ACCIDENT TO THE S.S. WESTPORT

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 618, 16 June 1882, Page 2

ACCIDENT TO THE S.S. WESTPORT

AT PERAKI,

FIVE MILES FROM THE HEADS.

Akakoa, June 14, Neon. The mate and six men belonging to the steamer Westport have arrived in Akaroa, and announce that the s.s, Westport is ashore in Horseshoe Bay, five miles from the Heads. Horseshoe Bay ia between Peraki and Long Bay, and ia sheltered from northerly, but open to southerly winds. The mate reports as follows :—The steauier Westport, Captain Gibbs, 2G3 tons register, loaded at Titnaru with wheat from Lyttelton on the 13th. She left that port at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, with fine weather, light westerly airs. Abont midnight it set in thick. At 1.50 a.m. on Wednesday the vessel strti k the rocks. The boats were got ready, and every preparation was made. The sea was quite smooth at the lime, the vessel being quite sheltered from the northerly swell outside. It was ascertained the ship was making water in the forehold, and there was some 6ft of water in her at low water. It was an hour after high water when she went ashore, and directly it was daylight the chief officer (Mr Steele) and a boat's crew pulled to Akaroa. The Westport is a new steamer, and was launched on the Clyde in August last. She is one of the Black Diamond line belonging to Oapt. Williams of Wellington, and commenced running on the New Zealand coast last November. She is ashore on huge boulders, not ten yards from the ciiff, which is a huge precipice, the cliffs all round being highThe injury is in the bow. and at low water she had about 6 feet of water in her. When the boat left preparations were being made to preserve the cargo. The mate has telegraphed to Lyttelton for a steamer and pumps, and if the present line weather continues it is hoped

the Lyttelton tug or some other vessel will come in time to lighten her, and bring her into Akaroa, where she can be repaired. If, however, southerly weather seta in before assistance conies she will prohabl y &o to pieces, Of course the extent of the damage cannot yet be ascertained, and thoso on board passed a very anxious night, not knowing what would be result if she slipped off the rocks. However, the boats were got ready and everything prepaied for the worst. The vessel must have been at leaat six miles out of her course to strike where she did, so the compasses must have been sadly out. The fog was so dense that, even when she struck within a foot or two of the precipitous cliffs, the land wae not seen by those on board« Akaroa light could not be seen, in any weather, without the vessel were six or seven miles more to seaward.

There were no passengers, but only the crew, which numbers twenty.

The sergeant of police and our reporter have started for the scene of the wreck.

Wednesday Night. — The above news created quite an excitement in the j town, and every one put down the Westport's case as a perfectly hopeless one. One can judge then when about half-past two a steamer's whistle was heard, and the Westport was seen coming up the harbor, how great was the surprise and enthusiasm. Telegrams were at once sent to stop any steamer from coming to her assistance, but at the same time urging that the pumps might be sent as soon as possible. The vessel kept steaming in a circle, much to the surprise of those ashore, but it was soon evident that the reason for her doing so was the necess ty of keeping the engines going to work the big pumps. The harbor master went off to the vessel and boarded her, and the Captain after consulting with him and Mr Black determined upon running the vessel as high up the beach as possible, alongside the jetty. This was accordingly done, though with some difficulty the vessel steering very badly owing to the injury to her stem. Once safely alongside we were able to ascertain some further particulars as to the affair from Captain Gibbs. It 6eems that the steamer after leaving Timaru had fine weather and light airs, and made good progress. Towards evening, however, a thick fog settled over the sea» and rendered all surrounding objects invisible. The course steered was N.E« by E. I E., which should have kept her well off the land, and no one aboard drpaint that the vessel had not a good offing, the coursci steered being considered one that was if anything in error on the side of safety. Ail went well till the middle watch, which was the second mate.-. About 1.20 a.m., that gentleman thinking he saw the loom of the land called the Captain, who immediately went on the hridg.'. Nothing, however, was distinguishable, owing to the dense fog, till about 1.50 *.m. Captain Gibbs saw high land just ahead of the steamer. The order was at once given to reverse the engines, but whilst the second engineer, who was on watch, was in the act ot obeying the I order the vessel struck with great force, 1 nearly throwing him down with the shuck. It was just high water and they could just catch glimpses of high cliffs overhanging them when th > fog was less dense than usual, and could tell by the 6ound that the bow of the vessel was grinding on huge stones. Of course they had no idea where they were, but everyone behaved well. There were no | passengers aboard, and only one woman, the stewardess. Of cour c the first thing was to ascertain if much water was coming into the vessel, and the carpenter reported she was making some 6 inches every quarter of an hour, from which it was judged the injury whs very extensive. Fearing she might fill, the boats were first got ready and stores put aboard them, so that all hands might leave the vessel, should occasion require. However, she remained firmly fixed on the rocks, and it was discovered she was nearly dry aft, the bulkhead to the fore compartment being all right, and preventing the rest of the vessel from being affected. The water kept increasing, till there were 6ft 9in in the fore hold, and there is not a shadow of a doubt that had she not been built in compartments she must have sunk. As it was, however, her main and after holds were dry, and she- had plenty of wnlcr under her astern, all the principal injuries being confined to the bow.

At daybreak the mate was sent, with , a boat's crew ;>m\ tho stewardess, to Alcaroa in order that assistance intght bo telegraphed for. The bilge and donkay engine pumps were kept, at work, l>et tho captain was afraid to use the main engine to work tin.; main pump, boing , afraid that tho motion might shake tho vokkol oil: the rocks and cause her to sink. After awhile, however, lies found that tho sin.ill pumps woro able to keep the water from gaining on her, though they did not lessen it ; and as the tide went down they were able to soo some of the leaks, and stop one ot' the most considerable. She had crushed her stom to pieces against tho boulders, and they had ground a huge hole in one of tho plates on the starboard side, but it was hoped her other injuries were immaterial ; and seeing tho bulkhead was keeping all right, it was determined to make an oll'ort to get her off, more especially as they knew if bad weather came on nothing could save her. Her cargo conei.-ited of 2600 bags of

wheat, which she was taking to Lyttelton for the New Zealand Grain Agency, and of! theso 1800 sacks were in the waterlogged fore compartment. It was therefore determined to jettison some of the cargo, in order to lighten her by the head, and at the same time to work the engines astern and work the main pump. The result was most satisfactory. Tho engines commenced working half speed astern at 11 a.m., and by tho time about 1000 bags of grain were jettisoned the water in the forehold had been lowered 17 inches. Some of the hugs boulders amongst which her fore part was twisted were broken by means of hammers, and this soon gave her greater freedom, and at 1 p.m. she slid easily off into deep water, the pumps keeping the water well under. The captain would have proceeded direct to Lyttelton, had his boat's crew not been in Akaroa, but he thought on arrival here it was better to stop, as he Knew if anything happened to the engines during the passage the vessel would probably fill. He therefore determined to remain here till she could ba so far patched up as to proceed without danger. Wo may here remark that soon after the mate had left they saw houses at the head of the bay in which they were, and discovered they v/ere not in Horseshoe Bay, as supposed by the mate, but in Peraki. She must have passed close to the southern head of Peraki Cove, for she struck on the northern shore, on a point some distance down the bay. The cause of the catastrophe seems a mystery. She was fully ten miles inside of her course when she struck, and yet had been steering from Timarti in such a direction as to carry her a more than an ordinary distance from the land. There was no swell worth speaking of, and the captain believes that thore is nothing wrong with the compasses beyond the ordinary variation, though this of course romains to be tested. The opinion of himself and his officers seems to bo that owing to long prevailing easterly weather, which sends the water off chore, having been succeeded by a calm, a much heavier drift than usual was setting towards the land and carried the unfortunate vessel with it. The Westport is insured for £8000 in several offices, oi which Capt Gibbs knows tho Colonial and South British are two. Thefcargo is also fully insured. All the 1800 bags in the fore hold are mined Over 1000 were jettisoned at Peraki, and the rest have been under salt water so long as to be useless. Ihero will of course have to be a general average, and it is estimated the total lose will be between £3000 and £4000. Thursday MoRNiNG.—The captain received a telegram this morning, stating that the Akaroa was coming with the pumping gear, but was prevented by the fearful N.E. sea rolling into Lyttelton harbor. The steamer seems the great centre of attribution in Akaroa, and many went at low water to see the great injuries ehe had received. Thursday Evening.—Captain Dunsford arrived per Pigeon Bay this afternoon, on behalf of the associated Insurance Companies, and will stop here, and probably proceed to Lyttelton in the West • port. The pumps are expectod to night in the s.s. Akaroa. There is no certainty with regard to what will be done till tho effects of pumping are tested. The vessel will in all probability proceed to Lyttelton at once, stay there a lew hours for temporary repairs, and then proceed to Wellington, where we understand the official enquiry will be held.