THE TAVIUNI.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 5

THE TAVIUNI.

FOHTHER IKSIIORE. PRACTICALLY HIGH.AN!? DRY AT LOW .V '• • WATER. ' . .- UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE OF PAS- ' SENGERS AND CREW. (B? rELEGBAPn—PHEB3 ASSOCIATION.')' Westport; "April 24. , ' "ThoTaviuni took ground forward and stud'' ' liard "and fast. All anchor was dropped, buf. ■ tlio vessel drifted further inshore. . Seaa, continually broke over; tho* vessely which heaved heavily. The' port-holes wore/ i immediately' smashed, and part, of the bul- 1 ' . warks carried away. The cabins and saloon. were flooded. 1 The , steamer listed to seaward, making it< very difficult to get. aJ>out tho decks. ".The crew and four passengers had a- very,, bad tiuio. An attempt was mado to launch! ' . two, of tho boats, but both were smashed. Tho tug Mana is standing by. Sho triedto firo 'lines aboard, but failed... Tho tug; Komata and the Mapourika could also do i nothing." ■''■'• Ship's'ljoats. were .sent down to tbe<Ecenef\ by raiL " . " ;,• '' ■ , '/At' 6 a.m.'tho passengbrs'Xnd some mem-1 - bersof the crow were landed on .the beach,j tho sea being then smooth.' '. . ;; ■ 'At: low -water' the Tarinni is practically i': higlr and drr. Tho rudder is gone, and the!:, propellor buried in tho'sand. / V '■' •' I: Tho vessel is half full of water. Nothing J can bo done till the arrival of tho 'tug Tera-'' , whitr, from ■ Wellington, with ■ Foreman! Darnells. ■■ , : : j Iho vessel has 150 tons of cargo for West-I port and 400tonsfor Grevmoutb. ■ ■ ■ ■ ' Captain .Brophy was knocked down "on tho -; bridge : by a sea. : -f : ' : ;,vThq; tw;o lady /passengers;. (Misses Suisted' / and MasoriY: displayed great courage. . , Misses Mason iind Suisted and Mr. 'Gerald Boyes joined tlio vessel at Picton. ! THE LATEST. . (BY IELUOnAPn. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.') .: Westport, Aprtl 24. ■' ■■ Tlio. Tavium,, which is stranded on the) _ Ijcacl'i near Westport breakwater, has shifted) her position, being-how about 700 yards distant from the , breakwater, and with sterna pointing north-eastward., . . ..The attempt made to get out cables, and' •.- anchors to hold her lias failed. /A preliminary inquiry, was' held . by. that' ■Collrofor. of-'Customs : t-oMay. The evidence I;', was • not available for the Press. . : It is understood that the .ciptain.' nttri-'i'/: , butes the mishap to failure to' pick'up tlwr: : leading'.; red; light at tho breakwater, 'tho; ■ weather being somowhat'squally at tho timo.j '.' ' Greymouth, April 24. . Local merchants report that they will los® ■■■ heavilyiby.the-stranding of tho Taviuni at •Westport,as oyer - 400, ton sof general cargo l '' was jboard;for th/is '"port,:'uninsured/7 "// : ; DESCRIPTION OF THE VESSEL. , Tho .Taviuni is ono of the bost known ahd . (oldest'vessels m the Union Company's fleet,, .and was originally built for the Island tradaj . -•iii: 1390.M. Sho is built entirelyiof:• steelyand• •to: out ~ by '• firm j< Messrs. William Denny Bros., of Dumbar-! 1 'ton.-' ■' Tho following arc hor dimensions!—! J Longtbi'= 250 ft. j.. bcsui, and -deptl>"-of|' . ;1i01d,;:1,9ft.; which, gives the! ionnagq as'liGff 'g;ijjsS\md 910.. net.;.. arj^j^pa quadruple oxpansion surface-condensing prm--ciple, tlio cvlmders being 18m.; 271 in-, 36m., andi 53m. 'diamotor, . with - a :39m. stroke. sWhen she first arqved" in New Zealand. Raters, tho Taviuni was looked upon as a model niece -of work, but sho was : soon >- > eblipsed by the later vessels. She. was'replaced m the Island- trado when tho volume' ■■■-' of businoss ■ becamo too crcat - for hen toi copo with, but was still a useful typo of . boat, and had been engaged: of late in th&( coal trado. - ■ ... ,r . . ASSISTANCE FROM WELLINGTON. Tlio steamer Penguin, which lfas been laid' v up at Wellington, left for tlio scene of. tlio- • accident vesterday ovening in charge of .'Cap-. tain Hunter. - Tlio vessel lias a Quantity of 1 ' pumpmg. gear and other material neocssaryr for ! ,salvago work on - board. Mr. J.• Darnells, foreman' of tho Company's: local/ repairing jStaff, /was a- ; passo'nger ; by., thoV'-, ' Penguin,. tiid 'will' the .'operations'; at) ■ f-Ko stranded vessel. ■ ' Captain Brophy, who was in command of tho vessel at . tlio time of tho mishap, has ' ■ a good record during, his long , service in the: Company,: and, it ms stated; was within ; measurablo 'distance of retiring from. th« service. ■ •