine room. The morning proved to be typically torrid and the work of lightening the vessel was carried on in extreme heat. Two of the crow collapsed owing to the heat and required medical attention. During the day the vessel would occasionally bump and heave and at low tide rocks could he' seen near the watefline for the full length of the koel. , ■ The daily routine of tha passengers was not interrupted and there was little- her- • vous tension as the engineroom staff was achieving fair success with the pumping. At the first high tide the engines were tried hard astern without effect. Two lifeboats wefe then lashed together in outrigger fashion and a maujivo anchor was suspended between them and carried into deep water. . Cables were attached to several winches and on the second day an attempt was made to pull the vessel off the reef. For three days the crew worked feverishly to lighten the hull, an aggregate of nearly 2000 tons of coal- being dumped overboard. • Salvage Steamer's Bflorta.

The, salvage tug from Kingston arrived on July 11 with special pump equipment and native labourers. The water had gained on the pumps and three holds were now well filled. Several large-capa-city power pumps were rigged and the saturated cargo was dislodged to permit suction pipes to be installed. The salvage crew continued operations, but the water, gained and every tide aggravated the injufy to the hull. The water, was kept out of the engineroom without difficulty and, although fresh water was scarce and fresh vegetables lacking, no hardship was suffered On July 14 the steamer Venezuela, in response to a wireless message, appeared on the seen© and the 10 passengers were transferred and taken to Colon. The salvage steamer's crew and the crew of the Port Kembla were still hopeful that something might be done for the damaged hnll. .

Dr. Birch paid a tribute to the officers ! and crew of the Port Kembla, who he said, had done everything possible to put the passengers at ease. One officer had rendered invaluable aid to the salvage party by diving into the flooded holds to clear a passage for the pump leads. Since the passengers left the Port Kembla a hurricane© caused extensive damage to'the hull and rendefed salvage impossible. j The other passengers who were on the Port Kembla will reach Auckland by the Corinthic to-morrow.