COLLISION AT SEA .

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23088, 2 August 1940, Page 10

COLLISION AT SEA .

V DAMAGED SHIPS AT WELLINGTON , ASSISTANCE OF TUGS NOT NEEDED IPEESS ASSOCIATION CELEGEAU.) WELLINGTON. August 1. The Armadale and the tanker Ole Jacob, which were in collision off Cape Campbell on Wednesday night, came through Wellington Heads about daylight to-day, both under their own power. The Armadale, which has a gaping hole in her starboard side big enough to drive a bus through, was liea up at Aotea quay, near tne floating dock, and the tanker anchored in tne stream.

Tne Aiinadale gave first news of the collision m an SOS. her master, to oe badly holed forward and No. 1 hold flooded. The tanker stood by the Armadale, which requested the assistance of tugs. The Toia and Terawhiti were immediately got ready and left with all necessary towing and salvage gear before midnight, but found that their towing services were not required. The Armadale arrived about 7 a.m. and the tanker about an hour later. The tanker is now tied up at the oil wharf at Miramar.

The ships' were travelling under war conditions without lights. The hole in the Armadale is roughly square in shape but is wider at the top. It extends from some distance below the water-line to within about six feet of the foredeck, with a broken portion about 25 feet wide jammed hingewise backwards into the hold. A quantity of cargo was lost, but how much has not yet been ascertained. Captain Webb trimmed his ship by shifting some of the cargo. Lloyd’s surveyor made an examination of the ship. The repair job will be a big one and with so large a section of the hull and frames damaged, it may be necessary to get new materia! from Australia, according to Mr G. M Turrell. manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company. The force of the--collision could be gauged by the damage to the tanker. On both sides of the hull. for ab 40 feet from the stem, though less on the starboard side, the pla.es were buckled and dented. The ster " massive hawse pipes were f ™riuied and the winch gear on deck r above the waterline was redL ’ ce n d scrap metal. Damage was also done to gear 3 in the forepeak, though destruc * tion does not extend as far a.t as on the unprotected deck. , The ship also suffered unoerwatei damage, J she is slightly down by the head as she lies alongside t.i " Her commander is captain GKi A number of men were thrown from their bunks, by the force of the col lision, but none was injured in either ship. —rr*