A BROKEN TAIL SHAFT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 32

A BROKEN TAIL SHAFT.

THE POET STEPHENS ABANDONED.

HOPELESSLY i DRIFT IN THE

ALJL HANDS SAVED,

SOUTHERN PCEAN.

The vessel reported in the shipping columns of the Daily Times on Monday as being: sighted 12 miles off Cape Saanders at 4 p.m. on Sunday proved to be the barque Ravensccurt, which left Newcastle on September 20 for C*l?ao. During Sunday night blue lights could be seen flashing seawards at interTals, and* the watchers at Taiaroa. Heads were at a loss to account for the signals. At daybreak eager eyes and powerful telescopes swept the horizon. Finally a dista>£ , .speck resolved itself into a vessel under canvss* standing, in -shore, and about 7.20 a.m., wnat appeared to be the code signal "I> A" could' be discerned flyings frqm the vessel's -masthead. Captain M-Callum, the <ferbour Master, was at once communicated with, and on being informed of the- signal, and also that the vessel appeared to- be somewhat erratic in her movements, he concluded that the barque had . had her steering gear carried away, and being more or less disabled, was in need of «ssistance. At this time the tug Plucky was £n the act of towing the ecow Eunice np to town from' the lower anchorage, and Captain M'Callum- at once issued instructions for the Eunice to be anchored, and despatched th© Plucky to render assistant to the barque. Whilst the tag was scurrying seawards under full steam, further signals could be seen on the barque, and on being, interpreted showed that a shipwrecked crew were en board, waiting to be taken ashore. At this stage the succouring veesel became an object of the keenest interest to those on shore, who- had been kept posted np in the signals as they came to hand. Immediately on hearing that there was a shipwrecked crew on the Ravenscourt, Captain M'Callum communicated with the shipping master (Captain N. Beaumont), the secretary of th& Shipwreck Relief Society (Mr Grace); and the- pre3s. Scenting some sensational copy, eeveral pressmen hurried down to Port Chalmers by ■the mid Hay -train. Just before leaving they were informed that further signal messages had been sent from the barque notifying those on ahore that the rescued cvew belonged to the steamer Port Stephens. Curiosity was at once aroused, and there was much wagging of heads in 6hipp"mg^ circles as to the probable cause of the disaster. Less than three weeks ago the Port Stephens was discharging coal at Dunedin, and it seemed hard to realise that such a fine vessel had been lc&i in the meantime, but when the tug drew near the wharf at Port Chalmers the crowd of men on her decks, and the two large, black-painted lifeboats towing astern, gave mute, but indisputable, evidence of a disaster at sea.

LANDING AT PORT CHALMERS.

The news had travelled apace, »nd by the *ime the tug hauled alongside the Bowen pier there was a large crowd of eager persons anxious to hear the worst. The worst proved to be the abandonment of the disabled steamer away south in that lonely waste of waters between the Auckland and Macquaric Islands, and everyone felt relieved on learning that <rvery soul on beard had been brought safe and sound to land at Port Chalmers. It was a thrilling moment, bat although they have the same feelings as other mortals, men who are accustomed to seafaring affair* do not betray their feelings to any extent *s a rule ; nevertheless there was not one man amongst the crowd who did not feel a throb of pleasure at knowing that everyone was safe. A fine typ3 of the olci British saa-dojf. who was standing by. voiced the sentiments of the bystanders •when he said : " What does it matter about the ship? Human livos are far more precious than any steamer."

THE ABANDONED STEAMER.

The Port Stephens is a steel, screw, spar, deck steamer of 356+ tons register, and was built in 1894 by J. L. Thompson and Sons, Sunderland, for the Anglo-Australian Steam Navigation Company (Limited) the managers being Messrs W. Milburn and Co., London. She was classed 100 Al at Lloyd's, and was reckoned a fine type of the modern cargo steamer. The Port Stephens made two trips from New castle to New Zealand ports und-e* charter to th? Union Steam Ship Company in order to m^et pressing local de~nancis for coal. She left Dunedin on September 27 for Oamaru, where she completed her discharge, and her charter having exp'red she left Oamaru for Newcastle direct on October 1. and, going south about, the ste-->me-passed through Fovcaux Strait and a direct course was laid for Newcastle, the reason being, that by going this way instead of via Cook Strait, the journey would be shortened by about 300 miles. By 7 a.m. on October 3 the vessel was in lat. 45.50 S., long. 164 E., well to the south-east of Puysegur Point, when, without the slightest warning, the tail shaft snapped off in the stern tube, and the mad racing of the engines announced the faot that the steamer was lef fc- Tfcithou* any means or propulsion. AIT h*"ffe were at once aroused, and thf> engine room- staff speedily set to work to try and remedy matters. The steamer carried a spare shaft and nrope'ler, but the crew might as' well have tried to climb a rainbow &3 to try and place the spare gear in position, as" the vessel pitched and waHowed in the trough of the southern billows. Having r.o cargo in her the vessel rode high in the water. At times her propeller was welt clear cf the waves, and a few seconds later her stern would d«"op with a crash, submerging it 10ft or 12ft. The after ballast tanks were emptied and the tox'tud ones filled in order to r*.se the

1 stern as much as possible, tnd had the -i-.-i been smooth the expedient might have enabled her men to place the spare shaft and propeller in place; bat, under the circumstances, this was plainly impossible, so an effort was then made to get at the fracture in order to fish the broken ends together by what is known as " dove-tail keys." Realising that a fortnight's hard 'labour lay in front of them, the engineers set to work to effect repairs, and meanwhile j Captain Jolly had all the sail set on every ! available spar in order to try and oounter- ! act the vessel's - steady leeway. Day and night, without intermission, the chief engineer (Mr Warren) and his men toiled away in the cramped «p«co of the shaft tunnel like men toiling in jl narrow dungeon. As they were rapidly drifting well out of the track of any passing vessel, the fact of having the dreaded Macquarie Islands under their lee proved an additional incentive to hasten the repairing operations. As though this were not enough, the "vessel was only provisioned for , the voyage to Newcastle, consequently the I prospect of a long drift in those latitudes I wag not particularly alluring. For five i days the wind blew strongly from the ! northward, and in that time the Port j Stephens had

DRB7TED 229 MILES DUE SOUTH.

Ahout 2 a.m. last Monday a ship's lights could be discerned some distance away, and her notico was at once attracted by the burning of flare and blue lights. The vessel stood by until morning, when she proved to be the barque Ravenscourt, bound from Newcastle to Cailao. That vessel also had been blown far to the south of the usual £rack by reason of the long spell of adverse weather. Captain Jolly -had * boat lowered and proceeded on board the barque, and after a conversation with Captain Jenkins, her skipper, he returned to hia vessel and mustered all hands. He placed the whole position before them, leaving them to decide whether they would siand by the steamer in hopes of getting her to port again or abandon her to her fate. By this time the men had sized up the position to such good jjurpose that the latter course was at once deckled upon, and the men proceeded! to gather up some of their effects with a view to going en board, the barque.

THE STEAMER ABANDONED.

Captain Jolly ordered the lifeboats to be lowered, and, after securing- the ship's papers and valuables, the little party turned their backs upon the Port Stephens, and with many a bitter pang of regret abandoned her to her fate. On boarding the Ravenscourt the officers and crew received every possible kindness from all on toarcl, and the rescued men vied with each other in sounding the praiees of Captain Jenkins, his officers, and crew, most of whom, it may be mentioned, are Welshmen. Tike Port Stephers was abandoned in lat. 49.20 S., having drifted 229 miles almost due south in five days. At the time of her abandonment the disabled steamex- was steadily drifting southwards, and the barque Ravenscourt took seven days to make Taiaroa Heads after leaving the abandoned steamer. By this time the Port Stephens may be 500 miles off the southern end of Stewart Island, and, if picked up within a reasonable time, should prove a husky haul for any steamer. If brought to port the vessel would be probably worth about £40,000, but the task of findin? a drifting vessel is proverbially difficult, whilst the mere fact of sending a properlyequipped steamer in eearch of her would cosi a tidy sum whether successful or not. Mr G. L. Denniston, Lloyd's agent, cabled Home particulars of the vessel's abandonment on Monday evening, and it Is not yet known whether her owners will giva instructions for a search to bs made. No particulars conld be gleaned on Monday evening as to the amount of insurance, jf any, on the vessel, and being one cf a large fleet hci owners may have taken the* risk theit.etlves.