BLOWN NEAR A REEF.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1920, Page 8

BLOWN NEAR A REEF.

SMALL STEAMER IN DANGER. By Telesraph.—Press AssaCopjrlcht. Wellington, April 12. The little coastal vessel Koutomii met the full force of the recent southerly gale when bound from Wellington to Hast Coast stations. The Koutomii met the storm ut 3 a.m. on Thursday off Caiie Palliser, and the skipper decided to endeavor to return to port, but the heavy hawser on the forecastle head was war,lied over the side and 'became entangled with the port propellor, causing great trouble. Two anchors were run out, and, facing the storm, the vessel went full speed ahead. Meanwhile the Koutomii commence l ! to drag shorewards, and at one time was within a stone's throw of the reft. Heavy seas were shipped, stoving in the door of the crew's mess-room and shattering the wooden bulkhead of the saloon. The invading seas broke the partition between the saloon and the space overlooking the stokehold. The result was that the water flooded 'the stokehold till level with the stokehold plates. The aperture of the pumps down below became jambed with' debris, but was ultimately cleaned out and a portion of the hawser cut away, but this did not free the propellor. The. port anchor cabl;: parted, but the weather improving, the Koutomii was able to steam out to sea at half a knot an hour until, it 8 a.m. on Saturday, she was 20 miles oil' the land. .The gale having moderated, the vessel was then enabled to come into port.