SCOW DRIFTS FROM ANCHORAGE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 141, 2 July 1937, Page 4

SCOW DRIFTS FROM ANCHORAGE

— Pres» AisociatioH.)

Found Intact 22 Miles Distant CREW STRANDED ASHORE

(By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Last Night. To find that their vessel, the soow Lena Gladys, had disappeared with no one aboard fronij her anchorage in Catheriiie's Bay on the north-westem coast of the Great Barrier Island, wa« the Tinenviable experience of her captain, Mr W .MoKenzie Thompson, and m crew of two, on a stormy night at the week-end. Stranded with only a dinghy on the isolated shores, the complement conducted a frantic search for the missing craft, which was eventually found about 22 miles away through t£e timeiy arrival at the bay of the Goveniment lighthouse eteamer Matai, which returned to Auckland this evening. The Matai was sheltering from the storm at Catherine's Bay, where she arrived on Saturday night, and her timely arrival enabled assistance to be given in the search for the Lena Gladys. . ' At midnight the scow's dmghy came alongside the Matai, with the captain and crew of. the Lena Gladys, who explained that they had gone ashore in the aftejmoon and had been prevented from returning owing to the gple conditions. When they reaehed the shore that night they had found that the scow had dragged her moorings and was not in sight. Several bays had been- searched without success. Fearing that the scow was drifting before the east-south-east gale and migjht become a danger to shipping, the Matai was immediately put to sea, running before the wind to follow the track of the missing Lena Gladys. At daylight on Sunday morning, 22 miles from Catherine's Bay, the scow was, found, her position being about six miles to the west-south-west of Moko Hinau Island. By some strangie chance the craft had not struck Simpson Rock or any of the numerous rocks in the vicinity of Moko Hinau Island, and was . undamaged when found. Had she been picked up by another vessel the intact oondition of her quarters might have for a time given rise to a mystery of the sea similar to that of the Marie Celeste was the comanent of a member of the 'Matai' s complement, After her captain and crew had had breakfast on the Matai, they were put aboard the Lena Gladys and the scow was then put back for Catherine's Bay. The Lena Gladys recently arrived at Great Barrier Island from Tauranga.