SHIPPING CASUALTIES

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13830, 16 February 1909, Page 6

SHIPPING CASUALTIES

BRITISH STEAMER FOUNDERS. NINE LIVES LOST. Press Association-Rv Telegrapti-f'opvritrhi LONDON, Feb. 14. The British steamer Forest Castle, owing to a storm shifting a buoy, struck a rock in Brest Bay, France. Nine persons were drowned. STEAMER STRANDED. ALL HANDS SAFE. SYDNEY, Feb. 15. Wilson's Promontory reports that the steamer Lady Mildred went ashore near the Promontory at midnight in a dense fog. All hands are safe, but the vessel is full of water.

FREXCH SHIP FOUNDERS

ALL HANDS SAFE. Received 12.5 a.m., Feb. 16tli. SYDNEY, Feb. 15. News from Noumea states that dialing the late cyclone the French ship Jolliette bumped oil the foundation of the jetty at Tcliio, and foundered. All hands landed safely, The Jolliette had 3000 tons of nickel ore aboard. Several vessels were east on shore. The Lady -Mildred is believed to have had her bottom torn out. THE PUKAKI BROKEN DOWN. The steamer referred to in telegrams yesterday morning as "ashore or broken down " at the mouth of the Hamuli, signalling to a passing steamer "Not under control." and to whose assistance the s.s. x Mararoa was sent, was found by the latter to be the s.s. Pukaki, just recovering from a slight disabling accideut when the Mararoa reached her. ' : The Mararoa, from Wellington to Lytteltun, oil Sunday morning, sighted a Union steamer, a long way inshore, but noticed nothing wrong. Some one on shore heard detonator signals oil the Pukalci, and sent a message to Christchurch, and as a result of these the Mararoa Was sent out, an hour after she arrived, to see what was wrong with the Pukaki. Another' steamer, the Waikare, had reported at Wellington that a Union boat had signalled to her "Not under control," but had made no request for assistance. The Pukaki left Lyttelton for Wellington and the West Coast on Saturday night. During the early morning, when she was some forty miles out, a valve spindle broke, and the failure of that comparatively small piece of metal broke her down completely. She lay practically helpless for a while, till .some sail was hoisted on each mast, and enabled steerage way to be kept on he'- while an attempt was made to repair the engines. When the Mararoa reached the Pukaki, Captain Tate explained that a valve-spindle had broken, hut it had just been patched up. He said he had tried to attract the Mararoa's attention that morning, but had failed. Captain Manning asked if he should stand by, but the offer was declined gratefully, and the passenger steamer turned for home, and stowed away her tow-line. The. Pukaki steamed ahead, and was apparently all right as far as she could be seen.