A BARQUE IN DISTRESS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8249, 2 October 1906, Page 5

A BARQUE IN DISTRESS.

AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE. VESSEL DRIFTING TOWARDS THE ROOKS. CREW RESCUED IN THE NICK OF TIME. CAPTAIN AND H!S WIFE SEVERELY KNOCKED ABOUT. CREW MORE OR LESS INJURED. NO HOPE OF THE BARQUE BEING SaVED. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Ootober 3. " News was reoeived in Wellington this afternoon, that a barque was disabled off Terawhiti. The Marine Department despatched the tut* Duco to the scene. The vessel has not yet returned to port. The mystery, however, is cleared up by the following report from the Pioton agent of the Press Association:—

"The steamer Penguin on her passage from Wellington to Pioton, today, picked up the crew of tbe barque Lutterworth iu dire distress in Cook Strait. "A representative of the Marlborough Press interviewed the officers of th 9 barque. He ascertained that the Lutterworth left Timaru for Kaipara at 4 p.m. ou Saturday. Variable winds blew till midnight, when a breeze came up strnug from the south-west. When the vessel was abreast uf Kaikoma tho captain decided that the weather was too thick to make Cook Strait. He shortened sail, aim brought the ship close to tho wind, heading off the shore. About 7 p.m. on Sunday the ballast shifted and threw the ship on her beam ends. The captain tried to get the ship to tun before the wind, but she would not pay off. Tbe crew had to cut away the masts. The lifeboats were then launched, but they broke up under tho shin's quarter. The crow was in a very serious condition all night lying under the weather bulwarks. ' "At 10 p.m. they sighted the masthead light of a steamboat, which proved L .o be the Umbala heading for Wellington. She stoodby nil night, but at daylight the weather and seas were too rough for her to risk her life-bouts. She flew signals aud appeared to make for Wellington. "Tho crew then let go the port anchor, but the barque drifted towards Cape Terawbiti. With fortyfive fathoms of cable out the port anchor caught the ground, but failed to bold, The cahle was paid cut tn ninety fathomß, but the vessel still dragged, aud the crew made ready to head for tbe beach. However, when , the vessel was noout a mile and a half [ from the rooks the Penguin was sighted. Tho steamer bore down ana launched her life-boat in the nick of tijtne and. saved the crew. "Captain flicks and Mrs Hicks wore severely knocked about, and were iu a stuunod condition when tak-u on board. The chief officer is Mr W, 8. Gordon, of Mosgiel, and tbe second officer Mr Morris. The crew numbers eighteen hands all told. They had a terrible experience last nignt, and all were more or leas injurod. They were worn-out when they arrived at Picton, though the officers of the Penguin had done all that waa possible for them. "The barque waa in a ba'2 position when abandoned, and the members of tbe crew do not think there is any likelibool of her being saved."

CABLE NEWS.

Bv Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.