ACCIDENT TO A STEAMER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8262, 16 October 1906, Page 5

ACCIDENT TO A STEAMER.

CREW RESCUED. By Telegraph—Press Asaooiaticn. DUNEDIN, Ootoher 15. Intimation was received from the Heads this morning that a sailing vessel, presumably disabled, was making for the Harbour. The tug Plucky proceeded outside with Pilot McDonald, when it was found that the vessel was not herself in trouble, but was bringing astiore a shipwrecked crew. The vessel proved to be the barque Ravensoourt, and she had on board the offloers and orew of the steamer Port Stephen, which had been abandoned. Captain Beaumont, representing the Marine Department, went to Port Chalmers, and madejarrangements for bringing the officers and crew to Dunedin. They were met by the secretary of the Shipwreck Relief Society, and all arrangements made for accommodating them. The master and offiuer-t and orew say they have no story to tell, and to some extent this is the case. They had to undergo no special hardships, and were never in any immediate pressing danger. Captain Jolly supplied the following outline: -"My ship, the Port Stephen, left Dnnedin on Thursday, September 27tb, and sailed from Oamaru on the following Monday (October Ist). On Wednesday, October 3rd, we met bad weather, and the tail shaft broke. We were then in lat. 45.50. We drifted very fast, being quite helpless, and bad reached lat. 49.20. Five days afterwards, when thi» Ravonsnourt, which driven out of her course by the same weather, hove in sight, and took all the steamer's company on board, the transference being made in our own boats. There were 33 of us altogether. All are quite safe and sound." The offloers and men were transferred from the Ravensoourt to the Pluoky, and brought to town. The Port Stephen was built in 1894 at Sunderland, and was owued by the Anglo-Australasian Steam Navigation Company. She is 3,554 tons gross register. She was chartered by the Union s.s. Company tu bring two cargoes uf ooal from Newcastle, the obarterexpiring when she discharged her cargo here. The company, therefore, know nothing about the insurance nor does the captain knowanytbing. Warrec, th« chief engineer of the Port Stecheb, says that at 7 o'olock on the morning of Wednesday, the tail shaft broke off suddenly and completely in the stern tube. Atten- | tion was turned to the broken shaft to see if it could be repaired. Work went on at this night ana day, under a great handicap. Fair progress was made with repairs when the Ravonsoontt was sighted. It would have taken another fortnight to complete the work. The vessel had proeeeded 100 miles after passing through Foveaux Strait. In the five days she drifted 229 miles south, and Ibe weather was turning oold. If she bad oontinued at the same rate she would have been among the ice before the repairs were completed.