LINER IN COLLISION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13807, 19 January 1909, Page 7

LINER IN COLLISION.

A dangerous collision between a liner and a • large cargo steamer o'ccurred during a thick fog in the English Channel on November 27th, and as a result both the steamers were beached with, all possible haste in a badly damaged condition.

The liner, the N«w Zealand Shipping Company's Tongariro, of 7600 tons, was steaming clown Channel oil :j voyage from London /to New .Zealand with 300 passengers. The other ves selj the Australian Shipping Company's steamer Drumlanrig, 4300 tons, owned at Liverpool, was stemming up Cnannel, liaving come from South America ' with grain for Hamburg.. The two suddenly loomed through the fog making direct for each other, and so near u.uii the crash was inevitable. The first intimation to the shore of the collision the firing of'rockets fiom the damaged vessels. The signals were observed from St. Margaret's Bay, east, of Dover, about 5.30 in the morning, and galleys were quickly launched. •Both vessels were seen to be so badlv damaged that it was decided to make for Dover as the nearest port. The liner's bows were opened out as a result of the collision, her forepart was apparently full of water, and she wa.s badly down by the head. The Drunilanrig had been struck on tlie portside just abaft the K bridge, where a huge breach was made, unci the plating torn away, for many feet towarus uiv stern.

The Drumlanrig was 'full of water. Through the breach torn in her side her sacks of grain*could be seen. Occnring at such an early hour the disaster caught most of the liner's passengers in their. bunks. The officers and crew took every precaution for the safety of the passengers, and there ivas 110 panic. Many women and children were on board. The boats were prepared for launching as tne crippled liner,-inade her way slowly toward:, Dover. V

To add to the difficulties" fog rose more quickly in the vicinity of Dover. The Drumlanrig was first to reach Dover, and as she was not tinder control she collided with two vessels, the ketch Britannia, of Plymouth, and tlie sehoo--ner Florence Muspratt, both of winch were damaged. The Dover tug, Ladv Curzon, then succeeded in- getting a hawser on board the floundering steamer, and towed her ashore in a sinking condition. The tug Lady (Jruudail rendered aid to the liner, which arrived at Dover behind the steamer. Tiie. tug's powerful salvage plant was put on board, and an eifort inside to keep down ...e water, but it was eventually necessary to tow the liner also ashore.