STEAMER IN DISTRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2955, 2 November 1910, Page 40

STEAMER IN DISTRESS.

The flagstaff at Lyttelton early on Sunday morning indicated that the Health Officer was required to board a vessel lying at the heads, and residents woke to speculate on the possibility of the vessel being the Terra Nova, which is to take Captain Scott's expedition to the Antractic. Inquiries soon showed, however, that the arrival 'was the steamer Strathclyde, of 4417 tons, belonging to Messrs Burrell and Sons, Glasgow, which" had met with an accident. The vessel was sighted by the lighthousekeeper at Godley Head at 10.30 on Satur v day night. She was then about eight miles from the heads. The pilot was sent for, and the tug Canterbury steamed out to meet the steamer and towed her inside the heads, where she was anchored at 2 o'clock on Sunday morning. The Strathclyde left Newcastle .on Fridav, September 16, with a cargo of nearly 6000 tons of coal for Coronel,_ a port lying about 250 miles south of Valparaiso, South America. As soon as she left Newcastle the steamer ran into tremendous gales, which followed each other in rapid succession, raising high seas that 'washed the decks and carried everything before them. The most perilous experience was met with on September 28, when the vessel was about 1400 milts south-east of Lyttelton. During a terrific storm her rudder stock was broken and the steamer was at the mercv of the waves. Since that time she has "covered nearly 2030 miles, and the crew, many of whom are Chinese, were delighted to see land again. The mate (Mr A. Topp) showed a Lyttelton Times reporter the log-bcok, in which the details of the perilous voyage are recorded. The ship left Newcastle on September 16 and at once headed into a. heavy sea, a gale blowing from north and north-west. O 0 The storm continued on beptcmber <i&. and about noon it was found that the ves=el was not answering her helm. An examination was made, and it was found that the rudder stock had been broken. The barometer had now risen to 29, but the wind still continued with hurricane force. At 5 p.m. an effort was made to brin"- a drag into use. about 120 fathoms of mooring rope lashed with wire hawsers being used, but owing to the heavy sea running it was found necessary to cut this away. Then the construction of a jury rudder was begun, and a jib was hoisted, but great difficulty was experienced in keeping the steamer's head to the north. Tne gales continued, and the decks were swept incess»ntlv. 'On October 1 the barometer fell to 28.85. At 3 p.m. the sea was running mountains high, and at 4 o c.ocK the fore part of No. 2 hatch was stove in and flooded, and the cabin windows and ventilators were smashed to atoms, while the huge anchor was displaced. The following day brought no rebel, but oil was used freely with some success. A heavv gale of sleet and rain was nowdriving" the vessel into danger and the crew's efforts could not prevent her going further south. Bearings were taken, anu it was found that she was in latitude 50de" south. The steam pipe covers were next to go, on October 3, the ship then being in latitude 50.20 south. The next •day the wind blew the jib out of the bolt i-one The crew were still working harO at'the jurv rudder, the engineers turning the bolts While the carpenter attended to the woodwork. At 4 p.m. on October 4 the rudder was finished, and after an hour and a-half's work it was over the side. The en spines were then set going at half-speed ahead. All went well until October 6, when a rolling sea with heavy squalls cut away the jury rudder and the poop rails, the steamer all the. time ship Ming water in huge quantities. On the morning of October 8 the crew unshipped No. 4 derrick which was 43ft long, and at 9 o'clock this was put overboard, but the heavy swell and wind pievented the crew from doing much with it. On October 11 the sea became quieter, but a moderate gale was blowing from the northeast. Rain fell on the following day but on October 14 a gale, from the west was again experienced, and at 5.45 a.m. the jurv rudder was snapped in half. Un October 15 a gale from west-south-west blew with terrific force, and at 11 a.m. it was found necessary to cut away the remaining part of the jury rudder. No 3 derrick was unshipped at 1 p.m.. and three hours later was in the water fully rigged The forestavsail was blown out by the gale next dav. but the wind was now abating, and on Tuesday, October 18, the steamer was running into northerly winds. The meridian was passed on Thursday, and land was sighted at daybreak. Fresh north winds, increasing to a gale, and a rough sea gave the crew an anxious time on Friday and at 7 a.m. an observation was taken, placing the ship 40 miles south-east of Cape 1 ailiser. At midnight a gale raged, and a south-west course was set for Lyttelton. At. 6 on Saturday morning full speed war, tried, and the vessel steered .[avonrablv until about 50 miles from Godley Head, when the guy was carried away. Ip to this time the jury rudder had, been acting well, enabling the vessel to be kept within half a point of the course. The engines were at once slowed, and the port boat was lowered at r. quarter to 6 and the guv renewed. Full steed was again ordered and at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday Godley Head W Witlf a* sailor's modesty, Mr Topp had nothing to add to the official narrative oJ the log. but. he mentioned that, for ovei three weeks the members of the ship s company had been unable to change thenclothing, and for that reason alone they were overjoyed to reach port. The Strathclvde carries a crow of <J* Chinese, deck hands, firemen, cooks, and Stewards, and her white officers speak well of their behaviour. Dunne: the ib days drift they worked very hard and willingly and seemed.to be more or less indifferent, to the dangers which continually beset them. For several days the Chinamen slept in odd corners in the engine room, as owing to the huge seas breaking over -the decks the risks of getting forward to the forecastle were too great to be faced. Captain W. Watt, master of the Strathclvde, cabled to the owners (Messrs Burrell and Sons, of Glasgow) on Sunday advising them of the vessel's plight, and is now awaiting orders from them. The surveyor to Llovd's Register inspected the vessel at Lyttelton on the 23rd, but so far nothing has been decided on as to the a-eoairing of the vessel. Her cargo of coal will have to be discharged before she can be docked, and it is possible that the coal may be sold hero owing to the difficulty and expense of providing storage accomfor so large a quantity, "■ ' '____