VESSEL RUN DOWN AT ANCHOR. ALL HANDS SAVED. SHIPPING DISASTER.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 384, 13 July 1889, Page 6

VESSEL RUN DOWN AT ANCHOR. ALL HANDS SAVED.

SHIPPING DISASTER.

Oxi: of the most; sudden disasters recorded in the shipping annals of Melbourne occurred on the night of the 23rd, off Wi*" liarnstown, and resulted in the instant sinking of a fine large vessel. Fortunately, all hands were able to get away with their lives, but no more in the way of clothing and property than what they had on them at the moment. The ship Cape Verde, a fine-looking vessel of 1,711 tons register, and kept in the very best 01 dor, arrived from London on the 22nd. The vessel brought up at the outer anchorage in consequence of having a large quantity of gunpowder and other explosive material on board. On the night ot the 23rd, just after tea, all hands were taking it easy on board the Cape Verde, little thinking ot danger. The ship's company numbers 33 all toicl. Most of the crew were lounging about in thenquarters, the captain sat in his cabin in slippers and smoking cap, and the chief officer was on deck in charge of the anchor watch. There was a bright riding "light forward and a red light aft. About 300 yards further ouo than the Cape Verde was the Falls of Foyers, and both vessels were heading up to the wind, blowing about N. W. off the lana. Suddenly a laige ship, the lolanthe, made her appearance acioss the bows of the Falls of Foyers, running at about 8 knots on a lively breeze, and bore down light on the Cape Verde, tier course shaped straight for the bow of the anchored vessel, but she seems' to have paid off a» soon as she passed the Falls of Foyers so as to get past the Cape Verde's stern. It was v -tqo late, however, and sh© crashed into the after part of die Cape Verde with a crash iike a thunderclap. Those on board the Cape Verde saw the danger coming, and with a natural impulse shouted out to the lolanthe to put her helm up, but there was not room then to alter the lolanthe's course enough. The spars of the vessels first locked and tore through each other, and then the stern of the lolanthe cut into the side of the Cape Verde. The grinding of the iron hullo struck out a shower of sparks some feet high, and the Cape Verde staggered under the blow. Then the Cape Verde gave a great lurch, and the lolanthe passed on her way and anchored some hundreds of yards distant. The crew of the Cape Verde started lo cut the boats loose, but there was not time to finish it, an'd they had to take to the rigging. The boats went adrift when the vessel sank. While the vessel was settling down she heeled to one side and then the othei, and the crew did not know whether she would stand up, but she soon righted, and they were able to keep their places, About half an hour was passed in the rigging, and the crew was finally mustered on the deck of the Falls of Foyers, with none missing. They were taken ashore in the Customs launch. By good fortune the lolanthe cleared the gunpowder cargo of the Cape Verde, or a fearful explosion might have completed the disaster. The lolanthe is a full-rigged ship of 1593 tons, commanded by Captain Stanto, and consigne to Messrsd James Service and Co. Her hull and spars have suffered considerably, and she is reported to be taking in water. She was under the charge of Pilot GafFord afc the time of the collision. A hasty survey of the lolanthe showed that she had sustained considerable damage in the collision. The chief effects of the crash were visible on the port bow, abreast of the port anchor, where a large hole, three feet or four feet in diameter, was stove completely in. On the starboard bow a somewhat smaller hole was broken, and on both sides the plates were started for a considerable distance aft. A signal proof of the terrific violence of the contact was afforded by the remains of the port anchor, which is cut off clean about 'the centre of the stock, leaving the shank still hanging to the chain. Aloft, much injury was done to the spars. The Cape Verde had a full cargo, all consigned to Melbourne. Had the lolanohe struck twenty feet further- forward she would have gone right into 120 tons of gunpowder and exploded it, and all the ships in the Bay would hare fell the explosion.

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