The Steamer Timaru.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7927, 16 September 1905, Page 3

The Steamer Timaru.

A SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE. WOLLONGONG, Aug. 31. A tremendous sea was running along the coast last night and today, the stand-off signals were up. warning v.-ssels to keep away from the land. At Port Kembla the breakwater presented a magnificent sight, huge rollers breaking clean over it, and in consequence operations had to be suspended at the harbour works. The collier Timaru hod a sensational experience in Wollongong liarhour early this morning. There |was a terrible strong range, and about three a.m. the vessel snapped all her ropes and got adrift. She first bumped into the coal chutes on the port side, smashing the captain's bridge, and carrying away all the ropes and rigging on that side. As it was pitch dark, the vessel was in a terrible plight, ami before very long she had drifted right round thcljend of the harbour, ami was facing the open sea. Things at this juncture had become so critical that the captain had almost decided to scuttle the vessel, as was done with the collier Mount Kembljt some years ago under similar circumstances, when. the Timaru started to go back again. Meantime the pilots' skiff, with two sailors, in Irving to take a fresh hawcr out. capsi/ed. precipitating the men into the harbour, but they were got on board without serious injury. After hours of suspense daylight broke, and the captain had a better opportunity ol berthing his vessel. This was done on tin - opposite shie of the harbour. In coming up to the wall, so great was the toll in the harbour that the steamer buuipitl heavily, sustaining a big dent in her plates on Hie starboard side of the stem. What made the task of gvtting the steamer alongside so difficult was that the stirring gear had become unworkable through the 'knocking 1 about that the vessel had received. This afternoon the steamer was held fast by the head wilh lines from the local pilot station, and her propeller *a3 'kept going to keep tho lines taut, so as to save them from snappins-