WRECKED IN SYDNEY HARBOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10690, 14 May 1906, Page 4

WRECKED IN SYDNEY HARBOR.

AN EXCITING COLLISION

STEAMER BUNINYONG CUT DOWN. ; SYDNEY, May 5. j The Howard Smith Co.'s well-known inter-State passenger steamer Buninyong was beached in Rushcutter Bay last- night after collision with the Liverpool (Eug.) owned barque Criffel, which was out- , ward-bound in ballast, and in tow for Newcastle. ; No lives were lost. All the Biuiinyong's passengers were landed in Syd1103' by launches from H.M.S. Powerful j and the Water Police service. I It was a beautiful evening, with a | clear atmosphere, and the passengers on | board the steamer were putting the final ; touches to their packing as they came up the harbor, or were enjoying the attractive picture which the "scene offered. Dinner was over, the tables in the saloon ' were cleared, and those not engaged with their- -packiflg„\Yere speculating upon how long it would take to reach the wharf. Rounding Bradley's Head a fresh view was opened out, and in the foreground of it Fenwick's tug Advance, with the schooner Mororo alongside her and the . barque Criffel at the end of a tow-line pastern. Who did and who did not see the Criffel is a. matter which the Marine Court- must decide. Off Athol Bight the steamer and the towed vessels crossed ouch other's course, .and the Buninyong, running astern of the tug, fouled the tow-line, causing the barque to race towards the steamer's broadside, into which she crashed, her bowsprit and jibboom becoming entangled in the bridge, boats, funnel and main rigging of the steamer, with disastrous results to both.

I The steamers side was badly pierced by the barque's bows, and the hole, about 12ft wide at the top and tapering town to smaller dimensions below the waterline, was cut right through cabins and fixtures into the engine-room. Thei biidge stancliions were badly twisted, ' the main topmast was earned away, and the funnel with it. Simultaneously the electric light current was cut off, and the steamer was suddenly cloaked in darkness. | On the sailing ship the jibboom and . bowsprit were broken off short when the vessels began to swing clear, her stem was, apparently, twisted, and several sheets of copper were torn away. The majority of tlie passengers were on the other side of the steamer's deck to that into which the barque orushed, and knew nothing of the danger in which they were placed until warned by hurried cries from sailors and others of the ship's crew for them to "clear away from tilie bridge." Then there was a crash, and all was darkness and confusion, though not necessarily disorder. Almost before the passengers had time to realise that anything had happened, the overlapping bows of the Criffel threw a shadow across the decks, and the falling wreckage made heavy accompaniment to the screams of frightened women. Below deck the stewards were busy helping passengers and getting luggage ready for the shore. Some few passengens were in their cabins, and one of these, a Mr M'Effer, received the full shock of the collision. His cabin was cut through by the colliding vessel, even to the alleyway beyond, and how he escaped is marvellous. He did, however, get off with a knock on the head, wihich rendered him insensible for a. short time, and lie had to be dragged out from the wreckage. The ship's printer, too, was, for a short while, pinned ifi his workroom, but was quickly extricated, and, with the others, rushed on deck. The sudden comparative darkness added to the confusion, and, as usual on such occasions, the people wviho knew least of what to do, talked most, and advised most vigorously. Upon the whole, however, the passengers, of whom there were some 35 in the saloon and a. few more, including children, in tho second, behaved well. Some of the women, the stewardesses reported, "felt a lit-tlo faint-like, and wanted attending to, but they were very good.'' The stewardesses, according to* all accounts, seem to have added moro glory to the famous records of their calling, and the male passengers especially speak highly of their calmness and decision. Before the first confusion had quietened down at- all the Buninyong was wilder weigh again, and the chief engineer, having reported that the condition of affairs below deck Avas serious — to all intents and purposes, that the ship was sinking — a course was steered towards the sandy oanks and shoals on t'he other side of the harbor, but ere those were reached the steamer lost weigh, and was brought to an anchor close under Garden Island, in about seven fathoms of water. From there some of the passengers were taken by the PowerfuPs steam launch, and shortly after 8 o'clock— less than an hour after the aocident — the Water Police steamer, with Inspector McVane in charge, went alongside, and arrangements were made for the transfer of the remaining passengers. Meanwhile, however, the water in the steamer was rising with unpleasant- persistency and it was deemed advisable to shiit across to the mud flat near the western head of Rushcutter Bav. • Before that could be done, however, it was ne oessary to slip the anchor, and to do that heavy hammers were necessary. The depth of waiter in the engine-room precluded the possibility of such tools being obtained, and a boat was sent ashore 'to Garden Island, where, necessary appliances were obtained, and a twg being at hand the anchor was- slipped and the Buninyong was towed to -wliere she now lies, as stated, upon an even keel, wkh the engine-room and bunkers full of water, and water in the after hold also. The steamer 'curried 35 passengers in the saloon and 33 in the steerage. Amidships, the vessel was a wreck from the main deck to well below the water line". Here the iron sides of the ship have been torn and twisted, rivets forced asunder, steam pipes - smashed, and deck cargo heaped with the ruin of the funnel, main mast, and lifeboat. In the engine-room there was nearly 18ft of water, the level being within a few foot- of the saloon deck. How for the engines have been damaged, the officers " cannot estimate. They know that the electric generating plant has suffered material injury. An inspection of the cabin containing berths Nos. 59 to 62 illustrates that the occupant (Mr M'Effer) had a marvellous escape. The iron beams carrying the main deck overhead have been twisted, t'he cabin fittings splintered, and the bunks completely demolished. A hole 10 or 12 feet iu the side of the ship at this part marks the actual point of the collision-