DISMASTED & FOUNDERED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1512, 7 August 1912, Page 7

DISMASTED & FOUNDERED.

CHEWS FIGHT IN STORM-TOSSED • BOAT. (By Tcleeraph.-Press Association.! Auckland, August 6. The stormy , weather experienced a« Auckland throughout,yosterd;iy-interfered very considerably with the movements of coastal steamers, and a large number of email, oraft, which wore caught in tho frequent squalls in Hauraki Gulf, suffer- , ed damago of ft mow or less serious'nature. The cutter Mana now lies'sunk iivM" fathoms of water in.Wailieke Channel, andthe ketch Huon Belle was towed iuto port,, in. the early hours 'of this morning in a sad plieht. BOHI the Mana and the Hnon '' Belle are owned by Mr. J. J, Craig, and are employed in tho . ehinglc-cnrrying . trade, • Captain Oropan was in command of the Mana, and had piloted her clos6 in shore"." to Ret a load ot shingle, when a sudden ■- Rquall caught tho vnssol, and whirled her out into tho channel. A bip sea' was runnins, and the Moim pitched and tossed in the most olarmin; manner. ' Thon tho wind suddenly chopped round nud, strilc- .-.■ ins tho vessel amidships, tainnned the • ma?toff short at the <leck. Before the ■ crew could (jot the heavy spar clear it 1 had pitched over the side, carrying tho bulwarks, with it. and .soma' of 'thei. sjdo- ' 1 planking, thus leaving a ropinj? hole. , through .which volumes of water poured' into (ho vessel. ■ Captain Grogan at once realised flint:- ■ ; the vessel would sink in a few minutes, nud, with the other nwnil>crs of the evsw, lie iicra]nible(i into the HI Ho dinghy.'- T-'wy .• , took with them 11 pc-i-Hon of nn oar, this ' : bDin(i theonlv moveable object on d<>ek th.it hud not been washed nv«rl)<ißrd. Tho. , little boat was very much nt the merer [ of the wind and waves, and it wns at . first thought that there was no hove of , reachin? tho shore. The oeemwnts.'h'nv--1 oyei-i wore determined lint to »ive lit) withi; . out a struffyle, and, iVhile t\ro of IVin •- , bai'cd strenuously, the other steered as . well as,he could, with the aid of an oar, towards Jlonk"! Point. On several orra- . sions the little craft was uearlv sunk, but tho men stuek to their work; cul, 1 after a most exciWncr adventure. IW . • EcrambWl ashore, in nn exhausted e""<''. ' lion, and set off In Cove Bnv. \vh«v-' .(.'"-v ' -orrived in the eftprnomi, end cninwiinl-' cated by telephone, with the «ynpr«. uortin? , that tlm M,n\a wns sinlein* ronM. ' lv, while tho Huon Belle was also in- ' trouble. i _Tlyi Harbour Board's tu" To Awl""., , T,ns at once dispatched to the scene, pH ' ■ she rotuvno.d to Auckland thig mornjV, ■ to report Iliat the M*na had sunk in'fr?' 1 water. The Huon Belie \vns lowed' into > port, and the crew of the Xfana arrived - ' on board tlm tug To Awhinn. . ... .