A PERILOUS EXPERIENCE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1440, 5 October 1899, Page 13

A PERILOUS EXPERIENCE.

THE SCHOONER GLENCAIRN ALMOST FOUNDERS. The schooner Glencaim arrived in port on Saturday evening horn Timaru", having experienced a hairbreadth escape.".' from foundering during the trip. Cap- : tain Pallison reports having left Timaru on Monday last, the weauier coining up very" thick from the north-east during . the day. The next day, however, tbe wind backed to the south-east, with very, dirty weather, and it was obvious that tho little vessel was in for a rough time. At midnight on Tuesday, when, the schooner was supposed to be in the vicinity of Banks Peninsula, the wind ' r . had attained the ve'ocity of a gale, which continued on Wednesday, accompanied by high, following seas. At one p.m. on that day, whilst running' under single-reefed foresail at the rate ofabout 7\- knots an hour, and making fairly good weather, a sea rose about twelve feet over the after taffrail and broke on board with terrifying effect. It broke open the cabin door and companion, and filled the cabin, which is below the level of the main deck, washed the only boat overboard, smashed the galley forward, and carried away the chain box and a T I the starboard bulwarks. The forecastle companionwas wrenched off, and the forecastle was flooded with water. . The port bulwarks were split like matchwood, a»j&> the staysail boom was broken, while everything movable about the decks was swept overboard. Worst of all, the vessel was thrown on her beam ends; and all on board tnought that the end had come. The vessel righted slight'y", however, the pumps were manned, sail was made, and the vessel was again put before the wind. She made for shelter in Port Underwood, which haven was reached on Thursday morning. There Captain Pallison and his crew received the kindest attention from Captain Guard, of the Old Jack, who supplied him with timber to patch up the bulwarks, and a stock of provisions, almost everything in the way of" eatables having been spoilt by the water. He also lent him a boat to complete the passage with. The G'encairn left Port Underwood on Saturday morning, and arrived at the Railway Wharf at seven p.m. When the disastrous sea broke on board, Captain Pallison, who was at the wheel, was knocked over and washed against the poop starboard railing. On recovering himself and taking in at ,a glance the dire results of the mishap, which could hardly have been of a more serious nature not to be disastrous, . thought it was all up with them, and that the vessel would founder there and then, as formerly the Ohau is believed to have done. Tho cook, who was in the galley atthe time, had a narrow escape from being lost overboard, for that deck-house, patched up as it is now, is nothing hota displaced mass of splintered timber. Among other things, the water-tank gotadrift about the deck, and started several of the bulwark staunchions on the port side. An able seaman named, Weise is especially praised by Captain Pallison ;, f*vr the vigorous manner in which he worked to save the vessel by patching up ,the apertures with canvas whi'e half, and at times totally, immersed in water. The Glencairn has on board about 100 tons of produce for different consignee l ?, the greater part of which is undoubtedly damaged by water. On her discharge the Glencairn will return to Timaru to load for Wanganui.