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New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9045, 17 May 1915, Page 4

The cargo steamer Invertay, which arrived at Wellington from New York via Auckland on Saturday afternoon, is the vessel which ran out of coal on her passage from Panama, canal to Auckland last week. When tho bunker coal got low it was decided to cut up some pitch pine spars which were being carried as deck, cargo. Only five small hand-saws were available, and with these all hands, excepting tile Chinese in the stokehold, were engaged nigh* and' day, for forty-eight hours, in sawing the spars into lengths of about four feet each. The spars were 60ft long, and 18 inches in diameter: Thirtysix spars were sav/n up, and. they burned well as long as the coal lasted, hut when the coal gave out the: spars- did not burn, and as the vessel was then off Cape Colville anchor, was dropped. A message was transmitted to Auckland, and a vessel brought out fresh bunker supplies, which enabled the Invertay to reach the northern port,, ■ '