THE OVERDUE WAIKATO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11484, 25 July 1899, Page 4

THE OVERDUE WAIKATO.

The s.s. Otarama, which arrived at Port Chalmers yesterday, saw nothing of the Waikato on her run across tho Southern Ocean between the Cape and here. Captain Worster expresses the opinion that if tho Waikato has broken down she will drift northward, as the Otarama experienced a succession of strong S. to S.W. winds on the run across. The trend of the currents is also northward, so that there is every eha.nce of her being picked up, provided nothing more serious than a breakdown to her machinery has occurred.

ARRIVAL OF THE OTARAMA.

The New Zealand Shipping Company's fine steamship Otarama, from London, via Tenori'fFc, arrived at Port Chalmors yesterday morning, and anchored in Koputai Bay in order to tranship a quantity of dynamite to the powder cutter. This she was prevented doing until the cutter came down from Dunedm in the afternoon, and it Mas well on for evening before tho Otarama. was made fast to the George street pier. Since her last visit hero in January the Otarama has had a change of commanders:,. Captain Clifford has been transferred to the company's steamship Rakaia. and has been succeeded by Captain Worster, late of ship Waitan.gi, whose numerous friends hero will be heartily glad to hear of his arrival. The personnel of the executive officers has also' been changed, Mr I'orsdick gaining a step and coming as chief. Mr ,T. J. Cameron, late of the JR.M.S. Papanui, is second, Mr A. 1-1. Kyley third, and Mr A. P. Marsh fourth. Jlr'J. Forrester is still in charge of the engine department (which is in splendid order), accompanied by Mr James Thomas as second. Mr J. Myers third, and Mr C. Ross (late of n.M.S. Papanui) fourth. The chief refrigerating engineer is Mr A. M'Millan, and Mr J. I'Anson is still second. The chief steward is Mr C. Wood. Tho Otarama conies into port in superb order, reflecting very great credit on her excellent, chief officer, Mr Forsdick; while Captain Worster is to be congratulated on making the smartest passage from London to New Zealand the Olarama has yet performed, the net steaming time berag set down at 51 days and 8 hours—an especially good record, talcing into consideration the fearful weather encountered by. her in the Southern Ocean. The Otarama brings'3soo tons of cargo, the bulk of which (2900 tons, including 200 cases of dynamite) is for Dunecßn, and the remaining 600 tons for Lytlelton. We thank Mr J. J. Cameron, tho navigating officer, for the report of the passage as follows:—She left the Royal Albert clock at 7 a.m. of June 1, proceeded to Hole Haven, and embarked 200 cases of dynamite for this port, and left the Haven at 1.30' p.m. of the same day; experienced very fine weather down Channel and across the Bay of Biscay, and arrived at Teneriffe at 6 a.m. of June 6; replenished her supply of coal, and left again at 2 p.m. same day for Port Chalmers direct; had moderate N.E. trades and good running to the equator, where the -usual-calms and rains were met with. The S.E. trades were strong and accompanied with big head sens, which somewhat retarded her progress. She signalled'at tho Capo of Good Hope at 11 a.m. of June 27; and, soon after rounding the Cape, heavy weather set in, which continued almost without intermission, for the next fortnight, violent gales from S. and S.W. being encountered, attended by very high seas, which at times could only be described as mountainous. The Olarama, however, pushed on, and after crossing the 100 th meridian met with no bad weather worthy of record, the prevailing wind being northerly with smooth seas and clear weather. She passed the meridian of (Jape Leuwin on July 15 in lat. 48 S., and passed Tasmania five days later in lat. 48 S. Still keeping fair weather, she passed the Snares at 11 p.m. of tho 22nd inst., breasted the Nuggets at 3 p.m. of tho 23rd, and came to anchor off Otago Heads at 8.30 p.m. same day, where' she was immediately boarded by Pilot Thomson, who brought her up to Port Chalmers yesterday morning, where she was promptly boarded and cleared in by Captain Gray, the surveyor of customs.

THE COLLISION IN HOBSON'S BAY.

A sensational collision occurred in the dense fog which spread over the bay on,the 11th inst. (says the Melbourne Argus), when the Geelong steamer Edina struck the Geelong steamer Excelsior amidships, sinking her in a few minutes. Happily no lives were lost, and, though several of the Excelsior's passengers were seriously injured, they were safely transhipped, and are all making favourable progress in the Melbourne Hospital. The collision was undoubtedly due to the heavy fog, but if the meteorological conditions were unfavourable in this respect, the'absence of wind and wave was responsible for the saving of the Excelsior's passengers. The sea was like glass, and, after the shock of the collision itself, the crews of both boats behaved with the coolness and courage which ever characterise British seamen. The passengers also kept in their places in the sinking ship without.a sign of panic, those who had been unfortunate enough to bo seriously injured exhibiting a degree of fortitude which compelled admiration on air sides.

Dr "Wilson,-M.A., LL.D., headmaster of. the Presbyterian Ladies' College, was returning from a visit to Geelong, and was struck down at the time of the collision. "I was in the saloon," he said, " when a boy came down the companion and said the Ed-ma had been running into us. From his tone I took him.to mean that the danger was past; and I leisurely ascended the companion to sco the bows of the ship glowering over me. The smash Occurred almost at the same moment, and I was knocked down, as the. timbers were torn up like a ploughshare turns" a sod. The shock tent all thought of danger out of ray mind for a moment, and I recovered to see that my left arm had been shattered, and that the bones were protruding from the flesh. There was an immense gaping hole in the deck, through which I could' sac the interior of tho *aloon, and my legs were dangling through this opening, as I was lightly wedged in among the wreckage. There was a loose iron stanchion swinging from the broken awning, and at every turn this approached me, threatening to smash my head in, but somehow it kept its distance, and I escaped. All round me were other passengers struggling to get free. One poor girl, Miss Haley, I believe, was crushed beneath a mass of iron and timber, and it certainly surprised me when I learned that she was alive. Another poor woman was jammed between some broken planks, and many, who were not so seriously injured as to necessitate medical, aid, suffered intense pain at tiie lime. After a lime I managed to got the planks apart- with my uninjured hand, and was able, to stand up. By that time the seamen and passengers who escaped the smash wore assisting those less lucky out of their difficulty, bW; the ship was slowly, but surely, sinking, and when I released myself from the grip, of the debris .'.I saw the water already splashing over the tables in the saloon. I saw no signs of fear or panic on the part of anybody. The women who were hurt bore their wounds with.fortitude, and the men did all they could to assist them. I was one of the last to be hauled over the 'bow;s of the Edina, and from first to last I can testify to the courage- of the passengers and the energy of the crews. On board the Edina whisky and brandy were pressed upon me on all sides. It was the chance of. a lifetime for a teetotaller," remarked Dr Wilson, in conclusion.

_ Among the lady passengers on the Excelsior, true womanly courage, in the faco of great pevil, appears to have boon shown. Mrs W. Pride, an elderly widow, of Gcclong, Where she owns a saddlery Jnisiriess, together with her daughter-in-law, Mrs Harry Pride, and her daughter, Mrs M'Donald, wife of the manager of the Marathon estate, Anakie, near Geelong, may be numbered with the bravest. Mrs M'Donald says: "The crash occurred close to where v/e ivero sitting; bo close, indeed, that we instinctively, bent our heads to avoid what appeared 'to be instant death by the bowsprit of the Kdina striking us. An awful grinding noise followed. We were thrown on our faces, and as I fell I was struck by a largo bar of iron. This same piece knocked tho baby out of ]\)rs H. Pride's arm 3, and pinioned the mother to the deck. No; I cannot accurately describe what fol : lowed. I could hear women screaming anil debris crashing on to the deck, and above nil tho fearful din the captain's voice, as lie commanded the men to. lower the boats and ' sco to the women first.' Both mother and myself tried to oxtricate Mrs H. Pride, but failed. The situation was becoming desperate, for as tho Edina. appeared to got higher and higher out of the water wo knew tho Excelsior was sinking. My sister was unableto move. My most frantic efforts to pull her from underneath the iron liar were of no avail, and, seeing Dr Wilson standing near, I appealed to Mm to help mo. Ho was badly hurt, and showed me his broken arm as an evidouce of his utter inability to assist me. Ho wanted assistance himself. By this timo I began to think it was useless to expect to bo saved, and was quite prepare;! for the worst; but some of the sailors helped mo to extricate my sistor-iu-law, and as soon as she was able to release herself I dragged her in her half-dazed condition over wreckage, stumbling at every stop, to where the pa,->----songers were being hauled on to tho Kdina. I scarcely kn«w wiuit I was doing. A feeling of groat joy came over me when I knew we wero safe,'and all T ran remember of what followed was Captain Moore calling to a number of men who were wailing their I urn to stand aside while we made our way to the spot where the passengers were liri.ng dragged over the side of the ship on to tho Kdina. Wc^were hauled up to safety, ami mother, with the baby, was there- with us. She was tho bravest woman on that ship by far," added Mrs M'Donald, with conscious pride in her parent, " for she saved the baby at fclio risk of her own life. Oh. yes,-you did," as the mother held up her hand deprecating!}-. "Shn stood by me with the baby in her arms until Mrs Pride was released, and then.

struggled along the deck with her burden, falling twice over the debris. AH the other women on board beliaved splendidly af.-cr the first shock had passed. When we rcac'M 1 Melbourne Mrs H. Pride was taken to i,no hospital, and left there, ami I was treated for a slight injury to my knee."