A CLYDE COLLISION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 32, 1 November 1907, Page 11

A CLYDE COLLISION.

UNION COMPANY'S'NEW STEAMER MAQRI INVOLVED. SINKS A RIVER STEAMER Tho , Firth of Clyde was yesterday (says the " Glasgow Herald " of September 19) the scene of another serious shipping accident, resulting in the sinking of -one of the two steamers involved and the drowning of an engineer. The vessels concerned wero the new turbine steamer Maori, of 3500 tons, launched in May by Messrs. William Denny and Brothers, Dimbarton, for the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, and the screw steamer Kintyre, of 314 tons, belonging to tho Campbeltown 'and Glasgow Steam Packet Joint-Stock Company. Tiio latter vessel was built in IS6S by Messrs. Robertson and Company, Greenock. The Maori, being recently oompleted by her builders, was undergoing speed tests on tho Firth. She left the Tail of tho Bank early in the forenoon, and proceeding to Skelmorlie was placed on the'measured mile there. On- finishing one of her runs a courso was continued past Wemyss Bay Pier, whero it was intended to take a wide sweep, coming inshore and afterwards returning to the measured mile. While tho Maori was still in mid-firth tho Kintyre was steering a courso for Campbeltown, keeping well towards the Renfrewshire shore. With almost half a milo of water separating the vessels whistles were sounded from both, but neither at this time slackened speed or, so far as can be gath-ered,-altered her course. Both , vessels appeared, to maintain their original course until they were almost opposito Wemyss Point. Then, when they wore about .100 yards from the slioro, it was seon'that the smaller vessel would bo unable to : clear the bows of tho Maori, and almost before those on board could apprehend tho danger ■ a startling collision occurred,, the bows of the Maori ramming with great force into the starboard quartor of the Kintyre. The crash took place at the after'"Hatch, in close proximity to the machinery, and the hull was evidently badly torn. Water, poured into the engine-room in great quantities, and it was soon seen that the.vessel could.not long remain afloat. A., boat was quickly lowered from tho Maori, but all the members of the Kintyre's crew,

with tho exception of Captain M'KechnioJ and the chief 1 engineer, William Lennox,"! were pulled'on'board tho Maori by means of ropes. Meanwhile the Kintyro was quickly settling down into tho water. With volumes of water filling her engine-room and cabine the stern became submerged. At this stago it was .noticed, hy.ispectators on tho'shore that the engines had been reversed, the impression being that.the captain of the.Kintyre intended to mako an effort to beach his vessel before it wasj.too late. The captain and the engineer, wero then togothor on the bridgo, and although efforts wore, made to induce them to leave they, stuck gallantly' by their vessel. The,., collision- occurred at 11.45. In four minutes the stern of the Kintyre was under water. ' Then cariic a hissing sound of escaping steam, which was fol- , lowed by a slight report, and in twenty seconds more the stcaincr.had sunk, the bowsprit being tho last portion to romain ■: visible ....Tho captain and engineer remained, on the bridgo to the 'end. With tho final inrush of water which preceded the sinking, both wero hurled into the sea. What beeamo of the engineer is riot known; but it is'rca-, sonahlo to conjecture that ho became entangled with somo-of tho'vessel's ropes, or was struck by,.deck furniturprand drowned; Captain M'Kechnio,, however, was more fortunate; , When thrown ii;to the water he found himself wedged; between ■'portions, of wooden partitions, but in spite of this and the fact that some ropes had become wound about his legs,'ho was able to shako himself clear and keep afloat; until picked.up by a boat." The Maori: cruised about tho' vicinity; of the disaster for .over ..half-an'hour, and afterwards'; proceeded, to GlasgoWj whero sho was placed.-iu(the dry dock for survey and repair. .'So, far-as can.bcseen, tho damago to her consists'of twisting to. the stem ,on tho portside, and damage to'several plates above the water-line 'on the starboard side. Thejjurbin'o'steanier Maori'.ia intended'f6r: the Lyttelton-Wellington ferry, service.