THE MOURA'S ESCAPE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1929, 10 November 1906, Page 1

THE MOURA'S ESCAPE.

AN EXCITING TIME,

Wellinglon, TJiiu'sdny. Last evening ut about 5 o’clock tho Union Company's .steamship Mourn, a vessel worth about i. 30,000, whieii has been laid up in Wollington liarbor, began to drag her anchors, driven by (ho north-

west galu thill hud boon raging during tho afternoon. She was bearing down on the Now Zealand Shipping Company’s Unikoura, whieii is also laid up in the harbor, Captain MaeKollnr, who was on board the Kaikonra, beeanie anxious, not only for tlie safety of the Mourn, but also for the safety of his own vessel, so he hoisted signals that a tug was urgently needed. It uppcars that there was no one on board tho Mourn, as the watchman had como ashoro

during the day, anil, owing to tho gale, was not üblo to get back to his charge. For some considerable time there was no response to the signal on the lvaikoura. Tho

master of the big Harbor Board dredge Whaknrirc noticed it at 5,10 p.m lie was engaged at the reclamation works, and took it lor granted that somo official would read the signal and send a tug. A little later, when lie had finished his pumping, lie saw the signal still Hying, and also noticed that tho Mourn was

drifting rapidly on to tho Kaikonra There was no sign of noy tug in eight, ec ho bimsolf promptly Btcamod out to the rescue. Ho got ulorrgtido tho drifting steaiuor, put a mate and two men on hoard her, and tuudo fart lo hor, Both tho Moura and tbo drtdge continued to be blown towards the helpless Kaikoura, The Moura came down so (as) that there was danger of her crashing broadside into the stem of the big liner. With the Moura etill dragging her anchors, the master of tho dredgo found that it would be impoetiblo for him to Bteam with her oloar of the Kaikoura, soho was compelled to Blip the two anohors. Even then it was impoeeiblo to prevent a collision. The Moura bumped into tbo Kaikoura, and received a big dont on her starboard bow above the deck-line. It was a very exciting moment for all ooncerned. A dredgo is, however, an uuwieldly vesßol for towing purposes, espeoialiy when the “tow” is alongside her, and the Whakariro oould make no headway against tho gale with iho Moura. In tho meantime tho Union Company's officials had reeeived word of she trouble, and Captain Anderson and Mr Daniel left in the launch Natono for iho scone cf action, They boarded the Mouru. The Naione endeavored to assist, but the dredge bumped into hor. Sie git a rope round her propeller, and crawled back through tho gloom to port. Mr Kennedy, the looal manager of tho Union Oompauy,’ ascertained tbnt tho dredge had iho Moura in tow, but, as the gale was still blow-, ing, ho decided to rnako esiuranoe doubly sure, and a! onoe acrunged for tho services of tho tug Duoo. Tho Moura bad drifted right across the harbor in oompauy with tho dredge, und narrowly esoaped getting on to tho rocks. Tho osptain of tho dredge, having just managed to clear Point Halswell, eventually got into comparatively Etn.oth water in Evans Bay. Ha was then abie to get a tow rope fast to Ibo Moura’s bow, and began to low her in the teeth of the gale up tho harbor towards tho wharves. During tho process of towing two cables oarried away, but a third one of new rope held. For a long time we oould sec the lights of tho dredge indicating " A vessel in low,” and somo dietnnoo behind the duller lights of the Moura. It was a hard battle, and for a long time the lights seemed to get no nearer. When at 10 30 p.m. I scrambled over the rail of tho Moura from the Duoo, tho Moura, in tow of tho dredge, was not fur from tho Glasgow whaif, In a little whilo the dredgo hud made fast to tho end cf the Glasgow wharf, but, haviug got tho Moura so far, she could do noshing more with her. Tho Duco then took charge, and the dredge steamed away. But even

the handy little tug had some trouble in berthing the steamer in (ho teeth of suoh a wind. Eventually, just after the town olook had chimed the hour of midnight, the Moara wjb b:side the wharf, and while Captain Aod;rson and Mr Daniel, with their men, proceeded to make her safe for the night, tbe ljoal manager and a ehivering pressman swung themselves on a rope over the side end ecrambled down to terra firma. Thoro can be no doubt that the saving of tan veesol by a big dredgo under ths oiraum» stances wae a feat of seamanship and a credit to all oonoercod, the Union Company’s officials included. The adventuie of ihe Moura, however, leads one to the conclusion that Wellington harbor is not a safe plaoo in whioh to lay up vossels unless special precautions are taaen, The harbor, opposite Ngahauranga, doea not afford good holding ground, bocause it slopes down from the shore and this makes it easier for a vessel to drog her anchors, especially if they are the patent anobors, whioh do not hold so woil as the old kind, —H.B. Herald.