TOOK TO THE BOATS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 999, 16 June 1930, Page 9

TOOK TO THE BOATS

CREW OF BEULAH HAS PERILOUS JOURNEY ARRIVAL IN AUSTRALIA Reed. 11.5 a.m. BRISBANE, Today. A perilous voyage was completed when the motor-ship Beulah arrived at Townsville from San Francisco. Once the crew took to the lifeboats, but boarded the vessel again. It is recalled that details of her predicament when the deck cargo had to be jettisoned were transmitted from Apia on May 17. Standing on beam-ends for 15 minutes, the decks lashed by heavy seas, the motor-vessel Beulah had a close call from disaster when a few days out from San Francisco on its way to Apia. Samoa. The deck cargo of motor-cars was sacrificed and the safety of the ship was then menaced by the danger of explosion from floating drums of oil. The captain told a dramatic story at Apia on May 15. Through the night of April 24 the Beulah wallowed in the swell, which at daylight became worse. At 7 a.m. there came a crash. The Beulah was riding on the top of the swell. Suddenly the deck cargo was shifted, with a smashing, crunching noise, to port. When the Beulah showed no signs of righting, a section of the crew became alarmed, and rushed to the lifeboats. The engines were slowed, and quick work followed. The engineer, Mr. Bromberg, with a hack-saw cut the steel lashings, and released the cargo. The cars sank rapidly. The oil drums and a ship’s boat were carried away with them, and floated and drifted. Relieved of the weight, the Beulah slowly rose but immediately listed to starboard, and lay in a critical position. The crew feared that the cargo below had shifted, and there were several minutes of suspense. However, she gave a favourable move and was righted.