A CRUISER ON A REEF.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8848, 26 June 1907, Page 2

A CRUISER ON A REEF.

Press Association.—Copyright. Stdnet, June 25,

The cruiser Pyramus, with the Governor and a general party aboard, when returning from a visit to the Northern Territory, grounded at sea on a reef 14 miles from Flinders Island, near Cooktown, on Sunday morning. Tho steamer Tsinan came to her assistance and made two ineffectual attempts to tow her off. A further attempt' will bo made at spring tide tomorrow. Lord North cote and party were transferred to the Tsinan. It is reported that so far tlm cruiser is undamaged.

Further Details

Lieutenant Hurst was on the bridge all night and loft at 8 in the morning to have a bath. ■ The sea was smooth and the sun was bright. As the Pyraums approached the reef beacon the officer of the watch of his own volition ordered the helmsman to go to port, and the beacon was brought oil the' starboard bqw. The vessel was doing lo knots and leaped on to the coral reef. There was terrific grinding'and grating below, and as her waist took the weight she came to a gradual helpless standstill. Site has, as far as can be gathered, sustained no damage; she just ploughed a trough in the coral and lay there, with her bows in the air. Had the Pyramus run on to a rock reef instead of a great mass of rotten coral and sand she would have crumpled her bottom like so much egg-shell, but an examination of the cruiser showed that she was making no water. There was no big, shivering shook and no dislocation of anything aboard; she just'slipped up on to the coral afp} stayed there, the prow took* the matter with true naval coolness, and within a couple of minutes of fhe vessel strilfing every man was at his post, the watertight compartments closed down, and the boats manned, with all tiie precision of clockwork. People in the Pyrainns are pot disposed to talk much about the disr aster, but there are three outstanding facts. The Pyramus was two miles off the beaton track of merchantmen ; she had a sea reef beacon half a mile to starboard, when a similar distance on the other bow w'ould have given her deep water; and she actually climbed up in daylight on to a reef that was .only two or three feet under the surface of a very clean sea.