A VESSEL IN DISTRESS.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 54, 5 March 1901, Page 2

A VESSEL IN DISTRESS.

REPLY TO CAPTAIN HIPGRAVE,

Captain Olsen, of the schooner Ururoa, writes from Tairua under date of February 20th as follows :

Silt, —Havingrcad the article in the Times i of February 21st, re the statement made by Captain Hipgrave of the S.S. Zealandia, I consider it my duty to reply to it. • First to compare the schooner Ururoa, with all sail set and standing off the land with a steady breeze from the Northward, with the case of the Grace Ilarwar who was on her beam ends witli ballast shifted and her lower yards about 10 feet below water, I certainly, with every right-minded man, consider that the Hawea was to blame for not giving assistance.' Captain Hipgrave states that I was standing into the land and flying signals of distress, which 1 cannot understand, for from the time I sighted the steamer, which I mistook for the troop ship Dalhousie, I was standing out from the land, and had been so since eight bells, and the only signal of distress that Captain Hipgrave could have seen was the ensign at the mast head which I hoisted out of respect, and dipped three times, thinking it was the Dalhousie with the Indian troops on board, certainly not knowing that that could be a distress signal or could be made out by Captain Hipgrave to be a distress signal. Captain Hipgrave also states that the wind was S.E, That again shows a mistake on his part, but of course he is not, like us, dependent on the wind; therefore a difference of twelve points is of no consequence, for the wind was at the time northerly, and a steady breeze. I did certainly see signals flying, but I could not distinguish them for the smoke from his funnel, and as I saw it was not tho Dalhousie I did not think it of much consequence replying C.W.F. “ signals not understood,” which, if I had known that Captain Hipgrave considered himself so ungraciously treated, I should certainly have done. A pity Captain Hipgrave could not get qs under, section 434 Merchant Shipping Act for salvage.—l remain, yours, etc., Captain of the Whitepainted Schooner,