A ROUGH PASSAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 August 1913, Page 6

A ROUGH PASSAGE.

A BARQUE DISABLED.

(My Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Last Night.

The three-masted Russian barque Clan Maefarlano, was towed into port this afternoon by the Harbour Board's tug Teawhina, anchoring in tlie stream at about 3 o'clock. The vessel met with misfortune on the voyage from New Caledonia to Hamlnu u. .

According to tho story related by Captain W. A. MaekeHar, &ho left tho port of Bouemebout, New Caledonia, bound for Hamburg, with acargo of nickel ore, on August 14th last;

"Wo experienced fino weather and south-westerly winds for the first six days," said the master, "and in that time sailed 1000 miles. Then tho wind went round to easterly and heavy seas rose. On August 20th we shortened sail because of tho force of the wind, only keeping the upper and lower top-sails and tho foro and aft sails on her. The ship rolled heavilv all the time."

After a heavy squall tho wind dropped almost to a calm shortly before eight bells, at 11.40 p.m., on the 20th. "Tho wind then roso again, and the ship commenced to take heavy rollers," continued the captain, "and on© of these did damage which disabled us. The sails were blown to shreds, the foremast a;:d mainmast snapped, and the rigging w.ent with them, only the lower masts being:left standing. All the yards went, too, and everything from mi?!?sen to royal top-masts were carried away; ' ■• •■.'- !•'..' A seavnan named Jalman Laaman, who was forward on look-out daity, was caught by a rope and lifted six or seven feet in the air, dropping on the donkey engine. His back was injured badly enough to prevent him from doing any more work since. The falling of the mvinyard bent and battered both port and starboard bulwarks, but no other me*mber of the crew was injured.

"When the masts and rigging were carried away," Captain Maokellar went on, "'all hands were called on delk to Hear the wreckage. Soundings were taken, but the ship was not making any water. Tlie wreckage which went by the board was hanging against tho vessel's side, *nd bumping continuously. Such a heavy sea was running that it took us all night and the two following days to cut everything away. Clear throughput this time we saw rid other ships,.our jppsjtion being 175 degrees 40min east ;md 33 degrees 30min south. "When everything was cl«ared away from tho sides of tho barque, we rigged up new fore and aft sails," said ihe captain, "and headed for Auckland at a very slow rate, this being the nearest practicable port- and lying about 150 miles away from us. We had a fine weather for the ran into port, with a strong northerly breeze." .•

The Clan Macfarline . is an iron barque, thirty years old,' and it is yet" to be decided whether she will repay the cost of repairs, which it is estimated will run into some thousands of pounds. The vessel carries a crew of seventeen, all told, most of the anen being Finns, though there are two British seamen aboard and one or two Frenchmen and Germans.