BARQUE IN PERIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1874, 2 October 1906, Page 2

BARQUE IN PERIL.

RESCUE OF CREW. PRESS ASSOCIATION

Wellington, laet night.

News was received in Wellington afternoon that a barque was disabled o2 Terawhiti. The Marine Department despatched the tog Dueo to the scene. The vessel bas not yet returned to port. The mystery, however, is cleared up by the following from the Pioton agent of the Press Association: “The steamer Penguin, on her passage from Wellington to Picton to-d-.y, picked up the crew of the barque Lutterworth in dire distress in Cook Straits. A representative of the Marlborough Press interviewed the officers ofthebaique. H 9 ascertained that the Lutterworth left Timaru for Kaipara at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Variable winds blew till midnight, when a breeze came up s’roDg f'om the south-west. When it e vessel was abreoet of Kaikoura the captain decided that the weather was too thick to make Cook Strait. He shortened sail and brought the ship close to the wind, beadmg off shorn About 7pm. on Sunday the ballast shifted and threw the shiponberbeamends. The captain tried to get the ship to run before the wind, but she would not pay off. The crew bad to cut away the masts. The lifeboats were then launched, but they broke up under the ship’s quarter. The crew was in a very serious condition all night, lying under the weather bulwarks. At 10 p.m they sighted tba mast-head light of a steam boat, which proved to be the Urnbala, heading for Wellington. She stood by all night, but at daylight the weather and seas were too rough for her to risk her lifeboats. She flaw signals, and ap» peered to make for Wellington. The crew then let go the port anchor, but the barque drifted towards Gape Terawhiti. With forty five fathoms cf cable out the port anchor caught round, but failed to Gable was paid out to ninety fathoms, but the vessel Btill dragged, and the orew made ready to head for the beech. However, when the vessel was about a mile and a half from the rocks, the Penguin was sighted. The steamer bore dowD, launohed her lifeboat in the nick of time, and saved the orew. Captain Hicks and Mrs Hicks were severely knocked about, and were in a stunned condition when taken on board. The chief officer is Mr W. S Gordon, of Mosgiel, and the second officer Mr Morris. The crew numbers eighteen hands all told. They bad a terrible experience last night, and all were more or less .injured. They were worn out when they arrived et Pieton, though the officers of the Penguin had done all that was possible for them. - The barque was in a bad position when abandoned. The members of the orew do not think there is SDy likelihood of her being saved.