A SENSATIONAL VOYAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8124, 23 April 1906, Page 7

A SENSATIONAL VOYAGE.

EXPERIENCES OF THE BARQUE CASABLANCA. The anxiety regarding the Bafety of the barque Casablanaa, bound from Auckland to the Bluff, was aet at reat on Thursday morning by a message from the lightkeeper at Tiritiri, that tbe vessel was passing in from the north. The tugooafc Durham was immediately despatched to tow tbe barque into Auckland, and she was anchored in the stream late on Thursday night. The barque, it will be remembered put into Auckland in February iast •whilst bound from Maiden Island to the Bluff, with a cargo of guano, the reason of her calling in being that she ba3 ruu short of" provisions and water. These being replenished, the barque sailed for her destination on February 27th, having been in the meantime purchased by Captain "W. H. Heays, of the barque Zelateur, and other parties in Auckland, delivery of the ve3sel having to be made to the Bluff, whither Captain Heays proceeded some weeks since to take tbe vessel over. As the days lengthened, and there was still no sign of the vessel at the Bluff, those interested naturally became anxious and various surmises were made as to the reason of the barque making such a long passage. A vessel wbioh was supposed to be the Casablanca was sighted off the Nuggets, Otago, several weeks ago wnioh was the last beard of her until last Thursday, whea the above message from Tiritiri was received. Seen by a New Zealand Herald reporter, Captain Mutoh, the master of the vessel said: "Tbe Casablanca sailed from Auckland on February, 27, and met with ordinary weather until off Uape Turnagain, East Coast, on March Bfch. The wind was then from the southwest, and steadily increased until it was blowing a gale. Sail was reduced, the vessel standing to the south-west. "On tbe following day the gale still further increased in force, and the vessel was hove-to under lower topsails and mizzenstaysails. The gale was accompanied Bi TREMENDOUS SEAS, which continually broke .on board. "At four p.m., while some of tbo orew were engaged in taking in sail, a terrible sea broke on board, smashing the boat skins, and damaging two of tbe boats. Suddenly THE 0«r OF 'MAN OVERBOARD,' x was raised, when it was fouud that Mr Watson, the seoond mate was missing. Captain Mutch, who was below at the time immediately came on deck, and threw a lifebuoy overboard, followed by a rope. "Mr Watson, wno was clad in his oilskins at the time, fortunately gasped tbe rope, and was hauled on board. "Three of the sailors were also caught by the same sea and washed along the deck, and injured. T. Curtis, A.8., had the sinews of both legs strained besides receiving a number of other injuiies. Buokham and Miller, tbe two othere, came off with minor injuries. This gale lasted for 24 hours, during all of which time tbe vessel wag hove-to, making very bad weather of it, tbe decks being constantly flooded. On the gale moderating a spell of tine weather set in and carried the vessel down as far as tbe Nuggets, about 60 miles from the Bluff. This wes on March 23rd. It was dark when Cape Saunders was reached, i "The vessel remained in the offing all night, and at three a.m. tbe next day a gale from the south-south-west sprang up. This was the most severe experience during tbe passage. The GALE LASTED FOR three and a half days, during which time she rolled and laboured fear* fully, and at times it was feared that she would roll the' masts oat of her. After being hove-to for six hours the captain decided, for the safety of the crew, to run before tbe gale, as owing to the fearful weather prevailing be thought that the vessel would founder, her decks being filled with the heavy seas all the timejj 'The barque ran up as far as Lyttelton under very small sail, and got under the lee of Banks' Peninsula. "The barque hung on under the peninsula, but was blown off tbe land bj tbe gal*, wbioh was still blowing with hurricane force. Tbe baique was put before it, and was in greaj; danger of foundering from tbe heavy seas which broke on board. "Palliser was sighted after a run of twelve hours, but tbe weather was still too bad to make an attempt to reaob Wellington. "On March 29th, when we were a little to tbe southward of Hawke's Bay, the vessel struck some floating wreckage, which started some of tbe plates in the bows, causing the vessel to leak. A great deal of water found its way into the forehold, saturating the cargo, and causing tbe vessel to settle down by tbe head. On tbe pumps being sounded, three inches of water was found in the well. "Off Hawke's Bay the weather moderated. On April 2nd, when in tbe latitude of the East Cape, and well off the land, the cale, which had been accompanied by heavy rain and violent bail squalls, gave out. "When reaching the position off the East Cape, it was deoided to return to Auckland."