THE MONOWAI MISHAP.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 2 November 1901, Page 4

THE MONOWAI MISHAP.

Captain Chatfleld interveiwed

“We had little anxiety on the score of provisions, for I could have hllng out easily for five months., Our cargo included a number of food stuffs, and we could have hung out on meats and potatoes and oatmeal for at least live mouths. The passengers enjoyed themselves. with sports and concerts. I never had a breakdown like this before. I once had fifteen hours of it in the Mararoa when she blew her cylinder out, and after that another spell of seven hours in (lie same vessel, but nothing hke this.”

How the Passengers Amused

Themselves.

The passengers say no one who gets lost at sea could possibly be lost in better company than the passengers ol the Monowai found themselves in-. They had the Operatic Company on board, and also the Jubilee Singers. Entertainments and concerts beguiled the evenings away and there was no lack of sports during the clay. Everybody vied with everybody else to amuse and entertain his fellow passengers. The greatest trouble seemed to be the anxiety tiiat Would be felt by their friends and relatives on shore. They were in a good comfortable ship, with no shortage of anything, and the officers and crew did everything it was possible to do. The travelling of the boat was not fast enough under sail, but this Was owing to the fact that vessels nowadays are too big and unwicldly for sailing, especially under conditions in which they are rigged. No sickness or mishaps occurred to either passengers or crew. The Extent of the Damage. The Monowai has spare boss shafting and propeller blades, and if the damage is not more than now supposed the repairs will be effected in time for her to take up her ordinary time-table running to Sydney on Thursday next. She will go into dock on Monday. Who gets the Prize. It is said that Captain Chatfield offered £2O to the first man who should sight a passing steamer, and the distinction is claimed by one of the quartermasters and third officer, it being the latter’s watch at the time the Mokoia's lights came into view. Other Details. This is the first time anything of a serious nature has occurred in the engineering department of the Monowai, and her machinery has always worked with remarkable smoothness, and has not given the slightest trouble to those in charge. After coming out from the Old Country her shafting was substituted for stronger material. The Mokoia had a crow’s nest rigged whaler fashion. She towed the Monowai through the Poveaux Strait at the smart pace of eight knots an hour. _ That was the cause of the Rimu failing to get abreast to take the news to the Bluff. She could not race the liners. The Mokoia’s men tended the tow-lmo very diligently, and put on plenty of chafing gear. The Union Company officials are praised on all hands for their attention to the passengers of both steamers.

The “Dunedin Star ” remarks The accident to the Monowai is another object lesson which points to the absolute necessity of large ocean-going steamers being fitted with twin-screws. This should, indeed, in the interests of safety of life and property, be made a statutory obligation, and the attention of the Imperial Government may well be directed to the subject, with a view to legislation at an early period The Imperial navigation and shipping laws should absolutely require that every ocean-going steamer should be provided with twinscrews.”