A STEAMER ADRIFT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1637, 2 January 1913, Page 5

A STEAMER ADRIFT.

, GALE IN .AUCKLAND HARBOUR, • (By, Telegraph.—Press Association.), ; Auckland, January 1. Tho small; steamer Akaroa, of 70 tons; was just resoued in time to save her from drifting on to tho reef near the mouth of Cors Creek yesterday. The. Akaroa came down the; gulf yesterday morning;, hauling a raft of logs, and at an early hour the raft was cut. adrift and auch6red. The captain and crew then.dropped the steamers anchor about 400 jaftlsioff Sloans Beach, and left the.vossol in parent safety. Towards 11 o'clock, however, the north-easterly breezo became a gale, and this,' coupled'with an abnormally high tide shortly after noon, caused the' Akaroa's anchor to lift, : and tho littlo vessel, with no ono'on board, entered upon a dangerous drifting courso towards the mouth of Cox's Creek. Tho weather, in the meantime becamo worse, nnd.it was apparent from the courso the vessel was taking that very soon sho would drift on to tho jagged reef, which runs out to tho right of the oreek s mouth. .:''■■'■., '■'. ... , V. In the meantime two residents in tho vicinity of Sloans Beach realised ' the danger the vessel was in, and warned 0110 of the owners (Messrs. Cashmoro Bros.). Mr. Cashmoro obtained assistance, rowed out to ,rho steamer, and managed to lower a heavier anchor just in time. Tho vessel had drifted broadside, on to • tho heavy sea and wind for nearly a mile, and another few minutes must* have meant, if not her destruction on jagged reef, at any rate very ' 6cnoua damage. , •