THE STEAMSHIP TRIUMPH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4864, 1 December 1883, Page 3

THE STEAMSHIP TRIUMPH.

♦ A Fated Vessel. LATB3T DETAILS, [Pbb Fbbbs Association.] AUOKLAND, Dbo. 1. There is very little hope of getting the Triumph off. She is expeoted to break in two. Her officers are very reticent as to the oause of the disaster. Captain Brotherton says tbey went ashore at 15 minutes past 10 p.m.. The pilot had been discharged an hour previously, having given the. oourse. It must have been through some error or misunderstanding that the bungle ooourred, for the Captain states that be kept up to Island Light (Tiritiri) to get a straight run to Cape Oolville. How it occurred may be explained in the future, or may be never explained ; but at all events the Triumph got aßhore across the rooky reef stretching a short distance from the southeast of liritiri, and immediately under the lights of the lighthouse. At a quarter past ten, immediately after she struok, an attempt . was made to baok the ship off from her position. As to who gave ordera for this, there are conflicting statements. lhe engineer says that he felt the vessel graze, and reversed without waiting for orderß. The second mate says that she was being baoked astern when she struck, and the captain says Bhe wbb going full speed ahead ; that is to say, 11 knots an hour ; and this seems the most likely story from the fact o'£ the vessel having gone so far on the reef as to remain swinging just under her foremast, or probably more than sixty feet from her bows. The captain took apparently the most prompt measures to get the ship off. Some 300 tona of ballast was pumped out of her forward compartments, and an anohor got out aff. When it was found that the ship was in danger, rookets were sent up at frequent intervals, and guns were fired, but the former were not Eeen and tho latter not heard until daybreak. Meanwhile it had been found that the ship was making water in her fore hold, and the orew were set to work to lift tho oargo. They worked energetically until worn out. A large quantity was saved, but the water rose to the height of 11 feet in this compartment, and although the engines wore kept working, the men were manifestly j fagged out when the Stella arrived. 'Xhe Serald of to-day says that Mr Elliott, the Under-Secretary for Immigration, oame to Auokland some weeks before the arrival of the Triumph for the purpose of making some new arrangements in respect to the Immigration Department in Auokland. He deoided to remain in Auokland till the arrival of the Triumph. When that long-expected steamer came in, Mr Elliott, and Mr Mays, the newly appointed immigration officer at this port, went on board to reoeive the im" i migrants and see if the regulations had been carried out. 'lhey were dissatisfied with much that they saw, and on making enquiry found out not a little to make them think that the conduot of some of the officers had I been, not to put too fine a point on ib, no better than it should have been. It is the oustom to give gratuities to the officers of a vessel, and to several of thoße who have been in oharge of immigrants, when it is considered that they have faithfully done their duty. In this ease smalleriamounts wore paid to the eubordinates, but we believe that the £25 each, whioh it is the oustom to pay to the Captain, Ohief Officer and Dootor, were withheld. Inquiry was made by Messrs Elliott and Mays, and as a result, they declined to pay the amounts pending further investigations. This faot is somewhat significant, and will lead people to oonolude that the government and management of the Triumph were not suoh as Bhould have been tho oase on board of suoh a vessel. Excursions to the Boene of the wreck to-day are being run. The Triumph waa built in 1880, by OlaytoD, Dixon and Co., Middles* brough on Tees. Her dimensions are length, 350 f t; beam, 35ft 2in ; depth of hold, 27ft j registered tonnage, 1797 tons, but she is oapable of oarrying 2997 tons. Her engines were manufactured at the workshops of Messrs Blair, Stockton-on-Tees, and are compound direot aotion, vertical, inverted principle, nominal horse-power, 400, and aotual h.p. 2000. Her hull has a full, heavy appearance, she having beon built with the main object of being a large oargo carrier. Hor Baloon accommodation is small. She is sohoonerrigged, with double topsail yards, and is fitted with both hand and steam-steer-ing apparatus. She is divided into cix watertight compartments, and provision is made for 500 tona of water ballaßt. There ia a largo refrigerator aboard. She came ont to this Oolony under oharter to Shaw Savill and the Albion Company. She finished discharging tho Auckland portion of her oargo on Thursday afternoon, and proceeded on her voyage to Wellington shortly after eight o'clock on Wednesday night, with 1200 tons of cargo aboard.