TOWED INTO AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 547, 30 June 1909, Page 8

TOWED INTO AUCKLAND.

WITH TOPMASTS CONE,

A STORM-BEATEN SHIP,

(By .Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.)

Auckland", June 29. The story of'tho captain ■of . the ship Leicester Oustlo (Captain Robert Brown), which vessol was towed into. Auckland early this morning, disabled, shows that a tragedy of the sea might- easily have happened. According to his statement, the Leicester Castlo left 'Monte Video on - April 12, for Newcastle,, and -all went well i until, she was eight days out. The ship 'was.then getting along under a light .wind; when, without warning,, a. tidal wavo, estimated as' being 120 ft- high, . struck the vessel.' Had the ship boon fully loaded, the situation would have beeii very grave. . As-it was, sho was thrown on her beam ends, and it was fully 10 minutes before she' righted again. The captain supposes that the disturbance was duo to seismic action under the sea> Nothing of-further moment was experienced until Monday, April 26, when ■ tempestuous weather was ; met with, the vessel then being in latitude 41.18. degrees south, and longitude 3.45 west. At 6.10 a.m. that day, tho main top-gallant' yard and sail were carried, away. The storm raged for' several days, but the ship safely' weathered • it, and made Cape Howe, on the Australian coast on June 10. ' At eight p.m. that day,: a strong gale, with- heavy, running seas, set in. and continued, throughout the niglit, increasing, in violence. as the' hours progressed. -At 'six o clock on the following morning, the vessel wasj-stiu Jabouring heavily in- mountainous seas, and further' damage ,was . sustained' to tho mast, sails, : and. rigging. The gale co'ntrnued throughout the day, - but,, towards midnight, it eased off, and the -following morning found ,the' vessel off Montague Island, 150 mdes south-east of Sydney Heads.It seemed, then, that the vessei was- to expenence; line weather,'for the', remainder of the voyage, bnt, on the morning of Juno 12, the galoiagain set, in',, and. continued for [ several days,. during which time tho ship was lioye-t?;. Oil, Juno 16, the fore to£ gallant crosstrees .snapped, ■ and,. later, thetore - top-gallant mast carried away , bringing i down' the; topmast, head, and all the yards, which .then hung over the,side.' These would have been removed at once, but the ship was labouring and straining, so heavily, that tbe captain deeipod it unsafe to send the'crew lorward. to cut / the wreckage away, ; At six a.m. on Judq 17 a steamer was and rockets were fired in order' to bring , her to the., Leicester-'Castle's", assist-. ance, but the signals were not noticed, and the - Btoamer was. soon. lost.-sight, of.. At 6.30. p.m. the slap met with further disaster, ner mam top-gallant mast being carried S ! gUl ® appeared to have blown out, as, on tho 18th and 19th, fairly, moderate weather was experienced; Durine this, time the vessel was .hove-to, in order to enable tho wreckage to. be cleared away, fnrL +i? Ca ? ] m . determined to go' be-. foro, tho/wind, which carried him ,to New D ;nst aPe sighted on SaturR " hn ™g. or rather drifting,' down' the V Cap u"l ?, nd °«w naturally had W ? j y were favoured with stetod. ' made port as already.