In a Hurricane. NARROW ESCAPE FROM SHIPWRECK. THRILLING EXPERIENCES,

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 242, 18 February 1888, Page 4 (Supplement)

In a Hurricane. NARROW ESCAPE FROM SHIPWRECK. THRILLING EXPERIENCES,

On the 3rd inst., the Dutch ship Noach 111. put into Port <Jack6on in a leaking condition. The vessel arrived in Melbourne a short time Ago from Java with a cargo of sugar, which she put out there' and proceeded thence to Newcastle. At the latter port she shipped a full cargo of coal, and on the 9th of January the Noach 111. took her departure for Batavia. All went well until the vessel was about to round to the southward of Tasmania, when adverse winds were met with. Upon January 13 the wind commenced to blow hard, and a very heavy gale pet in, which lasted, withoccasional lujls, for a fortnight. The wind came away from the W., S.W., andN.W.,and blew terrifically* bringing along a tremendous sea, ' in which the ship laboured and strained heavily. At times the vessel was struck unmercifully by heavy squalls, which caused the ship to bury her lee rail, and consequently large quantities of water found their way on board. Shortly after the commencement of thia heavy weather it was found that the vessel had sprung a leak, and that water was making very,, fast in the hold. The crew and officer's 1 worked at fche pumps, manfully and continually -day and nifht, "'and endeavoured' to f ke*p-t»h'e water down* but the task was nob by any. means an easy one, for they were constantly washed along the deck, but fortunately nothing but bruises resulted. It was found that two of the bobBtayB had carried away, and in one sase the two- inch iron pin which went through the cutwater had broken short off, and water was making very fast in that particular place. In order to stop the leak, oil was placed over the bows of the vessel, one of the seamen was let down by a rope, and, at considerable risk, the hole was plugged. The storm continued with unabated fury. A portion of the bulwarks was store in. The bobstays having parted, allowed the bowsprit to have a little play, and necessarily the whole of the rigging became loosened. .. The fore lower topsail was 1 blown to ribbons. . Another pne njas, got on the ship, but soon shared the same fate, and the only sail that stood to the vessel washer main lower topsail. Theouly serious accident which occurred waa that to the carpenter, who fell from the foreyard to the deck, and br6ke his arm and grazed his head. The carpenter, with three others, was engaged in repairing the sling of the foreyard, which had got adrift, when the ship gave a heavy lurch and a portion of the fore-port rattling carried away and the c*rpent©r mined hi* hbld and fell In tbi*.l*m he? Btwwkrtoe/Mock of th» fore lift , -and alighted on the deck, »ft>w inches forward of the anchor lashed to the for* mass, on hi* feet. Had he struck the lake of the anchor, death must have ensued ; roughly speaking the fall must hart been at ,leMt 40ft, and hit escape u considered littie^fhwrt of ; miraculous. , Several of the crew are now invalided and unable to^rork. (The captain and chief ! officer state that they never in the course of a number of years! experience of sea life witnessed such terrible seas, which seemed to come from all quarters; at the satrie .time. It is not thought , that . the Notch IJI. is mailingmuch water below her water, line-; *bat that the water has riot got below i>y rwsoti : of the Continued labouring ahdattaimrig of the vessel. „ '"■ •-