TALES OF THE SEA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1814, 22 July 1891, Page 5

TALES OF THE SEA.

The three-masted schooner Chittoor disappeared from the scene of the wreck of the W. B. Godfrey at Lome some time ago, and it wa9 feared that she had foundered. She however turned up at Port Phillip Heads on July 3, and those on board had a strange tale to tell. The captain was not on board the schooner when she disappeared, and when she arrived at the Heads the mate and crew, ponsisting of six men and a boy, were found in a thoroughly exhausted condition, and bore traces of having undergone great privations. It appears that the schooner, on Monday, June 22, was lying off Lome with both anchors down, riding out an easterly gale. About 7 p.m. a heavy sea broke over the bows, and the weight of water forced the vessel right in shore, the anchors dragging from seven and a-half fathoms of water into five fathoms. The vessel was then very near the breakers, and all night she shipped water heavily. Just before daylight the following morning the starboard chain parted close up to the hawser pipe, leaving the weight of the ship on the port chain. The anchor was unable to bear the strain, and gradually the ship moved into shoal water. The mate saw that their only chance of safety lay in going out to sea, and aB the wind had veered round to E N.E. he decided to do so. He acoordingly got canvas set, and when the ship was ia three fathoms of water he slipped the cable and steered to the south. The schooner just managed to scrape along the edge of the reefs, over which the seas were breaking with terrific force, she being out on the port tack, and almost buried by the waves. The gale lasted for several days, and during all the time she was kept dodging about King Island. Having lost both anchors, the mate could not run under the lee of the island and anchor, but had to keep to sea for ten days. The Chittoor was knocked about by the waves, and all attempts of the mate to

make Port Phillip failed. He could get within a few miles of the land, when the wind would veer round to the north and drive her miles away to sea. The men could not get any sleep, and during most of the time the seas swept the vessel fore and aft, keeping them drenched to the skin. On the 28th ult. the gale was from E.S.E., with a terribly confused sea, and the fagged-out men suffered severely. The cook could not prepare any food, as the waves put out the galley fire. The ship labored heavily, but the free use of oil over the bows prevented the seas from breaking on board. The steamer Culgoa had an unwelcome experience on her last voyage frcm Lour 1 "- 1 to Melbourne. The vessel came out rouau the Cape of Good Hope, and all went well until the sth June. The ship was then just to the eastward of the Cape, Bteaming through a fierce S.E. gale. The heavy head seas caused the ship to pitch heavily, and the great volumes of water that were taken on board swept the decks and kept the passengers below. The ship the next morning was in 39deg 40min south, about 300 miles from Cape Town, steaming in the teeth of the gale. The chief officer, Mr Tipson, was on the bridge conning the vessel, a task which the darkness, sleet, and " head sea made extremely arduous. At 4 a.m. the gale was at its height, when one of the quarter-masters reported that he thought smoke was coming from one of the ventilators leading into No. 1 hold. The chief officer dragged himself along the weather rail through the water that was sweeping over the fore part of the vessel up to the ventilator, out of which a thin column of blue smoke was issuing. To call Captain Tompsitt was the work of a second, and the crew at the dread alarm were soon at their posts. The ship's head was turned in the direction of Cape Town, the engines slowed down, and the hose set to work. The hatches were then taken off, and, to the horror of all, great forked flames and thick clouds of smoke belched forth with a mighty roar. The men with the hoses were driven back almost to the rail, and there, for over an hour, they fought for the mastery. To make matters worse, the gale seemed to increase, and the ship pitched and rolled so much that the men were frequently thrown off their feet. The morning was black as pitch, and the tongues of flame, as they ahot up out of the dark depths of the hold, presented a picture which was enough to unnerve the bravest man. The sailors and firemen behaved splendidly, and as day was breaking the fire was under sufficiently to allow of the men handling the cargo. The crew were divided — one-half working the hoses, and the other throwing the cargo overboard. It was fortunate that the top stuff consisted of cases, as the men were able to throw it over the side. For over four hours the crew worked, and at last their labor was rewarded by the gradual decrease of smoke. At eight o'clock, when the more venturesome of the passengers came on deck, they were horrified to see the crew and officers, smoke begrimed and wet, throwing charred boxes over the side. Tho fire was then fortunately almost out, and the fears of the passengers were set at rest, On the smoke clearing away sufficiently to allow of tne officers going below, it was ascertained that a tramway cable was stowed in the hold, and that the heavy laboring of the ship had caused some of the yokes to get adrift, and these had chafed through some tin cases containing wax vestas, which ignited and set fire to the cargo. It was fortunate the fire was discovered so soon, for had it got a much firmer hold the chances are that with the bad weather the ship would not have lived. The late gales, it is feared, have been the cause of aaother shipwreck. The ketch Prince Alfred, a well-known coaster, is missing, and has been for nearly a month, and it is believed she foundered with all bands aboard the same night that the steamer Taramung perished. The Prince Alfred left Sydney on sth June for Mosquito Bay, near Bateman Bay, to load timber. She was last seen, two days after, beating off Jervis Bay, which she tried to make ia very bad weather. The Prince , Alfred carried a crew of four all told :— Captain Charles Brown, master ; S. Page, ! mate ; L. Pascal, cook ; and J. Gilbert, able ; seaman. Captain Brown was married, and , leaves a wife and family in Sydney. The ' ketch was a wooden vessel of fifty- six , tons burthen, owned by T. J. Dickson, of j Sydney. ,