WANGANELLA STRUCK REEF 21 YEARS AGO

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31652, 11 April 1968, Page 10

WANGANELLA STRUCK REEF 21 YEARS AGO

Twenty-one years ago, just before midnight on January 19, 1947, the Huddart Parker liner Wanganella ran aground on Barrett’s Reef, at the entrance to Wellington Harbour where the Wahine went aground yesterday.

The Wanganella was on her first post-war voyage after serving as a hospital ship during the war, and carried 400 passengers.

The weather was fine and a dance was in progress when the ship went aground. All salvage gear and tugs were hastily marshalled in an effort to save her, and passengers and mail were landed safely by assorted craft. For 18 days the Wanganella lay helpless, in spite of efforts of a salvage team. The unpredictable Cook Strait weather remained fine.

On February 6, the liner swung a little to the shore and hopes rose that she could be refloated. On the same night, with the help of the rescue tug Toia the Wanganella rolled clear in a southerly swell.

Eventually the thousands watching saw the crippled Wanganella move stern first and heavily down at the bow, but brilliantly lit, following the tug up Wellington Harbour.

It was two years before the Wanganella again entered the Tasman trade.

Today the liner is moored at Deep Cove, to provide accommodation for men on the Manapouri hydro-electric scheme. One of the most tragic wrecks was on February 12, 1909,. when the passenger steamer Penguin struck a rock in Cook Strait and foundered with the loss of 75 lives. The steamer was bound from Picton to Wellington and struck abreast of the outfall of the Karori Stream, on what was believed to be Tom's Rock. There were 105 persons on board—64 passengers and a crew of 41. The survivors managed to

reach the shore safely on rafts, but one lifeboat was smashed to pieces as soon as it touched the water, and the other capsized. The one woman who survived struggled ashore with her dead infant in her arms, after rescuing a 17-year-oid youth, and watching her three other children drown. The worst shipwreck on the New Zealand coast was that of the steam corvette H.M.S. Orpheus on Manukau bar, Auckland, on February 7, 1863, when 189 Jives were lost.

Other disasters in which lives were lost included:

1881, the Taraura went down with the loss of 131 lives.

1894, the Wairarapa was lost and 121 persons drowned. 1865, the Fiery Star caught fire at sea, and 78 passengers and crew were lost. 1902, the Elingamite went down with the loss of 45 lives. 1966, the Kaitawa was wrecked off Cape Reinga and 29 lives were lost. 1950, the Ranui was smashed by high seas and 23 persons died. 1959. the Holmglen went down with all hands, 15 officers and crew. 1902, the Ventnor foundered. All boats were launched but 13 lives were lost.