A SENSATIONAL VOYAGE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume V, Issue 576, 29 November 1897, Page 3

A SENSATIONAL VOYAGE.

Battling with the Gales. A Race For Life. By Telegraph—Pur Press Association. Wri.i.iNoTov. This I>ay. Shaw Savill’s fine ship Nelson, 1126 tons, Captain S. Perriain, 07 days from Liverpool to Wellington, had a very narrow escape from being lost ill the Straits early on Saturday morning. In other respects the voyage was a sensational one. When o! Cape Leuwin, between the 7th in; I 11th November, -he encountered a nceession of tremendous gales, in winch she lost the fore topsail yard, j jihlioom and stays, and one of the | lift bouts, and also had several rails I earned away. Another boat was I n.irtly smashed and the forecastle anil deck house damaged. At, !.::() a,in. oil Saturday the ship I struck on a rock off Cape Terawhiti, ; hut the impart, w.n only slight and the first sounding showed no water. ; The second sounding, an hour after wauls, gave , v nte. n inches, and n the water then continued to gain 1 rapidly the capta.n clapped mi sail witli the intention of running for Cloudy ilav in ordt l' to hcaeh the j v • Fortunately tie- Tarawera hound from Lyttelton to Wellington, wis sighted soon afterwards, and | arrangement . were made for towing the disabled vessel to Wellington. The wind bad increased to humeunc force, and after nearly six hours’ dangerous and laborious work and the loss of the chip's hawser, the tow lines were made fast, and by ti.ilO p.m. the Nelson was safely berthed to the outer tee of the lOC , n WI. 1 f Tilter then showed between five and six feet of water in the hold, and even with extra assistance the pumps, which were working unsatisfactorily, could not keep it down. At 1 u.m. tho water hud increased to eight feet, and fears being entertained that the vessel would take a list and sink at the wharf, the ship’ papers and belongings o' ili,. officers and crew were ic moved to the wharf for safety. /

Fortunately theso fears were not realised, and with better working pumps tho mastery was obtained over the inrush of water, until at mid-day the register showed only four feet, which was gradually reduced during the afternoon. The Nelson has 1489 tons of cargo for Wellington and 800 for Dunedin, all of which is more or less damaged by water. The Nelson is believed to have struck Thomas Rock, on which the barque Grassmere was totally wrecked two years ago. Later.

The Nelson is now out of danger. The water has been reduced to two feet. She had about 600 tons for Dunedin, mainly beer, stout, whiskey, tin plates, iron, oilmen’s stores and glassware. The work of adjustment is expected to take some weeks.