S.S. AORERE SNAPS HER SHAFT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1802, 15 July 1913, Page 6

S.S. AORERE SNAPS HER SHAFT.

MAKES PORT UNDER SAIL. SIGNALS TO STEPHENS ISLAND UNANSWERED. Some anxiety was occasioned in shipping circles in Wellington yesterday, when .it was learned that .the well-known Patea steam trader Aorere had not arrived at that port from Wellington on what might reasonably have been consisted her duo date. She left Wellington at 7.45 p.m., on Thursday, and, under ordinary circumstances, should have made the mouth of tha Patea Haver on the following day. It .was not until 5.30 p.m. yesterday, however, that anything was heard of her. At that hour she was sighted by the Government steamer Tutanekai, which was engaged in repairing a cablo off Terawhiti. The Aorero reported that she had lost her tail-end shaft and propeller, and asked l tho Tutanekai to dispatch a wireless message to that effect to Wellington. To this request Captain Post, of tho Tutanekai readily responded. Meantime tho Aorere was making way under canvas, and she continued on in this fashion till she was within a mile of Wellington Heads. She was then overhauled by tho Tutanekai. A line was passed on board the "lame duck," and the Government steamer brought her inside tho Heads, where the Ferry Company's tug Karaka took her in. tow and brought her up to the' wharf at 11 p.m. Captain Fiskfs Story. When seen after the vessel had been berthed, Captain Arthur Fisk, of the Aorere said:—"The accident happened at 8 a.m. on Friday, when we were about 26 miles from Patea. The weather was thick and squally at the time, and a fresh southerly was blowing, accompanied by a heavy westerly sea; I put the ship under canvas, and stood back for the land in the direction of Stephens Island. The little hooker did exceedingly well under canvas, but, when we were about 15 miles N.N.W. of Stephen Island we ran into a dead calm. At this time the Aorere wa9 rolling heavily. From 3 p.m. till dark I tried to get into communication with Stephens Island by means of distress signals and flags. All that night and Saturday we kept tacking towards that place, but we did not make much headway, on account of the light winds. At 11 p.m. on Saturday a W.N.W. wind sprang, up, and we shaped a course for the island, and at 9 a.m. on Sunday we were from five to seven miles S. by, VV. of it. For two hour 9we fired distress "rockets, and kept code-flags' flying, and endeavoured to attract tho attention of the lighthouse-keepers, but without success. At 11 a.m. a moderate W.S.W. wind sprang up, and, seeing that I could not get any attention from those in charge of the light (and the wind being' favourable), I stood away for Wellington. The Aorere made excellent going under canvas, but at 5 p.m. wo again ran into a dead calm. We w.ere'about halfway between Jackson Head and Kapiti Island, and there we stuck all night. Yesterday morning the wind came away from the N.W, in a fresh breeze, and the Aorere went along before it in good style. Towards evening tho wind was from the westward, and we bowled along until we were picked up by the Tutanekai, and handed over to the Karaka."

Signals not Replied to.

Captain Fisk said that he could not understand how it was that the lighthousekeepers on Stephens Island did not seo him. From the Aorere's deck the flagstaff and fittings on the island were plainly visible on Sunday morning. Those on board the Aorere did everything possible to attract attention, but they received no answers to their signals. The captain added that he thought that, under,the circumstances, some inquiry should be made. No steamer was sighted by the Aorero till she spoke the Tutanekai. After she had. rounded Terawhiti, however, several steamers were met with, and all offered to tow her into port. The Aorere, however, was doing so well under her own canvas that the offers of assistance were declined. The steamer Is three-parta full of cargo. No damage has been done, save that which has already-been reported. The damage will take some days to put right, and the vessel will have to be slipped iD consequence.