NARROW ESCAPE FROM COLLISION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 58, 8 March 1880, Page 2

NARROW ESCAPE FROM COLLISION.

[&.Z. Times, March 6.] A narrow escape from a collision at sea, "which had it occurred, must have resulted in a fearful disaster, happened on Thursday night, m the French Pass, about 1 1 o'clock. The s.s. Waitaki, which left here on Thursday for Pieton and Nelson, steamed through the Pass going with the tide. The p.s. Charles Edward, which left Nelson yesterday for this port, also came through the Pass on the same tide, and the two vessels met just in the Narrows. What happened is test told in the word of our informant, one of the passengers on board \ the Charles Edwerd. He says: — " We were coming along under easy steam againßt the tide, not doing more than four or five knots, and had got to the narrowest part of the Pass. The night was rather thick, and the moon was not yet up: ■we could just make out the rocks ' t on the starboard, but could see only a very little distance ahead, owing to the gloom and the point of the reef shutting out any view of the clear way. Captain Whitwell was on the bridge, and several of the passengers who did not care to turn in. Suddenly we saw close ahead the lights of a steamer bearing full down upon us, stem on, and coiniDg with the full force of the tide. There was instant terror among us. But Capt. Whitwell never for a moment lost his nerve. His instant command 'Stop her/ and the as ready response of the engineer in charge saved us. The Charlie, checked in her course, drifted, and then swang half round with the tide, her nose grazing the rocks, and the Waitaki, for it proved to be that vessel, unable to cheek her way, swept past our stern so closely that those on board might have jumped from tbe deck of one vessel to another. It was all over in a few seconds, but the escape was most providential. A less careful look out or an instant's hesitation on the part of our skipper, when the' lights of the Waitaki suddenly showed up, and there would have beon but few, if any, left to tell the tale. Capt. Whitwell, one of the coolest and most nndermonstrative of men under ordinary circumstances, gave vent to a little pardonable excitement the moment the danger was over. We were all very much scared, and ■were heartily glad when we had got out of the Pass into freer waler. There waa no blame to be attached to any one. But the incident shows what may possible happen to vessels making the passage during the night time." We have obtained the following precise particulars fron Captain Whitwell : — The Bteamer Charles Edward entered the French pass about 11 o'clock on Thursday night, and was proceeding under easy steam when the lights of a steamer, which had been shut outby the point, were discerned about three ships' lengths ahead, and coming down afc full speed with the strong tide. The Charles Edward was immediately stopped, and allowed to drift astern with the tide, and as soon as she was clear of the reef went ahead into the westward of the reef, and allowed the Waitaki to pass. I in — — — — «m i