ILL-STARRED SHIP?

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1022, 12 July 1930, Page 10

ILL-STARRED SHIP?

FREAKISH BEULAH IN TROUBLE AGAIN AUCKLAND VISIT RECALLED j An ill-star seems to follow in the wake of the American motorvessel Beulah, an unusual craft that visited Auckland in December last. It will be recalled that recent cables reported how, when three days out from San Francisco and bound for Samoa, the vessel encountered very stdrmy conditions, which caused herj to stand on her beam ends for more than a quarter of an hour, first to port and then to starboard. So great was the alarm aboard that a section of the crew rushed to the lifeboats and eventually the larger part of her deck j cargo had to be jettisoned before she j righted herself. The vessel finally j reached Apia, where she was surveyed by Lloyd’s representatives, and discharged a quantity of cargo. The Beulah then proceeded to Townsville (Queensland) to put out further cargo, and she met with more boisterous weather on the way, which gave her a severe buffeting. Latest advices state that from Townsville the ship sailed for Port Moresby (British New Guinea), and made that port on Saturday, June 21. She anchored In the stream as there was no berth available at. the time. Early on the following Tuesday morning she left her anchorage for the wharf, and in berthing she fouled her anchors. The vessel then drew away from the wharf in order to clear the anchors, when one engine, which had been giving trouble, cut out. This made steering difficult, and she made a wide sweep out into the harbour in an easterly direction. At this end of the harbour, which is seldom used, there are a few isolated patches of reef, and the Beulah struck one of these at about 8.30 a.m.. and could not get off. The master awaited the high tide at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, when, with the aid of kedges and the assistance of the Government yacht Laurabada, the vessel was refloated successfully and berthed at the wharf. It is understood that she suffered no material damage. A CHEQUERED CAREER The Beulah has had a chequered career. Built at Fevlg, in Norway, she was launched in 1917 and was originally intended to be a four-masted auxiliary schooner. In those days that type of ship was considered to be the coming thing in cargo carriers However, her owners went bankrupt and she was towed to Laugesuud, where she remained in an unfinished state till 1923, when the bank which had been financing the building of the vessel fitted her with oil engines, making her a full powered motorship. She was named the Heireu and filled many roles in the next few years. In succession she traded Baltic countries and Great Britain, acted as tender to a whaler opei'ating on the coasts of lower California and Mexico, ran in the service of the Mexican Government as a coastal trader, plied between the Pacific Slope and Papeete for five years, and now runs out of San Francisco to the Pacific islands and Australia with general cargoes, returning with copra.

She is a queer-looking vessel, and was the object of some interest when she visited jhis port. Most noticeable is her bow. Originally intended to be of the graceful clipper design, the attractive flare was shorn off abruptly at about half-way when the scheme of making her a schooner was aband oned, and an ugly, thick, short bowsprit was fitted. Her four pipes, sticking up at various angels, also serve to increase her rakish appearance. They consist of two exhaust pipes, one from each engine, a tin “chimney” from the galley and another from the donkey boiler. Waterfront opinion dubbed the vessel an out-and-out freak.

She is a twin-screw ship of 1,389 tons gross register and files the flag of the Republic of Panama.