STORY OF THE SEA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 11, 29 August 1911, Page 3

STORY OF THE SEA.

STOIIM-BEATEN SCH(K)NER

SEEKS SHELTER IX SYDNEY HARBOUR.

SUPPLED IN PACIFIC STORMS

Battered by Pacific storms, partly •rippled, and almost waterlogged, and rjtli sails more or less torn, was the anions plight of the American I'our-

nasted schooner Espada, which on the morning of August 2nd sought belter in Sydney Harbour.

The Espada is hound from Puget Sound to Adelaide, and being long iverdue was generally believed to iavc linen lost. She was 160 days hi the passage, and the crew passed through a thrilling experience. One thing is certain, that had the vessel iot been timber-laden, she must have rone to “Davy Jones’s Locker.” The Espada is a schooner of 686 tons, in command of Captain Jacobsen, and

■ho set out from Puget Sound for Adelaide as far back as February 22nd last. Her cargo comprised 875,000 ft. of timber, a considerable portion of which being carried on deck. With a

lant of wind at the outset the schooner made good headway, and ten days after leaving she was just to the westward of the Somoan Group. Hero heavy weather set in, tierce gales lashing up mountainous seas, and the schooner was swept fore and aft.

In one hurricane blast the mizzen-top-mast was carried away at the cap.

and with it went the sails. The c schooner was rolling in a most alarm- L ing manner in the big seas, and the ' | broken mast, with the top-sail at- j j tached, swung about up aloft in the £ most menacing way and threatened 1 g to come down at any moment. The ' Espada laboured and strained heavily ' in the seaway with the result that a serious leiik broke out and added to c the troubles of the crew. An exanimation showed that the water was r coming in at a fast rate, and all £ hands were called to the pumps. The main and steam pumps were started, j } and an effort made to check the inflow. Still the schooner battled with v the elements, and green seas were sweeping her in quick succession. With the heavy working of the schooner the mizzen-mast wedges had now disappeared, having been washed out of position, thus making the work / of keeping the water down more dif- , ficult. Captain Jacobsen went into j tlie hold to make an examination, i and had to cut away some of the parts .'j in order to locate the leak. The { schooner had to run away before the . wind and sea, and all the time the pumps kept hard at it. At the j end of the sixth day the vessel was . navigated into smooth water to the \ leeward of one of the islands of the I Samoan Group. ' Good seamanship was displayed, j considering the condition of the ] schooner, and once in the smooth f water the captain made an effort to j get the water in the ship under con- . trol. Frequent soundings had been made, and showed Bit. of water below.” By dink'of great exertion this was pumped out, and within 24 hours the chip was again put on her course. Calm and light winds followed for three weeks, and progress was slow. Eventually the wind threatened and within a few days later a storm of cyclonic fury burst on the schooner, the crew feared the worst. The wind started from the northward and veered all round the compass in the storm, and there was a mountainous sea into which tiie schooner plunged heavily, the waves threatening to sweep the crew off the vessel. A fresh leak then broke out, or, as the captain put if., “she opened out altogether.” Water was coming in fore and aft. The Espada all this time was making very had weather of it, and the heavy labouring in the sea caused some of the lashings of tiie deck cargo to carry away. It was, however, secured, and mmo of it was lost. The pumps were, of course, still going, and at last the Espada emerged from the cyclone, and ran into another belt of light winds and calm, and for weeks drifted along. The schooner was, however, in a had way. Sails had been lost, and she was badly crippled, and it was decided to make for Sydney for repairs. Continuing his story, the captain said: “It was not until May 24 that we had finished restowing the deckload, and as the gales continued for many days longer we were forced to run to the island of Yanuu Lava, New Hebrides Group, for shelter. We remained there for some days, and then got going again. We sighted Rotumah Island, and as we wore in need of fresh provisions we sent away a boat with two men. They asked for some fresh vegetables, but could got nothing from the natives, and wo had to go on disappointed. There wore so very few of our sails left to set that we wore simply drifting away to the north-cast for weeks, but when we got a chance we tried to heat to the south again. Wo at last managed to work Enough the Loyalty Islands past New Caledonia, and on to Lord Howe Island, and there ran into a south-east gale, which forced us away to the north-west.- When the gale moderated the schooner was off the Clarence River. She then worked her vay south with the westerly winds, and was picked up on Tuesday night to tiie south of Newcastle by the tug Shamrock. Owing to the protracted voyage the supplies on board had run short. The Water bad found its way into the store-room, and the store of potatoes bad rotted and had to lie thrown overboard. Some of 11 io provisions were ' also spoilt. it, is probable that the lumber cargo will bo discharged here and the vessel docked for repairs.