A PERILOUS VOYAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2701, 2 November 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

A PERILOUS VOYAGE.

The following is a full account of the mishap to the barque Otago, taken from the Lyttelton Times : — THE VOYAGE. The Otago left Sydney ou August 13, bound for London, with a cargo consisting of about 1000 tons of tallow, copper, silver ore, oleine, wool, leather, and other products of Australia, Moderate and unsteady weather was experienced, during which the vessel made good progress on her voyage until the longitude of the Snares was passed on August '21. The wind then blew hard from the northwest with high sea, but being a favourable wind, still good work was done, but ou August 24th, in lat 50 deg South, 160deg West, when the ship was running before a heavy west-south-west gale and terrific sea, the vessel broached to, and sea after sea came aboard in quick succession. Six of the aails were blown away before anything could be done, the front of the cabin was stovo in, and the sea continued its course of destruction through the captain's room into that occupied by two pasaengcrs,aud finally exhausted its energies in a spare room at the rear of these two, not before it had, however, gone through no less than six bulkheads. The force of the sea can be far more readily imagined than described. The berths, tables, cup. boards, and everything in the starboard cabins were completely wrecked, and the back wash of the wave took with it the ship's papers, including all the officers' certificates, manifest, official log, the captain's clothes, and, worse etill, his instruments for navigating the ship. This was the effect of one wave alone, and it was followed by several, but of less magnitude, the cabin being full of water for several hours. While the carpenter was endeavouring to repair the front of the cabin so as to keep out the water, ANOTHER LARGE SEA came over amidships and washed him with great force into the cabin, and knocked him against a drawer. He was picked up blending badly from the nose and head, and a few hours afterward the poor fellow died from the result of his injuries. His name was Kelly, and he joined the vessel at London. When tbo crew were mustered, which was done as Boon as possible, it was found that an A.B. named Johansen, who joined the vessel at Sydney, was missing, and he bad no doubt been washed overboard by the sea. The peas had all come on board well aft, but the cabin was not by any moans the only part of the vessel which sjffered, for several of the boats were smashed and washed overboard, the rail, bulwarks, &c, damaged, while the after deckhouse, ir. which was quarterod Mr E. White, the chief officer, and Mr T. Crook, the second, was smashed in. The latter officer was in his bunk at the time, and his chest of clothes was carried overboard by the sea and everything lost. Some idea of the force of the sea can bo imagined when it is stated that one of the davits, a piece of solid iron 3Ain or 4in in diameter, on which was hanging one of the boats, was snapped off like a carrot. The gale was encountered on August 24, and continued throughout the 25th, during which time the vessel was hove to. On the following day the crew were kept busily engaged repairing the sails, rigging, &c; and August 27, the gale having moderated, it was decided to proceed on the voyage. As it was, the officers were in a pretty predicament; the charts were nearly all washed away, the chronometers were smashed and were not working, the sextants and other instruments for finding the ship's position were gone. Imagine, then, the feelings of Captain Norman and his officers, and, indeed, the feelings of the 20 souls on board, IS of a crew and two passenger*, when it became known that THE KUDBKR WAS GONE. This was far and away the worst mishap of all, and although it happened during the gale of August 24 or 25, was not discovered until two days afterwards, when they tried to make the vessel shape her course. The wheel was intact, and the seamen whose duty it was to carry out the orders of the officers in charge turned it this or that way as directed, but still the ship refused to como to tho wind, and after repeated efforts it at last became known that the rudder was snapped off at the second gudgeon. This was a last straw to break their backs. There lay the ship AX UNMANAGEABLE LOC, hundreds of miles from land, and out of the track of trading vessels. It was, indeed, an awkward fix. To make matters worse, the weather continued particularly stormy, and during the worst of the gale a large quantity of the water which came on board found its way down the lazarette hatch and into the vessel's hold, consequently the pumps had to be kept going night and day. By dint of hard work the water waa reduced from 3ft to 3in or 4in. The first thing to do was then to rig a jury rudder, but this proved by no means an easy task, for no less than four methods were tried. Tho first attempt was with hawser and spar, but it proved to have no control over the vessel, and she could not bo made to tack. The second was what is known as Captain Withers' patent, a spar with blades of deck planking , on each end. This was likewise a failure, there being such a sea running that the danger of the spar being driven through tho ship was very great. A third attempt suffered a like fate, and the ono which brought tbo vessel into port was next tried, It

consists of a number of dock pktiks lashed together, with a kedge anchor fastened to tho bottom edgo. This is sunpended by block and tackle from a spar fixed over the stern, and lowered into the water. At either side are ropes which are used to pull it over as may be required from time to time. This wae not altogether a success at first, and after consultation, Captain Norman decided to JETTISON CAKGO. About 1000 sacks of copra were thrown overboard from the fore hatch, and after that the vessel was more under control. The weather which up to this period had been a succession of storms with mountainous seas begnn to improve a little, but with the heavy swell the barque rolled fearfully, and made but little way. It is stated above that the charts were washed overboard with other things ; a few were, however, afterwards found, and luokily among them was one which could be used to navigate the vessel in the waters sho happened to be. Great care had to be taken with it, for the rough experience which it had gone through had damaged it greatly, and it was well nigh full of holes, being as Captain Norman put it, a " perfect rag of a thing." The exact position of the vessel was. of course, not known, nor could it be ascertained. Everything had to bo done by BEAD RECKONING. A log was kept over the stern, and the vessel's head shaped on such a course as was thought would bring her to New Zealand. Fortunately the compass was not lost, or the position would have been even worse. After the cargo was thrown overboard better progress was made, but the anxiety suffered by Captnin Norman and big party was very great. A watch was kept night and day for land, and every little gale or aea was felt by the disabled vessel with tenfold force, she making such slow progress. Tho small notion they had of the correct position of the vessel can be partially understood when it is stated that on October 2, 39 days after the accident the look-out man reporting land ahead, it was surmised that the coast line of New Zealand was in view. This happened at night, and the vessel was hove-to until daylight, when, from the general appearance of the land, Captain Norman could see he was not on the New Zealand coast. A closer inspection proved that the barque Otago wae in no other position than CLOSE TO THE SISTERS ISLAND?, which lie a few miles to the westward of the Chatham Islands, which are again 400 miles east of Lyttelton. During , the 39 days she bad moved from about 50deg. south, ICOdeg. went—which, by the way, is not a great distance from the Auckland Islands, where more than one good ship has come to grief—to about 43 N, 170 W, and bat for the lucky shot of catching sight of the land, and being able to recognise her true position, would probably have gone on in the same course. From October 2 to Saturday last the vessel was kept true eastward, and although misfortune was kept company with, tho mishaps were but slight — such, for instance, us the carrying away of ono of tho steering ropes, which necessitated the jury rudder being hauled aboard and re-rigged, a sail blown away, and other such trifling mishaps—trifling, at least, when compared with the adventures which the vessel had gone through since leaving Sydney. The joy of the storm-tossed crew need hardly be mentioned, when at about 5 p.m. on Satnrday the well-known shores of Banks Peninsula presented themselves to Captain Norman —well known to him by reason of previous trips made by htm to Lyttelton. When the anchor was dropped at midnight on Saturday, their appreciation of a good Di'ght's sleep, snugly at anchor, with no cares for the disabled vessel, can be imagined. THE SHIP AND HEK CAI'TAIN.

The barque Otago ia well known at the port of Lyttelton. She loaded here last season with wool, &c, for London. Slir ia a composite-built vessel of ( Jl)3 tons register, and was built at Glasgow in 1869 by R. Duncau aud Co., her registered owner being W. Brown, of Glasgow. She used to trade regularly to this port a few years ago, and was then rigged as a ship, and was noted for her good sailing qualities. She is 207 ft. 3in. long, 34ft. sin benm, 20ft lin. I depth of beam. The experience just ended is not the first that Captain Norman has undergone, indeed he is trulyone of those mariners who have had a good opportunity of recognising the perils of "those who go down to the sen in ships." When he was last at this port, a representative of thin journal interviewed him ivith regard to his experiences during the wreck of a vessel called the Dunnottar Castle, which w.is wrecked on June 7th, 1886, on a coral reef while on a voyage from Sydney to San Francisco. The vc=.sul was wrecked on a coral island, and Captain Norman, who was chief officer, voluuteered to take charge of a boat and attempt to reach Honolula, showing the seme amouut of British pluck and endurance which appears to have been characteristic in him dnring the recent experiences with the Otage. After 50 days in the boat they reached a native village, but not before nearly every man in the boat was half dead /or want of food. We cannot close the account of this very wonderful escape of the Otago and her crew without giving a word of praise to captain and officers for their action during such trying times; and we hope to be able to record that their action will receive some tangible recognition from the right quarter. Mr White, the chief officer, was at one time second mate of the barque Norman M'Leod. 3-'OTtIRE ACTION. Nothing definite is known as to the future action until Captiaiu R. Ticehurst, Lloyd's surveyor, holds a preliminary survey on the vessel to-day, but we can safely say that she will have to discharge her cargo and go in dock for repairs, before being able to leave the port.