COASTER IN TROUBLE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2028, 14 August 1920, Page 27 (Supplement)

COASTER IN TROUBLE.

CYGNET HAS ROUGH TRIP. VESSEL TOWED TO PORT. The coastal steamer Cygnet hail a perilous trip from Kaikoura to Lvttelton yesterday afternoon, and was fortunate to have made port this morning. She left Lyttelton at 8.20 p.m. on Thursday, laden with 50 tons of general merchandise, and reached Kaikoura at 7 a.m. yesterday, berthing being effected under great difficulty. As a fierce gale was raging, with mountainous seas, it was not until 2.30 p.m. that discharge was completed of the deck cargo. During the progress of this work she bumped heavily against the jetty. As it was impossible under the conditions to put out the cargo in the hold, Captain Murray decided to return to Lyttelton, and the vessel sailed at 2.50 p.m. At 8 p.m., when off Cheviot, it was discovered that she was leaking badly r , the water oozing up through the coal in the engine-room, while the cabin was also flooded. Immediately the hand pump was set going, and all the hands worked to prevent the vessel from being swamped. At 4 o'clock this morning five distress rockets were sent up, but, owing to the heavy rain and thick haze, these were unnoticed, nor was it until the vessel was nearing the Heads that the atmosphere c! ared. The keeper at the Heads having been signalled, the tug Lyttelton was dispatched with all haste at 7 a.m., and reached port an hour later with her charge, there being three* feet of water in the Cygnet's engine-room. After the vessel had been moored at her usual berth at- No. 3 wharf, the tug immediately commenced pumping, and at 9.30 had the water out of the engine-room and cabin. The Cygnet carries a crew of nine all" told, including J. Sandwich, the mate, B. Phillips, engineer, two firemen, three seamen, and the cook. On the vessel's arrival all hands were exhausted by their exertions. Had it not been for their strenuous work, it is doubtful if the vessel would over have returned to Lyttelton, for, as she came alongside, the water was almost level with her decks. No labour was available this

morning to discharge the cargo, and the vessel will probably have to remain at her berth till Monday morning. In the meantime the hand pump will have to be kept going to keep the inrush of water in check. As the vessel has water-tight bulkheads, it is not anticipated that the cargo will have suffered any damage. The Cygnet, which is a vessel of 124 tons, is owned by Stevenson, Stewart and Co., of Christchurch, and was soon to have undergone her annual overhaul. She has been engaged principally in the Lyttelton-Kaikoura and Peninsula Bays service, and, in addition to being a smart sailer, is said to perform well in rough weather.