ROCKETS ON BEACH

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28799, 21 January 1959, Page 10

ROCKETS ON BEACH

Dumped From Freighter Police broadcast a warning message after a case of condemned rockets had been washed. ashore at Sumner 'yesterday afternoon. and-"pas later found by Constable J. B. McCormick, of Sumner, to Chililrlki trere playing about the box'whed:Constoble McCormick serrtvei.Sffietaata. andit war thought that some rocketa might tay* been taken atay- ,sc In response td the • broadcast message, Mrs E. M. Winter, of ft last evening and informed Ahe police that she had opened th* box when she had seen it washed up on the beach about 2.45 p.m. She was able to say that no children had taken anything from the box, as her father had stood by wsltohing it until Constable McCormick was seen coming. In the meantime. She had left .the scene to telephone the Marine Department. A spokesman for the Royal New Zealand Navy said yesterday , that the case had been dumped overboard from the freighter Kaitoke, outward bound from Lyttelton for Sydney. She left the port late on Monday afternoon. The Marine Department sent two men from Lyttelton to inspect the case, but later the Navy sent a truck from the armament depot at Cass Bay, Lyttelton, and the case was removed. It took four men to carry it. Condemned rockets and other similar objects were ordinarily dumped well out at -sea, in deep water, said the Lyttelton harbourmaster (Captain A. R. Champion) last evening. “They shouldn’t have been crated, but should have been thrown over the side individually, so that they would be sure to sink,” he said.

The wooden case—4ft long by 2ft wide and 2ft deep—was seen floating in through the breakers between Cave Rock and Shag Rock by Mr Noel Webb, a Sumner Surf Club patrolman, as he scanned the beach with his binocular. Mr Webb said that he inspected the case and saw the words “Condemned Rockets’* written on the side. Realising they, were dangerous, he went to telephone Constable McCormick at the Sumner Police Station. Case Found Opened Constable McCormick telephoned the Army in an attempt to find somebody who could dispose of the rockets, and then immediately left for the beach. By the time he arrived, the case had been broached. Packing straw from the case was strewn about on the sand, and children were playing, about it. Constable McCormick was not approached by Mrs Winter or her father, who had returned to their car, and was unaware that no child had taken anything from the case. As this was a possibility, Constable McCormick reported ’the matter to the Central Police Station, which broadcast a message saying that the rockets could seriously injure anyone Who mishandled them, and appealing for th* return of any taken. Three types of .rockets were found in the case, said Mr W. E. Bale, civilian Naval armament supply officer at Cass Bay. .Clothing . Stolen. Women's