THE AWARUA.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18802, 21 September 1926, Page 8

THE AWARUA.

BEING TOWED TO NAPIER.] A TUG IN ROUGH SEA. | (BFZCUI. TO TKS PRESS.) WELLINGTON, September 20. A wireless message received to-day from 11.M.5. Dunedin states that the Awarua is being towed to Napier, not to Wellington. Progress was slow—three knots an hour —but it was expected to make port to-morrow morning. On her third trip in search of the Awarua, the I'nion Company's tug Terawhiti received a severo buffeting. She was equipped for a cruiso of 1500 niUes, and extra men were signed on. Usually, she carries a crew of about, five, but when she left port on Friday afternoon Captain Willson was in command of a crew numbering eighteen. When the Heads were cleared on Friday afternoon a tremendous sea was running off Cape Taurakirae, and although the engines were set "dead slow," the Terawhiti was swept from bow to stem with water. Tho gale increased, and it was deemed advisable to turn about at 5.35 p.m., and make for port. Coming through the Heads the Terawhiti took a heavy sea over her poop, but no damage was done, and anchor was dropped for the night in Worser Bay. A special meal was served to all hands early in the morning, as it was not known whether cooking would be practicable in the heavy weather at sea.

At 5-30 a.m. .Captain Willson ascertained by radio from the Maori that the wind had dropped, but there was still a heavy swell. The Terawhiti headed for sea again at 8.10 a.m., and -teaming at full sr>p«d. shipped heavv water, which made it risky to bo on deck. After passing Palliser, the Terawhiti rounded up for Castlepoint, from whore Captain Willson proposed to steam 100 miles east-north-east, and then zig-zag in a northerly direction. This, as it turned out later, would have hrought 'he fug in the vicinity of the missing Awarua. The Terawhiti had not,£one far up the coast when the radio" message "rom H.M.S. Dunpdin reporting the find- ; ng of the Awarua was intercepted. The Terawhiti then sent a wireless message for instructions, and was ordered to return to port. During the trip tho Terawhiti's wireless plant was in a high state of efficiency. The tug was in touch with all the' New Zealand shorn station*, the Chatham Islands, and H.M.S. Dunedin.