RUSH TO PORT

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10315, 26 January 1927, Page 5

RUSH TO PORT

MISHAP TO NORTHUMBERLAND. STRIKES ROCK OFF GABLE END FORELAND GAPING HOLE 12ft. TO 15ft. LONG. No. 2 HOLD BILGE TORN. VESSEL MAKES. ALL HASTE TO GISBORNE. FIRST COLLISION MAT LOST. DOWN AT BOW; HEAVY LIST TO PORT. DIVER INVESTIGATES DAMAGE. UNLOADING OF Nos. 1 AND' 3 HOLDS STARTED.

A terrficrthud! The steamer Northumberland, steaming serenely on her course from Auckland to Napier, yesterday shivered from stem to stern, as she struck a submerged object some miles south of Gable End foreland and narrowly escaped adding another name to the list of many, marine disasters on the New Zealand coast. The time of the mishap was 1.30 p.m.

Naturally, consternation reigned on the vessel for some minutes. At once, orders were rung through to the engine room and the vessel was stopped in her tracks. An inspection of the holds disclosed the position: the hull had been badly holed forward and water was rushing into No. 2 hold at a great speed. Wireless' messages were immediately flashed from the vessel to Wellington and Gisborne and the captain came to an immediate decision to run for the nearest port, Gisborne, 15 miles down the Coast.

At full speed ahead, the Northumberland raced for this port, and, by the time she arrived here' at 3.30

p.m.. she had a heavy dip forward on the port side.

A wireless message received bv the Gisborne Harbo r Board about 3 p.m. saying that the vessel was racing at full speed for the port caused a. sensation. Immediately the Harbor Board launch, Taldtimu, with Captain f Holmes aboard, went opt and met ‘ the Northumberland, which arrived i in the Bay half an hour I Wore the I time she was expected, having made a fast trip from the point at which she met with the -catastrophe. the vessel was steaming for | port the utmost of her engine eaI paeitv. efforts were made 1o locate the hole in the hull, but they v. ore of no avail. Meantime, steps' were taken to make a collision mat to stop the inrush; of water a.nd. after an anxious time, the mattress was swung into position where it was assumed the vessel was damaged. However, before the mat could be secured, it-was carI ried away and lost. ,

ANXIOUS MOMENTS. The inrush of water continued unabated until the Northumberland put into the roadstead. For the officers and crew there were many anxious moments. The Harbor Board launch came abreast of her near the Tekoa, which was also lying in the roadstead. >. Ir, view of the seiiousness or ner position, it was decided to run the vessel to a spot where she could be boa died should she show further signs of sinking. The unlucky vessel was piloted to a point a couple of miles off Waikanne beach, on a lino between Grey Street and Stanley Hoad, where she anchored, her stern facing the south, her officers keeping a watchful eye the while on the possibility of a'storm sweeping np from the south. Tim Union Co.’s tender .1 uatea meantime had put out and, with the Takitimu. stood Icy in case of emerge ucv. The vessel continued to settle down forward and the list to port began to assume dangerous proportions for the Tso 2 hold w«is rapidly filling and the water was seeping into Nos. 4 and 3 holds. In the hour and a-half after the vessel had anchored —about 4 p.m.—the vessel had settled down nearly.l2l't and she was still making water fast.

DIVER. LOCATES RENT. Another hastily constructed collision mat was then drawn up round the hull of the vessel in an attempt to (Awek r e inrush of water and t-homSw the mattress was secured, it fI - ({' to achieve its purpose, as it was subset. m-utiy disccverec. that it had not covered the hole. A little later the vessel stopped settling down and it was then found that No. 2 hold was full, there being 36tt of water below the hatches, while in Nos. 1 and 3 holds there were loft and 20ft respectively. The launch Takitimu had sped ashore for a diver and gear pumping plant. The diver. Mr Mich-, ardson, made his descent about b o'clock, but his job was a perilous one on account o>f the choppiness of flic sea. which rendered him liab.e to he crushed between the steamer and the ship’s boat, and the danger of being sucked in by the vortex at the hole in Re hull. The diver first made, a longtbv examination of the hull on the star! toard side, hut could find no trace of the hole. However, on crossing under the vessel, to .the port side, cm the line of the mattress which had been strung under •• her huh forward, he located a gaping hole. 12 to 15ft long and from 18in. to 2ft wide on the No. 2 hold bilge, a foot from 'her keel about 20ft abaft the fo’castle. The rib section of the huh had been torn away seemingly having struck the submerged rock a glancing blow. It is stated authoritatively that, had the vessel been a foot further to port., her bottom Would have been ripped out. At the time there was no vortex, the inrush of water having otherwise the diver would have been, u n able to get near the hole to ascertain its dimensions.

Immediately the location of the hoe was ascertained efforts were concentrated on constructing a . new triangular collision mat of" hatch tarpaulin and bed mattresses, winch Were sewn together.

unloading in progress. The Harbor Board launch, which came to the wharf atlo-ut 5 p.m., notified a number of watersiders who were then leaving a lighter which had just tied up at the wharf that 20 to 30 men would be required to discharge cargo from the Northumberland. A discussion took place as to rates of pay which the men were- to receive, 10s per hour, it is understood, being claimed. The decision to discharge the cargo from No. 1 and 3 holds aimed at removing the bad: list to port which the vessel had in an endeavour to bring her to a more upright position. It would he about 7.30 that two gangs of twenty watersiders were landed oh the deck of the Northumberland by the Takitimu, and the other Harbor Board launch followed quickly with a couple of lighters, which were moored on the starboard side with the tug Kama standing by. Work was then quickly sta: ted in liseharging the cargo on the port side of No. 1 -and 3 holds, the men in the latter working most expeditiously. ,Under the glare of the huge arc lights the vessel was' a scene of remarkable activity. Here derricks whisked Ibad after load of clargo from the holds to the lighters,, there the first ■ mate bawled out orders to the men engaged on making the collision mat and this work was proceeding with feverish activity at a late hour last evening in the hope of covering the rent in "the vessl’s hull.

It was evident by' 11 p.m. that the removal of the cargo was having a material effect in strightening up the vessel on to a level keel. At that hour, however it was only the bulkhead between Nos. 1 and 3 holds (which were full of water). that were keeping the vessel buoyant and the bursting of these might have precipitated a disaster. EXCITING TIME FOR. THE CADETS. The Northumberland c leared Auckland at 4 p.m. on Monday and experienced a good trip down "the Coast until she experienced the catastrophe at 1.30 p.m. yesterday. The vessel was preceding on the usual course between Auckland and -N apier, v. hither she-was bound. The <•-!.merged rock on which she struck is, apparently, uncharted. When the vessel was stopped, the cadets aboard v. ere given boat stations, the boats being provisioned and lowered, but when it was seen that she could make Gisborne, the boats were hauled in and a course at lull steam ahead set lor this port. For the 23 cadets aboard the Northumberland, which is a cadet ship, it was a novel and exciting experience, and many of the lads immediately sought safety in lifebelts, and, even when the vessel lay anchored in the roadstead, some of the lads were to be seen wandering round muffled with these life preservers. Still credit must be given them for the way they performed the numerous duties assigned to them, and they toiled hard and willingly throughout the night, as did the rest of the officers and crew.

One of the most touching incidents about the mishap was the thought and care bestowed on a number 01. dogs which the Northumberland was taking south, the animals being stowed away on the lifeboats at the outset.

SHIP’S PUMPS REINFORCED. Pumping was immediately resorted to after the crash, when it was found that No. 2 hold was tilling rapidly and operations were continued incessantly on the race to Gisborne and throughout last night, hut the inrush of water was more than the ship’s pumps could cope with. A message had to be sent ashore for additional pumping gear, and, b. •p.m. the T’uatea had put aboard Mr Goodman’s and the Harbor Board’s suction pumps, which were rigged up and put into commission immediately. The Northumberland, laden with general merchandise, comprising a large quantity of galvanised iron and liquor, arrived at Auckland from Liverpool on January 13" and discharged there about 3000 tons. She has about 4000 tons to discharge at Napicr, Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin before loading for Home portsThe Northumberland is a vessel of 11-,555 gross tonnage and 7229 nett tonnage, and is owned by the Federal Steam Navigation 'Company. She was built in Wallsend by Messrs Swann, Hunter, Wigham and Richardson, Ltd., in 1915, and was registered on January 27, 1916. The vessel has a length of 530 ft and is 63ft in breadth, and is driven by rotary (reared turbine engines burning oil fuel. The Northumberland is commanded by Captain Chas. S. Broughton, who is a New Zealander, and who. for many years, was with the U.S.S. Company. The vessel carries a complement of 85, including the 28 cadets. There were no .passengers aboard. The mishap is particularly unfortunate for Captain "'Broughton, this, it is authoritatively stated, being his last trip before taking over the position of Marine Siiperritendent. It was fortunate that, at the time, fine weather prevailed and there was n comparatively calm sea. on the race down.the Coast, and during unloading operations in the roadstead, there being onlv a slight perceptible swell during the operations.

RUMPS GAINING ON -WATER. At 2 o’clock this morning it was reported that the collision mat had been- <3 at is factor fly placed "in'.position and that .the. pumns were gaining on the water in the. holds.

PART OF DAMAGED CARGO FOR WELLINGTON. TUGS TOLA AnFtEKAWHITI ‘ LEAVE' FOR GISBORNE. WELLINGTON, Jan. At three o'clock, stated a wireless message, the Northumberland, which has struck a submerged rock, *■ b s fourteen miles off Gisborne, and' was heading for that port. She had water in No. 2 hold, in which was 900 tons of cafgo, part of the 4000 tons for discharge at Wellington. The salvage tugs Tola and Terawhiti have left Wellington for the Northumberland with powerful pumping equipment.—P.A. CARGO FOR NAPIER. POWERFUL "PUMP SENT TO GISBORNE. NAPIER, Jan. 25. The'Northumberland has 1300 tons of cargo for Napier, most of which is st-owed in No. 3 hold. To-night Messrs Richardson’s Koau took an eight-inch centrifugal pump, secured from the Public Works Department, to Gisborne. It is hoped it will’ enable the Northumberland to cope with the water until the arrival of tho two tugs.—P.A."