COASTAL TRADER ADRIFT.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2278, 12 October 1914, Page 7

COASTAL TRADER ADRIFT.

KIM'S TAIL SHAFT BREAKS. BOAT'S CREW PULLS FOR. THE SHORE. FORTY-FIVE HOURS AT THE OARS. (By Teleeraph.-Prose Association.) Dannevirke, October. 113. Advice has been received by telephone from Foraugahau that the Union S.S. Company's Kini, bound from Napier to Greymouth, wasi disabled southwest of Blackhead on Monday night, her tail-shaft being broken. The second officer (Mr. Dalgleish) left the Kini in a lifeboat on Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock with the third' engineer, three Beamen, and two firemen, and arrived at Blackhead on Thursday. The captain ,and the remainder of the crew are on board, and have three weeks' provisions. Except for the disablement, all . were well on board when the others left. . , . - A TERRIBLE ORDEAL. CLOSE AMONGST THE ROCKS (By Telegraph-Press Association.) Danneyirko, October 11. Particulars received from PorangaMiau show that the boat which left tho disabled Kini containing the second mate, Mr. Dalgleish, three seamen and two firemen, had a very hard and excitinc; time before they landed at Blackhead. They left the Kini at 1 p.m. on Thursday, and had to pull all the way to the land, being in the, boat 45 hours: They got off Blackhead at •B. o'clock on Friday night, and sheltered there all night, on account of the westerly ■ gale. . - • The occupants of the boat were afraid of being blown off-shore to sea, and had a trying time to keep close to the beach. About 11 p.m. they got into a dangerous position amongst the rocks, through being unaware of their whereabouts, and only extricated the boat by strenuous exertion in the nick of time. They did not know until morning exactly where, they were. 'When morning came," said Mr. Dalgleish, "I had to beach the hoat on account of ihe westerly wind again coming up, and we were again-afraid of being blown to sea. I could do nothing more, as every man was knocked up. None of us was worth twopence when we got ashore. of the hard work of rowing continuously, none of us had any sleep from the time we left the Kini. We were just on our last-legs.' r • . , , Up to the time of wiring nothing had been seen or heard of the Kim. At Porangahau the men, who landed, slept for 18 hours on end, and are now quite recovered from the effects of their long pull and trying experience. They are at present enjoying the hospitality or Mr. G. Hunter, and speak in the highest terms of praise of the treatment they have received.

'A message was received' by the local office of the Union - Company, pn Saturday afternoon to the effect that when the Kini broke down 6he was 65 miles, due east of Blackhead. Immediately on receipt of the news arrangements were made to dispatch the Union Company e powerful .tug,. Terawhfti, and their ; collier Kitta-wa. Heavy -towing gear was brought in from/the company's yards at Evans Bay, and placed on board the steamers. The Terawhiti left port at 11:15 p.m. oh Saturday,, and she was .followed by the Kittawa at 6 a.m. yesterday. Both'vessels have been given instructions to make an extended search on the East Coast and each of them carried a number of pigeons. Seeing that the' wind has been westerly up the E&st Coast during the past week, the opinion is held in shipping circles that the Kini has drifted well off-shore. After the steamer's shaft was broken, those on board managed to secure the tail end and propeller and thus prevent it from dropping off. The Kini is a steel screw steamer or 1122 tons, built in 1894 by Short Bros., of Sunderland. Captain Stewart, who is in charge 'of the vessel, joined her at Wellington.on Wednesday, September 30. Captain Platts, her late master, was compelled to go aehore at Westport recently on account of ill-health.