COLLISION AT SEA.

Kumara Times, Issue 1378, 2 March 1881, Page 2

COLLISION AT SEA.

SINKING OF THE SCHOONER ISABELLA PRATT. Auckland, February 22. The Albion arrived shortly before ten o'clock this morning. She reports having collided with and sunk the topsail schooner Isabella Pratt, off Port Charles, at 4.20 a.m. All hands are saved. The Isabella Pratt left here in ballast yesterday for Tairua, where she was to have been loaded with timber for Oamaru, aud was commanded by Captain Cross. The captain of the Albion says that the schooner's light was not burning, and the first they knew of the schooner on board the Albion was about four minutes before she struck, and she was hid from view by the smoke of the steamer blowing over. Her engines were immediately stopped, but she struck the vessel near the fore rigging, cutting her almost through. Some of the rigging caught the steamer. The jibboom held the wreck up for a few minutes, and enabled six men aboard to scramble on to the Albion, otherwise all probably would have been lost. Captain Cross denies that the lamp was not burning, and says he had just set his watch, and went below to prick out his position on the chart when he heard the mate cry to the man at the wheel to keep her away, and call to the steamer to look out where she was coming to. Captain Cross' private loss is £l5O, and is uninsured. The vessel is believed to be insured for £IOOO in the National. The damage sustained by the. Albion consisted in having three iron plates broken on her starboard side, making a large hole about l|ft. above water line. This had to be stuffed up with bedding and other like material to prevent the water coming in. A subscription was raised on board the Albion for the crew of the Isabella Pratt of £lO and distributed to them. The Isabella Pratt was owned by Messrs Hassell and Son, of Qtago. Captain Cross had been seven years in the vessel, and was counted one of the most careful, sober, and reliable masters on the cuast.