STEAMER DISABLED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20989, 28 September 1931, Page 6

STEAMER DISABLED.

LOSS OF THE PROPELLER. ACCIDENT IN THE PACIFIC. The American steamer Golden Cloud, which arrived at Auckland from Los Angeles yesterday, lost her propeller in the Pacific when she was returning to America from New Zealand and Australia last voyage. The accident occurred at 1.30 a.m. on July 13, when the vessel was 230 miles south-west of Honolulu. The mishap was caused owing to the tail-shaft breaking close outside the stern tube, the propeller and the end of the tail-shaft dropping off. No other damage was done. The weather was fine at the time and in response to a wireless message the American Naval mine sweeper Sunnadin was despatched from Honolulu to tow the disabled vessel to port. The mine sweeper reached the Golden Cloud at midday on July 14, after the disabled vessel had been drifting at the rate of one knot an hour for 34 hours, and no difficulty was experienced in commencing the tow. A speed of knots was averaged by the mine sweeper during the tow to Honolulu, which was reached at 10 a.m. on July 16. The Golden Cloud did not have a spare propeller on board, so a new one was sent from San Francisco to Honolulu and after repairs had been effected the steamer resumed her voyage to San Francisco.