The Ruapehu Ashore.

Manawatu Herald, 5 January 1897, Page 2

The Ruapehu Ashore.

«- On Friday night the Home steamer Ruapehu vent ashore on the spit seven miles west of the Gape Farewell light, perfectly upright, on a i sandy beach. The steamer had upwards of 200 passengers. No one seems able to account for her going ashore, as the captain gave instructions before going down to dinner that he should be called as soon aa the ship came within four miles of land. Dinner was served in the saloon at 20 minutes to 7, and the passengers had only been five minutes at table when the captain ! came below. About ten minutes further elap3ed when he quietly rose from his seat at the head of the table and went and looked out of one of the portholes for a moment, and and then rushed up on deck without speaking. As he did so, the passengers felt that the vessel was gliding on to something, and several ef them followed the captain to see what could be the matter. The steamer was travelling at the rate of 13 knots when she ran ashore. Directly a message was received from the lighthouse, whioh was not received in Wellington until 9 o'clock on Saturday morning, the Corinna was sent to the scene and found six other vessels there. The passengers were all taken on board the Corinna and brought safely to Wellington. The Ruapehu has floated off, and she passed Farewell Lighthouse on the way to Wellington at 10.20 a.m. on Monday, and signalled all well. At seven o'clock on Sunday even*

in?, when the tide again rose, another attempt was made to get the Raapehu off. The large anchor chains were brought aft and spliced to the end of a wire cable, which was i hen parsed out to the Omapere, but. during her evolutions to gpt into P'>siuoa the wire cable found ber propeller, aid caused such a delay that all hope of freeing ttu i propeller was almost given up by some of tho-e oq board the s-tmnded liner. How fver, during the night fresh cables we>e got out to the Mawhera and the Kennedy, the latter vessel having put in an, appearance. At about 9 o'clock yesterday morning the two vessels began to go ahead half speed, and the Ruapehu went full speed astern with her engines. The result was that after some few minutes she began to move. A greater strain was put on, and at 20 minutes past 9 she floated off. The tide was not quite full, so that she would probably have been floated easily if a few minutes longer delay had elapsed.— N.Z. Times.