Kobe was visited with a heavy north. easterly sgtle on Saturday last (20th), anc during the afternoon and evening a heavy sea was running in the harbour. The Troeas, flying very light and with only 500 or 600 tons of Dallast, coal, and cargo on board, commenced to drag at 8 p.m. In one of the heavier gusts the steamer took a heavy lurch and commenced to drop astern rapidly, barely clearing une of the China Mutual steamers in her passage. A lighter belonging to the Kobe Lighterage Company which was moored stern, was caught by the now helpless steamer and swept from her moorings. One of the sendees clambered on board the tank steamer, the other remained on the lighter, which was eventually brought to-a standstill off the mouth of the Minatogawa. The lighter has since been floated. The captain of the steamer was unfortunately not on board at the tine. having been amongst those unable to during the afternoon, 1 steam up, and used it to check the backward rush of the steamer, but without success, Both anchors were down and remained down until the time (10 p.m.) the steamer struck the sandy shore near Wada Point. The steamer appears not to have suffered from the seas f At dawn on Sunday, Captain Edwards was on board, and assistance arriving from the shore not long afterwards, efforts were at once made to release the ship. Coolies were sent from the Kobe Lighterage and Drayage Company (whose tug Kamome was likewise requisitioned) and the work of discharging was pushed on with all expedition. Altogether some 200 tons of coal, about 340 tons of water ballast, and approximately 4,000 drums of.oil were discharged. Efforts to move the ship at high water before noon failed. Captain Edwards, who needless to say was visited during the course of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.