THE DISASTER TO THE KILLOCHAN. ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 283, 21 July 1888, Page 4

THE DISASTER TO THE KILLOCHAN. ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

Messrs T. and S. Mobbin and Co., agents for the ship Killochan, which put into Melbourne in a disabled state last week, have received a letter from Captain Manson. He states that the ship was so much disabled that he had no option but to avail himself of tug assistance when yet a long way off Port Phillip Heads. The expense of this and the repairs of the ship will necessitate a general average being struck on the cargo. This will be done in Melbourne, and the apportioning of it here. We have to thank the agents for the following report by Capt. Manson :— The Killochan is an iron ship of handsome lines, 1,300 tons, built in 1874 by McMillan, of Dumbarton. She has been constructed specially strong, Lloyd's regulations being exceeded, and, probably, to this unfortunate circumstance is due her survival of the rough treatment she has undergone. She is owned by Mr John Kerr, of Greenock. The Killochan sailed from London on the 8th April, with a full general cargo, including 500 tons of iron pipes, bound for Auckland, New Zealand. During the passage along the channel there were light winds. After some contrary winds The Lizard was passed on the 14th April. From thence to the equator the winds were generally W. The equator was passed on 7th of May, long. 26.26deg. W. Favourable winds were encountered across the S.E. trades, and round the Cape of Good Hope. The meridian of the Cape of Good Hope was passed on the 29th May in 41deg. 17min. S. The fine weather continued until the 6th June in 45deg. 30min. S. and 61deg E., when the troubles of the Killochan commenced. On that date she was struck by a squall from the N. W. of extraordinary fierceness. At the same time there was a heavy sea coining up from another direction. The Killochan, although an admirable sea boat, is one of those vessels known in nautical language as being "stiff." This peculiarity, together with the opposing sea, prevented her from giving to the force of the squall. The consequence was that the massive foreyard of hollow iron, 12in. in diameter, and weighing about 4 tons, snapped off across the mast. One piece fell to the deck with a crash, but the broken end of the other hung aloft, letting the point fall on to the rail. In that position it was lashed, and so retained for the remainder of the voyage. With the foreyard went the foresail, two foretopsails, foretopmast staysail, the inner jib, and lower mizzen topsail. The loss of the use of the foresail alone through this mishap seriously impeded the navigation of the ship, but was a mere trifle compared with what subsequently happened. During the four succeeding days easy weather and sea prevailed, but on the morning of the 11th of June, in 45.3deg. S., 74.6 E., a tremendous sea arose, with scarcely any wind. The ship laboured and rolled altogether in a phenomenal manner, but nothing untoward occurred until about 8 a.m., when the crowning disaster of the voyage happened. The principal portion of the watch had been aloft making things right, and there was a good spread of canvas out. Shortly after the hands returned on deck some matter aloft required further attention. Mr Smith, the chief officer, desired one of the apprentices named Lachlan McLean to go up and see to it. The lad ascended, and had been there only a few minutes when the ship gave a fearful lurch. McLean was on the maintopmast at the time. So violent was the roll that the maintopmast was snapped clean off at the cap. The mizzen-topgallantmast also broke off. With these there came down maintopmast, maintopgallantmast, main royal, and skysail masts, mizzen royal together with upper and lower maintopsail yards, maintopgallant royal, and main sky-yards, and mizzen topgallant and royal yards. All the sails and gear belonging to these were sacrificed. The whole mass then having got loose went over the side into the sea and on to the deck, Mr Smith and several of the crew narrowly escaping being crushed by the falling wreckage. The saddest part of all was that McLean went over with the debris and was never seen again. It is believed that he must have been killed and entangled in the gear before touching the water. However, no time could be lost looking after him, for putting out a boat would have been madness in such a sea, and all hands had to strain every effort to save the ship, heavy pieces of spars being left hanging against the side of the hull, and striking it with such violence as to endanger the general safety. What was left hanging was cut adrift, fortunately just in time, for a strong wind sprang up. Young McLean was 17 years of age. He was an apprentice on his first voyage, and a native of Campbeltown, Argyleshire, where his parents reside. After the disaster a thick fall of snow took place, lasting six hours, the like of which Captain Manson, who has been about the Cape for thirty years past, states he never before witnessed in that part. While it lasted, one end of the vessel was not visible from the other. What sails were not entirely carried away were reduced to rags by pieces of spars falling through them, but ragged as they were, they had to be used temporarily as they stood, for the wind freshened up from the S.S.W. Under these the vessel staggered along in a stupendous sea, which continually tumbled in, and the ship rolled in a manner distressing and inexplicable to all on board. Although she has uncommonly high bulwarks, she would roll one rail under and take in water, then roll the other under and take in water again. The starboard boat on the forward skids was smashed. A solid sea came on, and striking the boat downwards, demolished it. A man was nearly taken over by the same sea. The starboard boat on the aft skids was damaged. The 12th and 13th June were spent in reefing new gear and bending sails. A spare foresail was used for a mainsail, a new upper foretopsail for foretopgallent sail, and a mizzen lower topsail was made out of a spare main topsail. A jib and mizzen topsail were also somehow produced by exercise of some skill and ingenuity. These were got in order and the vessel made good progres, but the excessive rolling and heavy sea never left the sorely-tired crew. When the vessel had thus been got a bit ship-shape Captain Manson took his position into serious consideration. He was out in the Indian Ocean, desperately crippled, with no spare sails, and all hands worn out with excessive toil, and he yet had to make the coast of New Zealand. He decided that to do so with every mast disabled, whereby navigation of the ship was rendered risky even under favourable circumstances, would be incurring a danger which he would not be justified in facing. He therefore resolved to shape a course for the port that would be most accessible for his disabled condition. This was Melbourne, and he bore away accordingly, for the purpose of repairing damages. To the meridian of Cape Leuwin, which was passed in 42deg. S., the weather was peculiar— blowing hard for two days, and the two succeeding days almost calm, but with a tremendous sea. Off Cape Leuwin a

heavy southerly gale set in, lasting the 26th, 27th, and part of the 28th of June, during which the vessel was hove to. Had everything been right aloft, heaving to would not have been necessary. On the gale easing down, the Killochan was kept away again, and fair winds with heavy rain were encountered to Cape Otway, on midday Sunday, when assistance was signalled for. Having signalled, Captain Manson had to stand away from the land, but he would have liked to have sought its shelter, if there had been any guide. He considers that there ought to be a small light between the Heads and Cape Otway, a distance of 60 miles. Failing that, he had to make for Cape Schanck light, and keep it in view until picked up. Although having been so severely knocked about, the Killochan accomplished a fair average voyage from the Lizard to the Heads of 86 days. She covered 3,000 miles after being dismasted, and several days after the disaster she averaged 10 knots per hour. The crew of the Killochan are every one British subjects, five being coloured men (British West Indians), and Captain Manson says that their conduct throughout the prolonged ordeal which they have undergone has been splendid. The Killochan was taken in tow by a tugboat about 30 miles off Port Phillip Heads, and safely towed into port. When picked up, the ship was in a truly lamentable condition. She had a perfectly wrecked appearance aloft, and was crippled in every mast. There was nothing but the stump of the mainmast left, and on this one sail was set. The top of the mizzenmast had been snapped off, and one sail was set on what was left upright. The foremast itself was left intact, but it was. of little use, owing to the ponderous foreyard having been snapped across the middle. One half had evidently come down bodily, the broken end of the other half still being aloft, the other end resting on the rail where it had been firmly lashed. The repairs to the ship will all be done in Melbourne, and it may be a month before she leaves for Auckland.