A TRYING VOYAGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14344, 24 October 1910, Page 3

A TRYING VOYAGE.

RUDDER CARRIED AWAY. THREE NEW ONES RIGGED. For Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 23...... Tho steamer Strathclyde, which left Newcastle on September 16 -with a cargo oi coal for South America, arrived at Lyttelton to-day, having been adrift for three weeks with a broken rudder. Tho vessel managed to crawl back to the Now Zealand coast with tho aid of a jury rudder. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 24. The steamer Strathclyde, which was sighted off Lyttelton Heads on Saturday night showing a “Not under control” signal, left Newcastle on September 16 for Coronel, Chili, with 6000 tons of coal. She ran into heavy weather tho day after sailing. She passed through Cook Strait on September 22, and next day a south-west' gale overtook her. The boats were lifted out of tho chocks, and the rails damaged. Oil was used, but tho weather grew worse. Toward night on the 27th tho vessel was hove-to in a hurricane. Next day tho gale moderated, but, when tho ship was put on her course it was found she would not answer the holm. Examination showed that the rudder stook was broken right through the trunk. Tho ship was now uncontrollable, tho seas banged the broken rudder about with great violence, and tho wind again increased to a hurricane. Oil was resorted to, this time calming the waters marvellously. A jurjr-rudder was got over the stem and rigged, but as another gale was encountered the rudder had to bo abandoned. A second rudder was made, and lasted four days, the sea finally smashing it. The weather moderated, and with the assistance pi a third rudder the ship made her way down tho coast to Lyttelton.