A Steamer in Difficulties.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 6 December 1890, Page 2

A Steamer in Difficulties.

The Union Company's new steamer Poherua, Captain Macbeth, arrived at Westport on Tuesday from Albauy. She left that port on the 19th Novemher, after repairing damages caused by her boiler chocks giving way on the oth November, when tbo vessel was on her voyage from Geraldton to West;.ort. The Albany Observer, of tho Bill NovembeVf contains a full account of a serious accident to the machinery which befell the Poherua when 18G mi'es south-east of Breaksea, and which, had the rough weather in which ifc occurred continued, must inevitably have caused her total loss. Fresh to strong breeziisjver.e. .experienced to the L -uwin, wben a gale sprang up and continued for some time with great violence. The steamer was labouring very heavily in a rough and ugly sea. At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the oth November, she gave a tremendous roll, wh^li started the ehoe'-s under tlie boiler. Another roll or two and the chocks broke and the main steam-pipe, conveying the steam from the boiler to the engine, cracked at the flange, tho steam hissing forth at the escape and filling* the engine-room. The | cracking* of the pipe necessi'ated a reduction of speed. The course was altered for Albany, the vos.-el steaming along at about six knots. When within about lo miles of Cano Vancouver tho stenm pipe burst, and this of courso brought the oii-inr-s to a dead standstill. Thi-- occurred on Thur day morning at 8 o'clock There was still a modem' ely heavy swell on, and the ship was rolling heavily. There was a light breeze from the 8. W., and fore and aft sail was sefc and the day was taken up in trying to repair damages in the enginero-jni. Finding that his ship was completely disabled the captain decided to scud a boat ashore for assistance, and the chief oilicer, Mr > pence, was placed in charge of the lifeboat. The crew included the third mate, Mr Horrey, and Bousfiold, Riderit and .-kohl, abe seamen. Tbo steamer was ro'ling very heavily when the boat was launched, and this caused hor to bump against the sides of the ship, s arting the planking of tho boat. The men had to keep ba'ing the wholo way, and ifc was with difriculry tbo little craft was kepfc afloat. Thie boat, left tho steamer at 7 o'clock on Thursday. At 4. o'c <*ck tho ue.:t morning the boat was 15 miles south of Bald island, which was passed at noon. During the morning the P. and 0. steamer Oceana was passed, and signals were made to her, but although the boat's crew aye almost certain thafc they were soen, no attsntion was paid to their signals or shouts. The boat reached Breaksoa at -'3. -10 p.m., almost in a sinking condition. A telephone niessag ■ was at once despatched to Alnany, and the steamers Escort and Loch Lorn md were s'-nt out to the assistance of the distressed vessel. The Escort came up with tbe steamer tibout 12 miles to the south of Broakj sea, and the L >eh Lomond ■ soo*> after arriving the Poherua was ! taken ia tow and reached the iunor

<l±__ ' ' ■ ' < harbour at Albany at 12 o'clock on tbo night of the 7th November. It appear tliat after the boat was sent ashore tho chief engineer partially repaired tho u-.imago. The boiler was susjxnded by the upper stays, and an thr ; ship rolled, oscillated like the penduK a0 _ o clock. An effort was made to stay the boiler to the b _ijfc<r*-« and the bunkers to the -bin's win, but without success. I The broken chocks kept shifting and | it was fouad impossible to steady the b j.cr. The wwatti tt steam pipe, five inches in Hhrsmiur, made of copper had been rendered quite useless, and wa* disconnected, and so were a uumbw of o:hers, in the hope of finding ono that could be temporarily mado to take the place of the broken pipe. Eventually after working and worrying at anything and everything like a pipe, Mr Nesbit managed to find a pipe that could be connected to the intermediate engine, the high pressure engine, being knocked of. With this he managed to keep the ship going at about 3* kno s per hour until the King Point light was reached when the Escort and Loch Lomond took tlie steamer in tow. Had the rolling- continued the boiler, which with mountings weighs 50 tons, must have knocked out the sides of the vessel. The Poherua was repaired in Albany and her subsequent voyage to Westport was uneventful.