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Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 96, 11 May 1900, Page 3

THE WAIKATO'S REMARKABLE VOYAGE.

In the Admiralty Division, Sir Francis Jeune and the Trinity Masters resumed the hearing of the claim brought for salvage remuneration by the owners, master, and crew of the Aberdeen Steamship Asloun, for service rendered to the New Zealand Liner Waikato. The Waikato, while on a voyage from London to New Zea- 1 land with a valuable general cargo and a crew of fifty hands, broke her tail-end shaft, and became helpless. When four and a half months out H.M.S. Melpomene left Mauritius to search the Southern Indian Ocean for her, but after a voyage extending over three weeks the attempt was abandoned, and the Waikato was given up for lost. After she had been drifting about in a helpless condition for 102 days, she was, however, picked up by the Asloun, and after great difficulty the Waikato was towed to Amsterdam, a barren and uninhabited island, where coal was transferred from the Waikato to the Asloun, after which the towage was continued. The Waikato was eventually taken to Freemantle, a distance of 2500 miles. During the towage heavy weather and gales prevailed, the sea ran mountains high, flooding the decks of the salving vessel and doing great damage. On three occasions the tow ropes parted, the Waikato once drifting out of sight. The crew of the Waikato were short of provisions and were largely dependent upon the food stuffs in the cargo, and all the sails she carried had been blown away. The plaintiffs claimed that by their services the Waikato and her cargo, the value of which was £127,500, was rescued from total loss, and the lives of those on board saved. The value of the Asloun was £106,829. The master of the Waikato, in the course of his evidence, said that, after the breakdown, he rigged a jury mast with sails, and with these he was able, with a strong breeze, to go about three knots an hour. He met one or two sailing vessels, and one assisted him to get to the northward, because he there hoped to meet steamers going to the Cape. While disable I, he encountered fifteen gales, but his vessel was in no way damaged and was perfectly tight. She was provisioned for six months, but only had meat and flour for three months. When he broke down he put the crew on halfrations so far as meat and flour were concerned. From time to time sailing vessels gave them meat and biscuits, and then they had recourse to the cargo, among which were herrings, sardines, lentils, beans, extract of meat, and Mellin's Food for Infants. (Laughter.) The auxiliary second officer left him to go on one of the sailing vessels. He was really a passenger, a " shilling a month" man. He left because be wanted to get to New Zealand, not because he was not enjoying the trip, (laughter.) Witness never had any idea of abandoning his vessel, In answer to Mr. Robson, witness said that after his vessel broke down he did a fair amount of sailing, but it wasnot exactly a yachting trip. (Laughter.) His lordship referred to the fact that the Waikato was a single-screw vessel, and expressed wonder that the twin-screw was not more frequently adopted, its value having been proved. The service rendered by the Asloun in this case was one of the most valuable they had had in that Court. It was remarkable in the lengch of time the Waikato was knocking about, and remarkable for the high values, i The service was rendered with great' pluck, courage, and skill, under great difficulties, in comparatively unknown seas, and in latitudes where tempestuous weather was to be met with. A service of this exceptional magnitude marited a high award, and the proper sum to give in this cse was £16,500, which he apportioned as follows; £12,500 to the owners, £1,300 to the master, and £2,700 to the crew,—London Daily Telegraph.

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