STRANDING OF THE S.S. AND A. COMPANY'S STEAMER TRIUMPH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1182, 4 December 1883, Page 1

STRANDING OF THE S.S. AND A. COMPANY'S STEAMER TRIUMPH.

Auckland,, Nov. 30. Shaw, Saville and Albion, direct steamer Triumph, which left for the South last night, was observed this morning hard and fast on Shearer Bock, about a mile east of Tiritiri lighthouse, at the entrance to Hauraki Gulf, 20 miles from Auckland. The rock has 2ft on it at low tide;' It is step and is marked by a buoy anchored in 15th fathoms of water. The Stella and other steamers have gone to render assistance. The Triumph struck onthesouthfeast side of Tiritiri, on the fair way for the lighthouse. She lies on the rocks at her foremost watertight compartment. There is twelve feet of water in the compartment. There is supposed to be a bole through her but this cannot be ascertained yet. It is believed she can be got off, having gone on four hours after ebb tide. She has seventeen fathoms astern, and the crew are now shifting the cargo aft in the hope that she will float. There Is seventeen feet of water abaft the forerigging, so she is hanging by her bow. It was a clear night, though dark. -The pilot left her outside Rangitoto at nine o'clock and gave the captain his course. The steamer was going eleven knot 3, and struck very heavily. No light has been thrown on the cause of the disaster, as her course should have taken her miles away from Tiritiri, and the lighthouse was right ahead of where she struck. The captain was on the bridge at the time. A vessel' has been chartered to go down and take off the cargo, which is comprised of railway iron from London for the south, and fourteen bales of wool, etc. Dec. 1. There is very little hope of getting the Triumph off, as she is expected to break in two. The officers are very reticent as to the cause of the disaster. Captain Brother ton says they went ashore at 10.50 p.m. ; the pilot had been discharged an hour before, having given the course. It must have been through some error or misunderstanding that the bungle occurred, for the captain states that he kept up to the Island ligtit on Tiritiri to get a straight run to .Cape Colville. immediately she struck an attempt was made to back the ship; off, As to who gave the order for this there are conflicting statements. The engineer says he felt the ship strike and he reversed the engines without orders;, the second mate saya she was being backed astern when Bhe struck ; and the captain says he was going full speed ahead—that is, eleven knots an hour—and this seems the most likely story, from the fact of the vessel having gone so far on the reef as to remain swinging just under her foremast, or probably more than Bixty feet from her bows. The captain apparently took most prompt action to get the ship off. Some 300 tons Of; ballast were pumped out of her forward compartments, and an anchor got out aft, ' Bockets were sent up at frequent intervals and guns fired, but tUo former were not seen, and the latter not heard until daybreak. Meanwhile it had been found the ship was making water in the forehold, and the crew were set to shift the cargo, and they worked well until .worn, out. A large quanti'y was saved, but the water rose to a height of lift in the compartment, although eDgines were kept'working, and the men were manifestly fagged out when the Stella arrived. , ; 'Dec 2. On Sunday morning .at 7.30 o'clock, the steamers Waitaki, Glenelg, lona and Argyle, which had been;, by the vessel all night, made a united effort to tow the big steamer off the reef, but after an hour's trial the attempt had to be abandoned as unsuccessful.! It has been decided to fill the after part of the vessel with ballast, take out all cargo, etc., from the fore part and then make another effort to tow the vessel off. [The Triumph was built in 1880, by Clayton, Dixon and Co., ort the Tees. Her dimensions are length—3soft, beam 36ft 2in, depth of hold 27ft, registered tonnage 1797 tons, but she is capable of carrying 2997 tons; Her engines were manufactured at the workshops of Blair, Stockton-on-Tees and are compound on the direct action vertical inverted principle. The nominal horse-power ia 400, and the actual 2000. Her hull has a full and heavy appearance, she having been built with the main object of being a large cargo carrier. Her saloon accommodation ia small. She is schooner rigged with double topsail yards. She is fitted with both hand and steam steering apparatus, is divided into six watertight compart, ments, and provision is made for 500 toni water ballast. There is a large refrigerator aboard.]