SYDNEY SHIP IN DISTRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 31, 6 February 1905, Page 6

SYDNEY SHIP IN DISTRESS.

SENSATIONAL VOYAGE OP THE INVBROABGILL. WHEAT CARGO JETTISONED. NAKBGW ESCAPE EROM FOUNDERING. The last English mail brought full details of the sensational voyage of the ship Invercargill, reference to which was made in oar cable messages of a few weeks ago. The Invercargill sailed from Sydney on August 27 lasl! with a carg-o of 15,735 bags of wheat for the United Kingdom, but encountered furious tempests, and put into Queenstowa on December 18 in a shockingly battered condition. The officers and crew unfolded a thrilling story upon reaching Queenstown, and it appears that on December 9 the vessel narrowly escaped foundering in latitude 47 north and longitude 16 west. A violent south-westerly gale was met with, during the height of ■which it was found necessary •to jettison portion of the wheat cargo in the interests of the safety of the vessel and of her crew. * Captain Bowling stated that during his career of 30 years as a ship's master he had never had such an experience. When between New Zealand and Cape Horn they experienced a gale, which washed away the port topgallant bulwarks. They shipped tons of water, had the cargo shifted, lost sails, and sustained other damage. Everything went well subsequently until December 9. when a violent sooth-westerly gale arose, and the vessel commenced to ship water over the quarter in tons. On the afternoon of the same day a tremendous wave burst over the ship, which threatened to engulf her. Eight of the crew were caught by the huge sea and lifted on its crest from the fore-part o,f the ship to the after-part, where they managed to clutch on to the rails and inizzen rigging, and thus saved themselves. Tbe water filled the saloon, forecastle, cabins, and galley, and' destroyed everything in them. The lifeboat was t--wept overboard and lost, the compasses and binnacles were washed away, the saioon companion and skylights were smaslied, the second mate's cabin was wrecked, the carpenter's store and lamp .shop were gutted, and the decks were filled with water from end to end. How the ship remained afloat under such a weight of water seemed miraculous. The sails had been blown out of the bolt ropes, and to add to the seriousness of the situation the cargo again shifted. The vessel was hove'to as a last resource, and an effort was made to jettison the cargo, in order to right the ship, as she was absolutely at the mercy of the elements, with her foreyarti-arm more than 6ft in the water on the starboard aide. During- the night a- considerable portion of the cargo was jettisoned, the work being carried out at great risk to life. The lightening of the cargo saved the vessel, and by daylight on December 10 the gale had moderated. It was only then that a true idea of the condition of the ship became apparent. The crew were in a terrible plight, their beds, bed clothing, and wearing apparel having been either washed away or saturated with water. The galley had also been wrecked, and food could not be cooked. After a few days' labour the conditions were made less unpleasant, and the captain rigged up a contrivance that enabled him to navigate the vessel.

The man Gadd. who was injured by a fall of hags of sugar at Chelsea on Friday, has sustained severe injuries to his back, but inquiries at the Hospital show that he is getting on as well as can be expected. Yon can get it there? What? Hanging meat sale, splendid for the hot weather, at 6/9 and 8/6. Tonson Garlick's gigantic cash sale.—Ad, 1905 Brett's Auckland Almanac now on sale all stationers and at "Star" Office.