HURRICANE AT THE SOLOMON GROUP. The Schooner Lizzie in a Storm. A Rough Experience.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 334, 16 January 1889, Page 6

HURRICANE AT THE SOLOMON GROUP. The Schooner Lizzie in a Storm. A Rough Experience.

The schooner Albatross, which arrived ab j Sydney on tho ;3rd insfc. from the Solomon Group, brought nows that a severe humcano swept over the eastern portion of the j island about) the middle of November, and did considerable damage. The storm came up with remarkablo rapidity, and within 24 hours houses on the island were destroyed and plantations totally wrecked, ! Llie trees being torn up by the roots and carried miles inland by tho force of the wind. The native inhabitants of tho island wore forced to take shelter in the valley for 24 hours, by which timo the storm had blown itselt out. The natives reported that the galo was very sovere while it lusted. No vessels had been driven ashore in the storm, bub some anxiety was being* folt lor tho safety of the trading vessels in tho group. The first news of the hurricane was brought to Howlah, on tho Guadalcanar coast, by the island trader Lizzie, which vossol had the misfortune fco' c meot with its fuU force. She was on her voyage from Sydney to the. Solomon Group at the time, having on board, besides a crew of eight, a Mrs McDonald as passenger. Tho Lizzie fell in with the storm between 200 and 3CO miles from San Christoval, and would undoubtedly have foundered had it not been for the good seamanship displayed by Captain Cable and his crew. Cautain Cable had everything mado snug for tho storm, and when subsequently the vessel was thrown on her bo^m ends and in great danger of foundering ho \ery prudently had the masts cub away and thereby saved the vessel, which, in her crippled condition, was safely navigated into Howlah and there condemned. Captain Cable gives tho following account of his perilous voyage :: — 1% On Vvednehdny, November 7th, left Sydney. Experienced light variable winds and fine weather to lab. 26deg. south. There the vessel got the bouth-easfc trade winds?, and carried thorn strong to lab. 16dog. south, long. 162d0g. 30min. east. At noon November 21sb the trouble began. The wind hauled to the eastward and incensed to a galo by midnight. Ab noon November 22nd it was blowing a strong gale from the north-east, with a high cross sea from northwest, the barometer registering 29deg. 60min. and falling, with eveiy appearance of bad weather. At 3 p.m. the barometer was at 29deg. 50min., and, the wind increasing, took in all sail and set the stormtrysail, tho vessel being on tho starboard tack and heading noith-wesb, with the wind at north-north-east. At 4 p.m. the baiometer was at 29deg. 30min,, wind raging from north-north-east to north and blowing a hurricane, with a high cross-sea, the vessel lurching and Inborn ing very heavily and taking much water on deck. At 6 p.m. the barometer was ab 29dcg. , the wind blowing furiously, with heavy rain and n high, con fused sea. At 8 p.m. the barometer was ab 28deg. 80min., and the wind blowing with terrific force. The storm -trysail was blown to pieces, and the ves-sel falling off the wind was thrown on her beam ends and labouring fearfully. Being now in danger of foundering, her foretopmast wa-j cut away to relieve the vessel. It took with it the nniintonmncl. mul He l»ooj.»i anA f«».aiy<rvofc nead! ay the eyes of the rigging. The vessel righted, but continued to labour fearfully. Ab 10 p.m. barometer was at 29deg., and the wind shifted from north-north east to east. It afterwards veered to south, and blew with thesnme or greater force. Ab 10.30 the barometer was at 29'30deg. , and rising rapidly. Ib was now blowing fearfully, and vessel being completely under waber and labouring very heavily. At midnight sbill blowing with greab force, barometer at 29 - 50deg., wind south, heavy rain and very vivid lightning. At 4 a.m., barometer 29 80, similar weather ; 5 a.m., barometer 29*90, wind moderating fast; at 8 am. baiometer 30deg., blowing a moderate gale. Tho wreckage ha.s been cleared and vessel pumped out, she hating leaked considerably. At noon on the 23rd, with a steady strong breeze from the south, made all available sail and proceeded toward the Solomon Islands. With favourable winds the vessel arrived at Howiah on Saturday, December I.'" The Lizzie on arrival at Howlah was surveyed by Captain -J Le Blanq. Rosin and Craig, and condemned, f Her injuries weie found bo be of such u nature as to render her totally unseaworthj. Captain Cable and the remainder of the crew returned to Sydney by the Albatross. The Lizzie is a schooner of 223 tons. She was built ab Maine (U.i>.) in 1875, and belonsrrf to Messrs Kelly and Wilhams, Sydney. The vessel- is itsured in the South British Insurance Company. THE EMPIRE ROUT&TO THE EAST The leading shipbuilders in the country have just submitted to iho Canadian Pacific Company ofiers for the lonstrucbion of three large and speedy screw steamers for what is now known as the Empire route to the East via Canada. It is proposed, says "Engineering, " to end tho Atlantic journey at Halifax in the winter time jnd possibly Quebec in the summer season, and that thence the voyage will eros the continent on the Canadian Pacilic llaiiway to Vancouver, and from that point sal to Australia, China or Japan. Ibis for te Pacific route that the new., steamers are i tended. Much that is controversial Has een written on bbo 'various routes bo the Easb, and without desiring to erifcejT'inb this, controversy ib may be interesting tcfindicate briefly what is claimed for the E lpiie route, since it has in a measure breed itself before the engineering pubic. To bhe patriot the fact that he' dees not sight foreign land may be a consideration. The route follows practically j, circle of travels at latitudes -where degrees of longitude are shortest ; the seas ciAssed are cool— an advantage to/ the marhe engineer — and free from montoons and tropical cyclones, and 2,500 mild are overlind. With shorter soa passages, and coalfidas at or near Halifax, Vancouvt|*, and Sydjiey, less coals would be required ito bo cairied, and thus extra freight aoney recovered. With Halifax only 2|oo miles j from England, ib could le reached! in five days, and ib has! advantages over New York, as fchep are no shoals. The railway jofnoy, evenjthough bhe climate is very col, is rendered pleasarit by artificial heating &c, and ' again bhe Pacilic sea voyagc|s short. The voyage to Japan via Cauadfls about 9,250 miles, wheieas via Suez I is 13,750 inilos, and via the Cape 15,500j To Shanghai ib is 10,500 miles as compiled with 12,600 miles via Suez, 14,250 miles Sia tho Cape, and 16,000 A'ia Cape Horna Hongkong is about equi-disbant via Canal and Suez, 11,000 miles; 13,500 by bhe |pc, and 16,000 by Cape Horn. SydnY and Auckland are also the samodistancc|by the two steam routes (12,000 miled but the latter is only 11,500 miles by C»e Horn, and the former 12,750, and they -o 14,000 and 13,750 miles via the Cap< Singapore is 3,000 miles nearer Eng id by bno^Suez (9,500 miles) than by Can a, but Brisbane is 1,000 miles farther awa bhe Canadian route being 11,250 mile xgamsb 12,250 via Suez. It. is there-

fore pabenb that to Japan and Shanghai the •new route will be. the more suitable, and the question of the development of trade with these countries enters into the count. British trade with Japan" in a quarter of a century has improved fully 33 per cent., with Chili 25 per cent., and with Java and the Sbraits about 130 per cent. ; and looking to the prospect of Japan being opened up with railways and telegraphs there is every likelihood that trade may be further dcvelopod, In any case, both the Pacific companies seem to think &o, for not only do the Canadian Pacific Company intend building ut an oarly date, bufc the old Pacific Company are having a fast steamer built at the Fairfield yard on the Clyde and a couple of similar vessels at Philadelphia.