THE SHIPWRECK.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1922, Page 5

THE SHIPWRECK.

STORY OF THE CAPTAIN,

SKILFUL RESCUE WiORK.

DRAGGED THROUGH THE WATER. DARKNESS AND RAGING SEA. —i-j By Telegraph. —Pres« Association Auckland, Last Night. The cruiser Melbourne arrived here to-night with the passengers and crew of the American schooner Helen B. Sterling. The captain of the schooner states they. experienced fine weather till Saturday, when a heavy south-easterly sprang up, with a high sea. The ship shortened down, double reefed and hove to. At 5 a.m. on Sunday the main mast was carried away. Fortunately the wireless was attached to the foremast and the jigger mast, the other two masts being shorter, and the aeria? was not damaged.

Heavy seas caused the schooner to leak on the decks and topsides and seas constantly breaking on board prevented the crew working the pumps, which are on the main deck. The casualties reported previously consist only of minor cuts and bruises.

After pouring oil on the water the cruiser’s cutter was launched with Commander Ward Hunt in charge, with 14 men. When near the schooner the latter threw a line, whereby with a breeches buoy all were transferred, being dragged through the water for 60 feet in the darkness and in a raging sea. The task was one of the greatest difficulty and its success is attributed largely to the commander’s skilful judgment.

SCHOONER ABANDONED.

MESSAGE FROM THE ADMIRAL. Auckland, Jan. 24. The following message from Admiral Dumaresque was received by the Chatham from the Melbourne: “Schooner Helen B. Sterling leaking badly, abandoned at 6 .a.m. to-day. Position 30 degrees 55 minutes south, 168 degrees 50 minutes east, drifting south-west at about one knot. She was deep in water and was considered by the roaster and officers as likely to sink in a few hours in the prevailing weather. In calm weather she might float for some time- The ship was upright and three masts were standing. Master and crew, two wives and one child, proceeding to Auckland in the Melbourne, and are well.”

A HEAVY LOSS.

VESSEL AND CARGO UNINSURED. By Telesraph.—Press Assn. —Conyright. Sydney. Jan. 24. The owner of the Helen i>. Sterling states that she carried a cargo of 2500 tons of coal. Neither vessel nor cargo was insured, and the estimated loss is £53,000.

Just before her departure she was docked and thoroughly overhauled. The owner regards the loss as unaccountable.

The news of the rescue of the crew relieved widespread gloomy forebodings.

DETAILS OF H.B. STERLING. PREVIOUS STORMY PASSAGE. The Helen B. Sterling is a wooden four-masted schooner of 1608 tons. She was built in 1917 at Seattle, Washington, by the Washington Shipping Corporation. She was' formerly the auxiliary schooner Tacoma, and was renamed when she was purchased early in 1920 by Captain E. R. Sterling, owner of the six-masted barquentine bearing his name. She visited Auckland on three occasions, when she brought cargoes of coal and hardwood from Newcastle to that port. While en route from Newcastle to Auckland in June, 1920, the schooner experienced a very stormy passage. Shortly after leavi. / Newcastle she ran into a howling northerly gale. The wind blew with hurricane force, resuming in the outer jib and the mizzen being blown away. Huge seas broke on board, and washed away a portion of the deck cargo, consisting of sawn oak limber. One of the used for battening down the main hatch was also washed overboard. The gale continued, and then fell away to a dead calm. Three days after another northerly gale was encountered. On this occasion the tarpaulins covering Nos. 1 and 2 hatches were carried overboard, as was also the remaining fore-and-after on the main hatch. The schooner was tossed about in an alarming manner, the continuous pounding against the heavy sea splitting the jib-boom. The conditions were so bad that the vessel had to heave-tw until the gale moderated.