The mystery of Gisborne’s ‘uncharted rock’

Press, 18 July 1979, Page 21

The mystery of Gisborne’s ‘uncharted rock’

By

JOHN LESLIE

The mystery of the “uncharted rock” off Gisborne has never been solved. To Poverty Bay residents this subject has become akin to the “Loch Ness Monster.” Older residents still recall the incident, just over half a century ago.

On January 25, 1927, the Federal Steam Navigation Company’s refrigerated cargo liner, Northumberland (11,519 tons gross), on passage from Auckland to Napier, struck an unknown submerged object between Gable End Foreland and Tuahine Point. The time was 1.35 p.m. and the weather was good. She was badly holed forward and in danger of sinking. A cadet training vessel with 40 cadets aboard, the Northumberland was commanded by Captain C. S. Broughton, a New Zea-

lander resident in Britain. This was his first deep sea command. Interestingly enough. Captain Broughton first started his seafaring career as a purser with the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd, but soon afterwards changed his plans and served on deck to become a navigating officer and ultimately shipmaster. This was no mean achievement.

The Federal Steam Navigation Company, Ltd, was an affiliate of the former New Zealand Shipping Company, Ltd, but to all intents, they were one and the same company, and staff were interchangeable. An hour before the mishap. the Northumberland, a product of Swan Hunter of Wallsend-on-Tyne, and launched in 1915, was abeam of Gable End Foreland.

When she struck, the Northumberland, a twinscrew steamer which was one of the company’s largest cargo vessels, was apparently near the notorious Ariel Reef which sometimes breaks in bad weather.

Ariel Reef is always given a fairly wide berth by mariners. The “uncharted rock” has never been found to this day and is regarded as one of New Zealand’s maritime mysteries. All vessels, including the Northumberland, navigated with utmost care when near the Ariel reef, and still do so today. When the Northumberland struck the submerged object, I was a schoolboy in Gisborne. The damaged vessel came close inshore at Poverty Bay, closer than anyone had ever seen a large vessel in the roadstead. She was down by the head and listing. This was summer, and holiday time, and the sight caused much speculation by holidaymakers and locals on Gisborne’s popular Waikanae Beach. She anchored at 4.39 p.m.

Like a wounded sea bird, she found temporarily, a safe haven. But if the spectators did not know what was wrong, the Gisborne harbour authorities certainly did by now. In Wellington moreover, the tugs Terawhiti and Toia were prepared for departure to Gisborne. The Northumberland, a stoutly-built, lengthy vessel, arrived at Auckland from Liverpool on January 13. After discharge at that port she still had 4000 tons of general cargo aboard for discharge at Napier, Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin. When she struck, she was moving at 13 knots. To those aboard it was soon apparent, after taking soundings, that she was badly holed, taking water fast and in danger of sinking if immediate action was not taken. She made for Gisborne, just a few miles away. Today, Gisborne has a good inside harbour for deep water vessels, but in those times, large vessels such as the Northumberland anchored in Poverty Bay and loaded cargo from

lighters. This anchorage is a dangerous one in a southerly and on June 13, 1912, the British cargo liner, Star of Canada, was driven ashore on to the rocks of Gisborne’s Kaiti Beach, becoming a total loss. But right through the lengthy salvage operation, the Northumberland was blessed with fine weather. This was just as well. There was feverish activity aboard during that period. Soundings revealed that there was 20ft of water in No. 1 hold, 36ft in No. 2 hold and 15ft in No. 3 hold. The ship was in enough trouble without worrying about the weather. A diver went down and soon discovered a huge gash beneath No. 2 Hold. Here the underwater shell plating was savagely torn and the hole was found to be 12 to 15ft long by 2ft wide. Bits of papa rock were found embedded in the jagged edges. A further hole sft long with a narrow lengthwise crack, was found just aft of the major hole. Later a third hole was discovered but it was

much smaller than the other two. The Union Steam Ship Company’s harbour tug Terawhiti which had hastened to Gisborne from Wellington, used her salvage pump to control the water in the Northumberland’s No. 2 Hold. Both forward and after bulkheads in No. 2 Hold were shored up with timber. The large underwater gashes were party sealed externally by hastily improvised collision mats. Inside the holds, at the site of the damage, cement boxing two feet thick, was used to plug the gashes. An engineering firm in Gisborne played an active part in the salvage too. This firm was asked to make a sheepskin collision mat, 40ft square. Because the weather was benign, Gisborne watersiders were able to board the Northumberland and shift some waterlogged cargo in No. 2 Hold to facilitate hull repairs. They also discharged some cargo into lighters alongside. Captain Broughton is

now dead, but I later served in the same Northumberland as a cadet, and have been able to hear both sides of the story. There were many gaps. When Captain Broughton became the company’s Liverpool-based marine superintendent, we saw him from time to time. My youthful impression of him was that he was a fine type of man for command — human too. On one occasion he asked me where I came from, knowing I was a New Zealander. When I told him Gisborne was my hometown, he made no comment. Ship-masters and marine superintendents in those days were remote beings to us and we spoke only when spoken to. I am sure, from personal experience, that those navigating the Nothumberland along the coast in this instance, would have taken careful coastal cross bearings on passage from Auckland southward. Only too well am I aware that the company was strictly run as regards discipline, naviga-

tion and general shipboard routine. Captain Broughton, I am sure, was a dedicated, loyal and honest servant of the company, like so many in those days. That is justthe way it was. The company had a great tradition. Now it is extinct. Finally, the ill-fated Northumberland, patched up with collison matting externally, and cement boxing and timber shores internally, was ready to make her first attempt to sail for Auckland and drydock there. She still had a pronounced list and was down by the head. This normally smartly turned-out cadet training vessel was now a sorry sight with an untidy mess about her decks due to the excessive salvage activity aboard. But her first departure was fruitless. She had to turn back to the Poverty Bay roadstead. She was barely seaworthy and further marine surgery was needed. On February 8 however, she got away for the second time and with the tug Terawhiti in atten-

dance, the Northumberland cautiously proceeded to Auckland at a minimum speed, sometimes as low as five knots. She arrived at Auckland’s King’s Wharf on t-ebruary 11. On arrival it was found that she still had 27ft of water in No. 2 Hold but this was an improvement on the larger 36ft she had after striking the rock. At King’s Wharf all her cargo was discharged and the water in the holds was easily controlled. She was too long for Auckland’s Calliope dock at the naval base at Devonport. After laborious work the dock was lengthened to take the Northumberland so that her bow just fitted into the excavated portion at the head of the dock. It was a tight squeeze for the 550 ft vessel. She was made as good as new again, and for many years she continued to serve the New Zealand trade. Credit must go to those who toiled long hours in a race against time in the Gisborne roadstead to carry out a major salvage operation in the

best traditions of the sea. Naturally there was a full inquiry into the mishap. This was conducted by Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M. He was assisted in this by two assessors, Captain L. C. H. Worrall and Captain F. W. Barton. After hearing all the evidence and listening to many witnesses, the magistrate completely exonerated the Northumberland’s master and his officers of any blame.

In court there was a sigh of relief all round. Captain Broughton and his officers had been under considerable strain. The finding of the court was “that the Northumberland, while taking a course which appeared to be a safe and proper one, struck a submerged rock, and that no blame was attached to anyone.”

The verdict was a popular one. Captain Broughton was not only a New Zealander in command of a British cargo liner, but he had had a distinguished career up until that time. He continued his career as marine superintendent ashore in Britain. In those days very few New Zealanders commanded British registered vessels, as distinct from New Zealand registered vessels. It was the same with the ship’s officers, on deck and below. The “uncharted rock” has never been located as far as I am aware, right up to today. Hundreds of vessels, large and small, have since, in the last half century, sailed up and down in exactly the same locality as the Northumberland reputedly did — and without harm. At the time of the inquiry, experienced shipmasters gave their opinions that this area was a safe one, according to the position of the Northumberland as shown on the chart at the time of the mishap. Of past and present, have a course, all shipmasters, great respect for the Ariel reef outside the Poverty Bay roadstead.

Even Captain John Bollons, one of New Zealand’s most experienced master mariners who knew the coastline like the palm of his hand, afterwards made an intense and extensive survey of the area. Careful soundings were taken. He said that, to the best of his knowledge, there was nothing there. Incidentally, Captain Bollons was the boyhood hero of Lord Ballantrae, a former governor-general of New Zealand. When Lord Ballantrae (formerly Sir Bernard Fergusson) was a boy in New Zealand during his father’s term as GovernorGeneral, he made holiday

coastal vovanes in i'n“i the Government steamers, Tutanekai anu long ago, with Captain Bollons in command. The Navy later paid attention to the area too, but did not find the rock. There were some critics who cautiously suggested that the Northumberland might have “brushed” the Ariel Reef. However, the court could only go by the pencilled cross bearings of her position on the chart at the time of the impact with the submerged object. That would naturally rule out the Ariel Reef. The mystery has never been solved and probably never will be.