DRIVEN ASHORE IN GALE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19894, 23 March 1939, Page 4

DRIVEN ASHORE IN GALE

ROWANBANK'S ORDEAL EXPERIENCE IN -JAPAN ( I'cr Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. While on the Japanese coast in January the Bank Line steamer Rowanbank, which arrived at Auckland from Sourabaya, Java, to discharge raw sugar at Chelsea, was driven ashore during a gale with three other steamers and remained on a sandy beach for five days before being floated off. Ail the vessels beached escaped damage. The Rowanbank, of 510 U tons, arrived at Muroran harbour, on the south-east corner of the island ol Muroran. on January 16, At sunrise on January 20, while moored inside the breakwater, with two anchors down, a strong north-westerly gale developed, intermingled with snow, the temperature never being above 25 degrees. The vessel started to roll heavily, swinging with 1 lie wind. Shortly afterwards the port anchor carried away, breaking off like a piece of string.

The vessel then started to drag the starboard anchor. Though steaming slowly, it was impossible to keep the ship from drifting. She was still dragging the starboard anchor with ail the cable out.

The harbour was full of steamers, including three British ships, the Hanover, of 5000 tons. Hu; Ashbridge, of about. 3000 lons, and the Rowanbank.

From her anchorage behind the breakwater, the Rowanbank was being driven by the wind across the harbour away from the breakwater into rough water. Several times she narrowly escaped bumping the other vessels. Getting near land, the Rowanbank was blown on to a sandy beach some three miles from the breakwater.

"All we could do was to stop there until the wind subsided, with three other steamers and two Japanese vessels in the same plight scattered round the harbour," said Mr. L. Mills, the third officer.

Several attempts were made to get the Rowanbank off at high water, but these were not successful until the fifth day. The steamer bunkered there and left oil January 28 for Yokohama, three days later * going into dry dock for survey, but no repairs were needed. ATLANTIC BUFFETING AMBASSADOR’S VOYAGE SLIGHT CARGO DAMAGE (1 Vr I’rrss Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. Caught in the very severe midwinter gales which, raged in. the Atlantic in January, the British steamer Ambassador arrived at Auckland yesterday from Inimingham with slight damage to her cargo. The steamer berthed to begin discharging a shipment of basic slag. The Ambassador left Inimingham on January 20. Heavy weather across the Atlantic resulted in water entering the hold. Examination at Port Royal showed the damage to be very slight, and tlie ship was able to proceed.

It, is understood that the Auckland portion of the basic slag consignment escaped damage, the remainder of the shipment, destined lor New Plymouth, being partly affected.