LINER FIGHTS GALE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8363, 25 February 1913, Page 4

LINER FIGHTS GALE

EXCITING , STORY OF SNOWDON RANGE'S VOYAGE. A CHARMED LIFE. DISABLED AND TOWED 500 MILES IN STORMY WEATHEB. - LONDON, January 19. Alter one of the most adventurous Atlantic voyages ever recorded, the hhimees liner Snowdon Range, with the whole of her crow safe, lies safely berthed in dock at Queenstown. The vessel had been over fifty days at sea—the longest time ever taken, it is believed, by j. steamer homeward bound from the United States, and from the end of December until Friday, the 10th, when a belated report of the steamer was received, she had been uninsura bio. A high rate for re-insurance was first quoted on December 13th, and during the following fortnight a largo business was done at steadily advancing rates. The Snowdon Kongo left Philadelphia on November 23rd, and five days later was spoken. Then nothing was heard of her until the arrival of the Swedish steamer Vesterland at Philadelphia. The Vesterland reported that she had spoken her on December 19th in distress, with her rudder and boats lost, some hundreds of miles from the West Coast of Scotland. Owing to the bad weather the Vesterland could not tow her, and an oner to take off the crew was refused. Considering the extraordinary violenoo of the weather which followed, underwriters felt it was improbable that the vessel could have long survived, and the end of last week eight-five per cent, was being quoted for re-insurance. On Monday news came first from Ejkibbereen to the effect tjjat the Snowdon Eange was making for Queenstown ip tow of the Dominion liner Welshman, and needed the assistance of two tugs. Then came reports that she had pas-’ed Brow Head bound for Queenstown, and that the Welshman had towed her for 500 miles. Tho Welshman left Liverpool on December 28th for Portland, Maine, so 1 hat for , many days after December 19th the Snowdon Range, in her helpless condition, must hare been terribly buffeted. It is generally recognised that only very fine seamanship could have saved her. SNATCHED AWAY FROM SAFETY. But her adventures were not yet over The jubilation was premature, fox - , when, apparently, she was within hailing distance of home and safety, the gale triumphed and started to drive the Snowdon Range, dragging the single tug towing her towards a lee shore. "The worst fears are now entertained for the ultimate safety of the Snowdon Range,” was the melancholy ending of a message. Later news was received to the effect that tho vessel was at anchor off Queenstown at eighteen fathoms of cable, and that all the assisting, steamers had left her in the hurricane and sought refuge in the harbour. Then she dragged her cables and hope was once more abandoned. A remarkable thing then happened; Tho steamer was driven by the gale into Queenstown harbour, drifted into dangerous proximity to the rocks in Graoall Bay (at the entrance to the harbour), but did , not strike. She passed safely oyer tho dangerous harbour rock, and was brought up only when she Struck the bank at the southern side of Spike Island (at least a mile inside the mouth of the habour), where she now lies on a soft bottom, but in perfect safety. In shipping circles at Queenstown it is stated that , even if the steamer was under full control it would have been q daring thing to venture into the harbour under such weather conditions as prevailed when the disabled vessel was actually blown Into safety. The vessel bears abundant signs of the buffeting she-received for almost six weary weeks,.-"'Her . rudder is gone, her boats are either lost or broken; her rails are bent, and tho ironwork is twisted into many an uncouth shape. Rust is over almost everything, for in the long fight with the'sea from which they have emerged victorious the crew had no time to think of the ship’s appearance. Officers and men were exhausted, and, the stimulus: of danger over, they mostly fell off to sleep wherever they could find a reeling place. As the battered vessel came slowly in, the sirens of the ships in harbour were set going, and the people on the shore cheered the brave men who brought the Snowdon Range into the welcome haven. 1 THE CAPTAIN’S STORY. \ Captain Dlckeuson, tho gallant master, bad a thrilling story to - tell of the adventures of the Snowdon Range. The troubles of the vessel, he said, began on December sth, when the . rudder was carried away, .a hurricane blowing west-, north-west to west-south-west. , They were then in mid-Atlantic, or a little more west. After this accident they did not see any ship for fourteen days, and the vessel drifted helplessly. , During the time they were drifting they experienced very hoovy weather;.decks wore awash, and tho boats were badly smashed. The rudder had broken just below • the coupling, and ou the first fine day they got the boats out and knotted Wires round it, •but it broke again. They could do no more for four or five days, and then the rudder was taken awny and jury rudders were tried. In all they tried seven of these, but they were not successful. After fourteen days they saw a German vessel, but she would not tow them in. They hung on two or three more days, the weather still being bad, and then they saw. the Welshman on the Queenstown track. That ship stood loyally by them. At the first attempt on January Ist to connect the hawser to the Welshman they failed, owing to the bad weather. On January 2nd they made a connection, but were forced to relinquish their hold. At_ that time the Snowdon Range was straining and taking heavy seas. The seas stove in her bunker hatch and flooded her ’tween-decks. On January 4th they got connected again, the weather having moderated slightly, and on the sth they rigged up a jury rudder, *Ki© towing cable broke on the same day. They got connected again, but again she broke adrift. Three times the Welshman slipped them—twice on account of tho weather. . - At last they saw the Irish coast. They wer© drifting then, but the Welshman was still standing by. On Monday they sighted' the trawler Salome, which bore down on them and did the steering until it broke adrift. A connection was soon after made,-but in two hours' time it broke again, Tho trawler kept close to the Snowdon Range all night, and on the following morning the connection was established agaiit. On Tuesday morning tho captain of tho Welshman decided to pass_ the Snowdon Range over to the tugs which came out. The weather was then fine, and the Flying Fish got connected up. They were then off the Old Head of Kinsalo. Nothing of moment then happened until they dropped anchor inside Daunt’s Rock light. The tug-boats left because of thp sea that was running and the gale. Captain Dickenson, continuing, said they let the two anchors go. After lofting the first one go, they had to gel tho hawser clear of the propeller to enable'them to use the steam. The Snowdon , Range was then taking on board heavy seas, and one could not stay on clock. The searchlights were playing on them, and they could see that they were drifting. They tried to head her for the sea, but failed —the vessel still weuf towards the land, pulling at her anchors. “When I saw she was going toward the shone." said the captain, "I sent up distress signals, rockets, and blue lights half a dozen of each. By the aid of the searchlights from the forts we could sec the broken water. We then went ahead a little and a little astern, and thvukept from the broken water. We touched something coming in—l don’t think it was tho harbour rock or wo should have felt it more. It must have been a bank. On our way in wo got pretty close to the Camden Forts. Wo struck threetimes and got off again. It was lucky was sand or mud we struck, and not

the rock. After a while wo got inside, and she soon seemed to bring np. Wo thought our anchors were still holding, bnt tho lifeboat came alongside, and then we learned we were beached.” Reviewing his experiences. Captain Dickenson said: "When I was tossed about for fourteen days without seeing a ship I thought we were about finished. The ship wanted very careful watching, and that was what saved her. We kept constantly tacking to get from the northern to the southern track. We had to be very careful about our coal, but have about forty tons left. We had plentv of provisions, and got water off the main engines. We used about twenty-five tons of grain for the boiler, and that was all the cargo wo touched. The lifeboat acted very well, and I cannot speak too hi-hi, of the captain of the Welshman. Great praise is due to the man who stood by us." OWNERS PROUD OF CAPTAIN. Mr Stephen Furness, HP, chairman of Furness, Withy and Co., the owners of the Snowdon Range, telegraphed to captain Dickenson on receipt of the news that the vessel was in tow:— N We are delighted to receive telegram, and are very proud of you and all members of the crew. Captain Dickenson replied thanking Mr Furness for hie congratulations. Captain Dickenson belongs to Sunderland.