COASTER ASHORE.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 212, 6 September 1924, Page 6

COASTER ASHORE.

WAKATU GROUNDS IN FOG. CREW WALK ASHORE. VESSEL HIGH A>TD DRY. (By Telejrapli.—rrese Association.) BLEXHEIM, this day. At an early hour this morning the small steamer Wakatu, bound from Wellington to Kaikoura and Lyttelton, went ashore in a thick fog at Waipapa Point, at the mouth of the Clarence River. The first news of the occurrence was received by the police at Blenheim from the postmaster at Clarence Bridge. Workmen employed by the Public Work Department at the bridge early this muriting heard explosions and saw distress .signals from rockets being sent up by some vessel close to shore. They rommunieated with the postmaster, who advised the police. At that stage nothing definite was known as to the identity of the vessel in trouble, or as to the nature of her plight. After daybreak, however, the heavy fog lifted, and it became known that the steamer was the Wakatu. She had gone aground in the vicinity of Waipapa Point, approximately the spot where the Taiaroa met her fate in April. ISSI. when many lives were lost. She suffered very little damage. : Later messages stated that the crewwere able to reach the shore without petting their feet wet, the vessel being high and dry. They, were being ca.red for by settlers and the Public Works Department's employees. Nothing definite is known as to the state of the sea, but it would appear that if the vessel encountered thick fog there would be almost a total absence of wind, and presumably the sea -would bo calm. A message from Clarence intimated that a light southerly breeze was blowMay Be Floated OS. Information gained in shipping circles in Blenheim this morning was to the effect that the Wakatu intended to cut out her call at Kaikoura on account of the heavy sea running, and would have proceeded directly to Lyttelton. If this is so. the stranded steamer may be bumping badly. Senior Sergeant Clarkson, who is conversant with Marlborough east coast in the vicinity 'of the Clarence, states that the Wakatu is likely to be on a shingly bottom off Waipapa Point, and, providing the weather is not tempestuous, is hardly likely to come to harm, and may be successfully floated off on a favourable tide. A telegraphic message received from Kaikoura is to the effect that the Wakatu went ashore south of the Clarence Kiver at an early hour this morning. She is half-stern on. The one passenger and the crew landed safe. A heavy sea is running, also heavy rain is falling. The Wakatu is an iron steamer of 15T tons gross and 05 net tonnage. She is llOJft long, ISft beam, and B.4ft depth. She was built at Jselson in 1579 and was registered at "Wellington in 1882. Her owners are Levin and Co., Ltd. Captain Robertson is in command, and he would have a crew of some six or eight men. She runs regularly from Wellington to Kaikoura and Lyttelton, and commenced the trip -which ended so disastrously about 8 o'clock last evening at 'Wellington. She may have been carrying one or two passengers, but this is not definitely known.