The Rimntak's Homeward Trip.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1501, 7 November 1885, Page 4

The Rimntak's Homeward Trip.

AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

STORMS, ICE, AND DANGEB OF COLLISION.

THE COMPANY DECLARE THE STATEMENTS EXAGGERATED.

Cby telegraph.) (Fost Correspondent.) Auckland, Weduesday. Under date 18th September, the London correspondent of the Siar says : — You will probably have heard by cable that the homeward voyage recently completed by the s.s. Rimutaka was a disag eeably eventful one, according to the suitemouts of the saloon passengers who landed at Plymouth. The vessel left' Wellington m the teeth of a stiff gale blowing from the south. The seas were running mountains high and frequently made clean breaches over the ship. Two large boats- were swept out of their chocks and were somewhat severely damaged. The gale raged with all fury for about two days, and after it abated the ship encountered an immense quantity , of ice and snow. The weather was bitterly cold and intensely felt by the pas sengers. , The "ship eventually became literally covered with icicles; and presented the appearance of a vessel m the Arctic regions. -The ■ ropes were one mass of ice and snow, even the signal halyards being six times their ordinary size, and on the hurricane deck there were six inches of ice, and under, the fore-hatch twelve inches. The ship was amongst the ice for five days, and the thermometer Most of the time registered 15 degrees below zero. Eight of the crew including the boatswain, were frostbitten m their hands. It was alleged to the reporter of the 'Western Morning Neios that, they had not altogether recovered yet ; at any rate, that journal says that the boatswain wore gloves up ! to a few days before arrival, and then his hands peeled as if they had been badly scalded. After leaving the ice, the Riuiutaka met with bad weather and strong winds to within three days of Cape Horn. The Cape itself was rounded m beautiful weather on the 10th August and from thence to Rio all went smoothly, Calms for three days after leaving Rio, and then strong winds with moderate seas to Plymouth.' On entering the sound the Riuiutaka, it is said, had a narrow escape from colliding with H.M.S. Agincourt, which was moored just inside the breakwater loot. Tho Bimutaka came under easy steam, and was reaching across the sound to take up a safe anchorage, there being a fresh gale blowing, when the Agincourt was seen right ahead. The passengers believed a collision inevitable, but the engines of the Bimutaka were promptly put full speed astern and danger avoided. In order to ascertain the truth with regard to complaints, I this morning interviewed Mr Strickland, the manager of the London office. He says he believed the statements m Plymouth papers are a tissue of exaggeration. It was no doubt bitterly cold m the South Pacific, but the captain did not even go so far south as is usual. Generally the New Zealand Company's beats make lat. 56 during the run down to the Horn, but on this occasion : Captain Hallett turned North at lat. 55. Things cannot, Mr Strickland thinks, have been quite so bad as landsmen passengers aver, for the Rimutaka made the run Home m much about the ordinary time. As to complaints, they have had none so far. If, as reported, a protest was drawn up, it certainly has not reached the ofucb. There wore only 12 second cabin passengers, and the only complaint they made on board was about the quality of the butter siipwlied. The talk about a collision nearly eventuating in-Plymouth Sound was pure nonsense. It was pitch dark at night, and great care had m consequence to be observed. The Rimutaka was going dead slow when she sighted the Agincourt a short distance off, and of course reversed her engines. There was, however, nothing at all remarkable m the circumstance.