THE TONGARIRO-DRUMLANRIG

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 14

THE TONGARIRO-DRUMLANRIG

A PASSENGER'S STORY. (Fhom Oub Own Cobeespondent.) LONDON, December 4. The Hon. G. J. Smith, M.L.C., was one of tlie passengers who had joined the steamer at London. He and his family (his wife, daughter, and two sons) had made up their minds they weTe settled in for six -weeks, and Mr Smith accordingly "unpacked what luggage he expected to require on the voyage. The vessel left London on Thursday afternoon, and made a. good passage Tound the coast in charge of a Channel pilot. At half-past 5 the following morning, off ' St. Margaret's Bay, the passengers were awakened by a very severe shock. Mr Smith, amongst others, ran on deck, and learned that the vessel had collided with something. Though the morning was quite clear, it was very dark, And not a sign could be seen of the stranger. The story of those who were on deck was that she had suddenly loomed up in front, and had been hit a slanfcinc blow, recoiled, and disa-'-oeared in the darkness. ! It is -understood that the pilot saw the i red light ahead, and showed his red light, ! but the stranger, "who was approaching, i then showed his green, evidently in the i attempt io cross the bows of the Tongariro. : The engines of the Tongariro were at onoe i stopped. The stranger then appears to have .changed his mind, being afraid, it is I suggested, of running on to a shoal, for putting "his helm over again he once more showed his port light. It was now practically impossible to avoid touching, so the engines of the New Zealand liner were reversed, and her head swung off, flic blow being thus delivered obliquely and with considerable lessened force. The -other vessel backed away immediately, and -disappeared in the -darkness without giving I any indication of bis injuries. | Captain Sutcliffe immediately had the boats swung out in readiness if it should be found necessary to take the passenger* off. There was no commotion or ftisorder whatever. The stewards and <rffioexs went I round the cabins and told the ■passengers ' there was nothing io be aixaid of, and many of them consequently did not 3eav« their bunks. One of the Tongaripo's life- - boats was lowered to communicate with *ne> ofcher vessel. It j>ulkd all about- -the looalitv. but coulS find no sign .of this .stranger, though the search was continues . for *n hour/when dayKcint came Captain. SutdLiffe found bis vessel gefctrng .deeper 'by £he head, so he decided to steam for Dover, which was only a few miles off. The fog came dojwn, and it took an hour and a-half of "slow steaming, with the 'assistance of the tug Lady Cr-nndall, to reach the harbour. „ ' Owing to the currents ibe> entrance m always a difficult one. except for vessels going at a good' speed. As the Tingaarir© was about to enter h«r steering gear failed to act, and she bumped into the Aditni ratty f>ier just at the moment when she '"began to answer again to her rudder. The injury done to the Tongsuriro's bows by this impact appeared to fche casual observer 'to r be more serious than that caused toy the ' original collision. When the Drumlanxig bad nniehed with her the Tongariro had a long split on the pout sk»e down at t3i« water's edge. One theory is that this was caused by the screw -of the prmnlaffwig as she swung off. From the point otf view of the safety of the vessel this was the j more serious, since it let the water m and caused the vessel to go, down, by tihe , head. j The collision witih the ,pier smashed raw stem, which was bent at right Angles, the fone plates being buckled «nd the bulkhead between No. 1 and No. 2 hold started. The harbour floats came alongside, and' got the pumps to work on the Tongta/riro, but she appeared to be settling so quickly by the head that it was considered wise to ! beach her so as to prevent her filling. ! She ran on the beach with a strong list to port. The first that the Tongariro's I people really saw of the other boat was I when they entered the harbour and found • her also beached to keep her afloat. Tihe harbour tag, Lady Crqmdall, oon- ■ tinned pumping- to keep down, th© water io i the forepart of the Tongaa-iiro, and a qnaniity of oargo was diacfawwed. She was refloated on Monday, and brought round to the Thames, in company with the tu£ Java. The hull of ti» Tongariro is insoire* for £103,000. Besides passengers and mails she had a valuable cargo on hoard, and all interests concerned would b» valued At about a quarter of a miMjon. The surv eyors proliminary report is that ail to© ' bow plates ane buckled from the stem to ' belonb the waterline. The Drumlanrig, which was carrying grain and linseed from Buenos Ai<r«s to ! Hamburg, is 1 a sew vessel of 4284 ton| gross, built in 1906 fox Measffe J. Oha&t wick and Son, of Liverpool. The market had a. risk -of over £60,000 oil hex cargo, wbioh, being perishable, will h& *. Jose. The steamer herself is valued at' £35,000. She was damaged on the port side, just abaft .the bridge, wihfae a breaoK was made, and Ute platdaw wee ripped awaj, for many feet. Thirouigh I3»e "breach heij cargo of jute sadas couM be seen. About 2s£t of the sheer strak* is torn away ana the strake below is fraetua?ed, but the cargo boat is probabJy less damaged by the eo^ lision and its conseqiJencES than thte liner. Great reticence is observed, As is ueiiaJi in suoh cases, as to which veesel is to biame, and it i« probable that the na»tt«<r wili be fough* out in the taw oourbe, though Ihere are some who think the» Tongariro'a oase so strong that the claim may "besethled. Opinions differ as to whether tb&re waa fog, but it is contended that *he TongarifQ kept her course and complied with all tihe raee-sary Tequii-ennftpta to avoid collision. Tli 3 many Eriends of Captain Sutaliffe watf bp glad to know that he was not in cdiange at the time of th& collision, the channeT pilot being on the bridge.

A recent visitor to. the Wgba Pass rftofc paintings eaye that wtb the exception of € levf daubs of reo, and many nainjte %*O§M