SHIP ON A MUD BANK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2378, 6 February 1915, Page 8

SHIP ON A MUD BANK

EURASIA IN TROUBLE NEAR- ■ THAMES. (By Telegraph.—Press AssociatioiU Auckland, February 5. Tho Italian full-rigged ship Eurasia*, 1874 gross tons, commanded by Captain Francesso Olivari. went ashore on a mud •flat five miles south-west of Thames Wharf at ieii o'clock last night. The vessel left Auckland at 10 a.m. yesterday for Monte Video and was clearlyfar out of her normal course. For this, the captain blames his compasses. The; vessel now stands -upright in soft mud' at low. tide, and is not considered to b»' in any danger, but it may be difficult toremovo her from her position as it was 1 .high tide when she Grounded. The Harbour Board's tug Teawhinal left at 5 p.m. for the sceno to endeavour. to tow the Eurasia off. An attempt was to have been made at eleven o'clock' to-night, when the tide would be at its height. The Eurasia arrived in Wellington about August with a cargo of Marseilles tiles, and came on to Auckland with.' the balance of her cargo, arriving there on November 7. As no charter was forthcoming, the Eurasia was towed to an anchorage in the stream early in December, where she remained until her', departure from Auckland yesterday., She was towed out bv a tug to the! neighbourhood of Tiri Tiri. There was; a_fresh westerly breeze, and after the'' pilot had left the Eurasia 'headed for'. Cape Colville and Great' Barrier with 1 , most of her sails set. , The wind was l in favour of . her proceeding dir» ect to sea. At four o'clock on Thursday afternoon the Westralia, from southern ports, nassed the Eurasia in the Hauraki Gulf. The ship was observed to ,be under most of her sail, close hauled on the port tack, and headed towards Cane Colville. The officers ! of the Westralia expressed some sui« prise that the ship should be so far in towards the Firth of Thames. Two .hours later Captain Black,, of tha Northern Company's lighter Victory, \ passed the Enrasia well down towards I Thames. Captain Black could nee that! the ship was well out of her course andi hending for Thames. Can tain Olivari came to 'Auckland l by the Wakatere, and immediately be-, fore he left in the tug Teawhina for the scene of the mishnp a reporter asked him how the accident occurred. The ' captain said that he was completely misguided by his compasses.' Thev were of a well-known make and had been regularly adjusted. He steered N.N.E. as he thought, but discovered too lata? that the compasses were faulty. TW vessel a very sharp Wl,' and iV well down in the soft mud, but has sus* tained no damaeo whatever. The crew* are. still on hoard and are quite comforw able.