A RUNAWAY STEAMER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1638, 19 March 1884, Page 2

A RUNAWAY STEAMER.

An accident of a somewhat serioris character occurred to the' ?teanier , AdmiraUt Circular Quay, Sydney, l on; the evening of 20th January. The steamer is^ commanded by Captain' H. Hall, and is one of the most powerful tug boats.in Port Jackson.;, The Admiral was returning, from , a trip to Hawkesbury at about half past six o'clock, with 50 passengers, 'and when nearing Circular Quay it was found that the engines could neither' be stopped nor reversed. Under the circumstances, Captain Hall was for turning .the steamer round and getting .into more open water, but .this, was ;preyented by the fact that to cany it out would inevitably occasion a collision

with at least one of several lmrbor steamers that were close behind. The steamer was then headed straight to Circular Quay, at the eastern side of No. 3 jetty, and she ran into the quay with tremendous force by coming into contact in the first place with a large beam, which was smashed. Tho Admiral's bows then tore up a quantity of the heavy planking of the wharf, and ran six feet into the solid quay, forcing tho stones of which it is composed upwards with the violence: of the shock. None of the Admiral's passengers were injured, and all were speedily landed over the vessel's bows, which, the steamer being, a wooden: vessel, were smashed about vory much. She made a large notch in tho quay of fully 10ft in the opening, and running through for 12ft and 3ft into the stone' work, making 15ft in all. Fortunately no one was at the spot when the accident took place.