A TALE OF THE SEA.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4978, 10 April 1889, Page 2

A TALE OF THE SEA.

A STRING OF DISASTERS. The American ship Red Cross, sunk in Earatonga harbour on March 21st, had some severe trials before she was finally seized by Davy Jones. A correspondent writing from Earatonga on March 23rd says Daylight of Frida}', the 15th, brought the cry of “ Sail ob,” and a large vessel could be discerned away to the northward inward bound. As the vessel approached it could be seen that she was in a disabled condition, and the natives were in a great state of excitement at the appearance of the strange vessel, and more so at her truly stiange rig. She had but her fore and foretopmast standing, and upon this was set a foresail and a lower topsail, while from the topmost head so the taffrail was strung up a number of sails of every conceivable shape and in various stages of age. When it was seen that the vessel was in distress boats were speedily manned and sent out to her. Meanwhile she sailed steadily on and finally brought up to an anchorage. She turned out to bo an American ship of 1300 tons, Captain Mclntyre. She left Newcastle with 1801 tons of coal for San Francisco, and all went well till the 29th January, when she was 200 miles west of Tonga. The morning of that day looked threatening, and all sail was furled except the three lower topsails, foresail, and maintopmast staysail. This was at 10 a.m. Half-an-hour later the ship was struck by a violent hurricane that arose from F.N.E. with dreadful suddenness, and she was thrown on her beam ends. Almost immediately she was struck her topsails, foresail, and staysail were blown out of the bolt ropes, and at 11 a m. the main and mizzenmasts went by the deck, carrying with them the foretopgallantmast, jibboom, and lower forotopsail yard, the falling spars breaking the pump gear, rails, etc. The ship was now lying in an almost helpless condition, and her decks were constantly flooded with water, which found its way below through the hole in the deck where the mainmast came through. The men set to work and brought up their bed clothing, beds, etc., and stuffed into the hole to prevent the ship from filling and foundering. Soon afterwards the heavy seas broke the forehouse doors in, carrying away all the partitions and smashing the stoves and cooking utensils to pieces, and by this sea the crew lost nearly all their belongings. The after cabin was also continuously flooded, and a largo quantity of the ships provisions were destroyed. To add to the discomfort of the crew, the cargo shifted, and gave the ship a heavy list of six streaks to port. Meanwhile the hurricane continued with fearful violence and as an example of its power it literally tore two of the ships boats out of the davits and their fastenings, and they were blown away to sea as if they were but shavings. Towards afertnoon the fury of the hurricane began to abate, and the crew were able to get at the pumps, which were sounded and it was found the ship had made three feet of • water. Temporary repairs were made, and the pumps at 8 p.m, were started, all hands being engaged,and at these they worked until four o’clock the next morning, when they had managed to reduce the water in the vessel to four inches. The whole were almost completely worn out, and were now given a spell of four hours, when pumping was again renewed, and at 3 p.m. the water was free from the ship. The men were now set to work to clear away the wreckege, after which a topsail was bent, made of two sails laced together, and a foresail, and by degrees other sails were rigged up in the form of a string from.the foretopmast head to the taffrail aft. Captain Mclntyre, after getting his ship into something like working order, decided to make for Tahiti, but after several days’ trial, and the wind persistently heading him, he altered his course for Samoa, and passing through the Tonga Group he called in at Earatonga to get a spar that he was told was available there, to make a jury mast. Unfortunately he had been misled as to this, and the crew refusing to go on in the unseaworthy vessel he decided to moor her in Avarua harbor until something could be done. Misfortune stuck to him, however, and the ship went ashore while being got into harbour, and having no appliances Captain Mclntyre, in his owner’s interests, sold ship and cargo to Mr Exham, Donald and Bdenborough’s representative for £SOO. Mr Exham set natives to work and got out 900 tons of coal, and so lightened the vessel that he could move her. ■ A swell came on and she broke adrift and got on a reef. That was on March 16th. She was got off not much the worse, and it wa« hoped that she would bo soon on her way to Auckland for refitting, when, on the 20th, a strong gale came on, she snapped all her moorings, drifted on another reef and became a total wreck after pounding on the rocks in a fashion that proved she was no match box. It was remarked that the hurricane which dismasted the Red Cross was not felt at the Islands, though she was only 200 miles west of them.