THE KAITOA MISHAP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2683, 1 February 1916, Page 6

THE KAITOA MISHAP

LESS THAN THREE HOURS ASHORE NOTHING SENSATIONAL The s.s. Kaitoa, of the Anchor Line, which went ashore at Terawhiti during a phenomenally thick fog oil Sunday evening, arrived in Wellington Harbour under her own steam at 11 a.m. yesterday, none the worse for her misadventure. iShe brought to Wellington the whole of lier passengers, with the exception of four, who were' brought to town by motor-car from South Makara, sent out by Mr. H. L. Nathan, of Messrs. W. M. Bannatyne and Co. As narrated yesterday the Kaitoa left Nelson at 9 a.m. on Sunday, and the same afternoon ran into a dense sea fog in Cook Strait, so thick that those on board could not sec the vessel's length ahead. She continued to steam slowly, in what was thought to he the direction of the Wellington Heads until the dusk of evening accentuated the density of the. atmos-' phere.- She took the ground at 6.50 p.m. Tho sea was quite smooth at the time, but as the exact position of tho steamer was not known Captain Stevons deemed it prudent to land'his complement of 62 passengers (mostly recruits on their way to camp). Captain Stevens and the crew stuck to the. vessel, which was found to bo making no water, and thanks to the rising tide, the little steamer floated gently off again at 9.30 p.m., and a kick or two of the engines soon placed her clear of the land. The placo fhero she ran ashore was not Oterongu Bay, as reported yesterday, but was a rocky ledge just on the other (northern) side of Cape Terawhiti. The passenners remained ashore all night, and" .were made fairly comfortable with tarpaulins and blankets sent ashore from tho Kaitoa. In the meantime the second officer and a crow left in ono of the i ship's boats to seek assistance, andnltimately found M'Menamen's station, from whore the officer was able to telephono tho news of the mishap. Tho Kaitoa kept in touch with her passengers by means of her whistle, and an occasional flare signal throughout the night. At about 7.80 a.m. yesterday the fog lifted a little, the passengers were placed on board once more, and the voyage was resumed to Wellington. Mr. B. 'ifathen, of Nelson, accompanied by Messrs. A. Currow and F. Sparrow," started out for Wellington by land at 5.30 a.m., and after striking M'Menamen's, were put on the road to' South Makara, where thoy were picked up by one of four motorcars sent; out by Mr. H. L. Nathan, on behalf of the vessel's agents. _ One of the other passengers (a soldier), who was in a hurry, resolved to find a short' cut to "Wellington, but after tramping tho hills in the fog for five hours, pulled •up at the To Kainara Station—as far away from town as ever. The passengers state that the landing was effected at Cape Terawhiti quietly and expeditiously. The soldiers on board were placed under military discipline by Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew's, N.Z.M.C!, and stood by to render any assistance necessary. Tho boats were launched smartly, and everyone was put ashore without) getting even a foot wet, the ladies (nine in jaumber) being transferred first. An officer of tho Kaitoa stated that the place where the vessel touched was a very bad one —only rocks jutting out from the base of a high cliff, and if there had been any movement at all in the sea he was afraid that the steamer would soon have worn a hole in her hull. The weather continued very thick after daybreak. There were times when the fog closed right up to them, veiling everything a few yards away. A breach would be made in the smother nu occasions, when high above .their heads they, oauglifc the gteam _o£

the morning sun shining oil the cliff face a hundred i'cct in the air. The grounding of the Kaitoa will bo the subject- of an inquiry. TESTIMONIAL TO CAPT. STEVENS. So pleased were the passengers on the Kaitoa with the seamanship displayed by Captain Stevens that a testimonial was presented to him yesterday signed by tho following P. Andrew, A. 'J'ownsend, Rev. Mr. Arkwright, S. Morley, T. Campbell, Geo. A. Webb, H. Simpson, William C. Hyde, ltev. G. H. Curie, 11. S. Caigou, J. 13. Discacinh, D. J. Davies, F. Andrew, 11. F. Caigou, J. Goodyer, P. Goodyer, W. Goodyer, I. Louisson, C. llosser, F. Beillcy, E. Randerson, C. I'-uss. The following soldiers signed the document: Sorgt. L. E. Morris, A. M'Diarmid, Corpl. T. N. King, F. H. Houghton, S. H. Lash, J. Maith, H. L. Grooby, J. Petersen, W. S. Friend, L. Potter. J. AVallace, C. Stewart, R. Hooper, Iv. Peart, A. Buchanan, R. Benson, J. L. Taylor, K. H. Milligan, J. Lough, F. J. M. M'Kee, R. G. Chatfield, H. M. Head, W. H. Glastonbury, G'. L. Hobio, C. Beattie, T. W. Hiil. C. Shaw, P. S. Haycock, R. C. Freeman, F. W. Kinzctt, W. Thomson, C. Thompson, J. D. Stuart, T. D. Nybane.