COASTAL STEAMER ASHORE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 295, 8 September 1924, Page 8

COASTAL STEAMER ASHORE

WAKATU GROUNDS NEAR CLARENCE RIVER all crew safe and cargo salvaged ■PROSPECTS OF REFLOATING DEPEND ON WEATHER The well-known coastal steamer Wakatu went asnore Mear Waipapa Point, half a mile north of the Clarance River, at 4.30 o’clock on Saturday morning, while bound from Wellington to Kaikoura. At the time of the grounding there was a thick fog and drizzling rain, while a fairly heavy easterly sea was running. The Wakatu is now hard and fast on a shingle beach. There is a small hole in her bottom and many of the plates have been cracked and buckled. The crew are safe and all the cargo has been landed. The chances of refloating the Wakatu depend entirely on fine weather holding.

HOW THE VESSEL GROUNDED i LYING ALONGSIDE ( WRECK OF OLD TAIROA i ASSISTANCE ARRIVES QUICKLY I t CJY TELTGEAPH—SPECIAL CORBESPOEDENT..* Kaikoura, September G. The Wakatu left Wellington last sight at 8 o’clock, when there was a fairly heavv set. with seas. Captain Robertson set the usual course, and just after passing abreast of Bonmore station, a few miles beyond the Clarence River, he went below at 4.55 a.m. The vessel was then on the usual course, and all appeared well. At five o’clock a slight jar was felt, but was insufficient to knock one ’off one's fieet. The vessel was put full ‘astern, but bv this time she was being controlled bv the sea, and, went ashore on one of the shingle ’ banks two hundred yards south of where the Tairoa was wrecked in April, 1886. The Wakatu now lies on an even ■ keel and provided the seas do not become worse than at present, there should be every chance of the vessel being gof? off. There is a hole about nine inches in diameter under the > cruarter on the starboard side, and a piece is broken off one of the blades of the propellers. Otherwise there is I no damage done to the vessel. fl Assistance Arrives Quickly. ‘ As soon as the mishap occurred Captain Robertson sent up rockets, which \ were observed bv the man on watch at the Clarence bridge, which is about a mile and a half from the scene.. Mr. Petrie immediately informed Mr. de ; MaJmanche. the engineer at the bridge, ; and messages were sent to Blenheim for assistance. Mr. A. J. Murray was also auicklv on the scene, and teams and wagons were sent down to render I any assistance possible. Orders were i dven bv the captain to lower the boats, but on looking oyer the other side of the vessel it. was seen that the vessel was high and dry. : There is a little water in the engine- ■ room, which can be coped with by the ship’s mints. but no other water has made its wav into the hold. At 10 o’clock this morning, when i your representative was on the scene, it was high tide —the tides are just receding from the spring—and a huge wave struck the vessel broadside on and shifted her further on to the beach by about a foot. There are no rocks in the vicinity, and what j probably happened was that the Wakatu Struck the old boiler of the wrecked steamer Tairoa, which is visible in the! trough of the waves. : The whole keel of the Wakatu can be seen, as the vessel is comfortably . cradled in the shingle with her nose Soin ting to Kaikoura. At 11 o’clock Ir. Murray had a wagon alongside the vessel alid a start was made to transfer the Kaikoura cargo, the wagon being right alongside the , vessel. Attempt to Refloat Vessel. ■■At 1 o’clock a team of twenty-five men from the Clarence Bridge were busy with shovels removing the sliinI gle in order to investigate the extent of the damage. The hole will be blocked with cement and an effort ■will be made to put out an anchor with a view to getting the vessel’s nose to the sea. Mr. F. K. Flower, local agent for the Wakatu. was early on the scene, and the mate, who had met with an accident at Wellington on the previous trip, was brought into Kaikoura. The remainder of the crew will remain on" the vessel, and are quite - comfortable. • ■ ' •A tug will likely be sent from Wellington to assist in towing the vessel off the shingle bank. Motor-cars can drive to within 50 feet of the vessel.

WHOLE OF CARGO SALVAGED STATEMENT BY CAPTAIN ROBERTSON ( DAMAGE TO SHIP FAIRLY V- EXTENSIVE 7 - —— Br Telegraph—Press Association.' Blenheim, .September 7. The Wakatu is high and dry at low water, but is suffering severe pounding at every high tide. Providing the weather remains calm, there is a good prospect of the ship being refloated, but even a few days of rough weather would see her pounded. to pieces, as she is in a very exposed position, 'within a couple of hundred yards of all that is left of the Tairoa., which went ashoro with appalling loss of life in 188 b. Whole Cargo Salvaged. On Saturday morning carts and clrays were hacked alongside the steamer and the whole cargo was removed quite undamaged. The ship herself has suffered fairly extensive damage, a hole about ten inches in driameder being visible under the starboard quarter, while niaps *>f her plates are buckled and cracked: the rudder is also damaged. Prom inside the hold it can be seen that 'tlie. ship’s bottom is badly set up. a stanchion inside the vessel being

crumpled, and it would be necessary to undertake repairs to the ship’s bottom before attempting to refloat her. Meantime, the risks of disaster at every high tide are so great that the crew will not be asked to spend a night on the vdssel, nut will be found accommodation at Mr. A. J. Murray’s Woodbank Station. It is understood that the Wakatu is not insured in the ordinary way. There were no passengers aboard at the time of the wreck. Captain's Statement. Captain Robertson, who has commanded the Wakatu for about three .years, states that he loft Wellington at 8 o’clock on Friday night. The night was a very dirty one, with a thiejk mist blowing from landward, and blinding squalls of rain, coming up on a stiff, south-easterly wind. He was on the bridge at the time the vessel struck, but had no warning of the fact that she was close to shore. He believed that he was on the usual course, which would have cleared W’iipapa by two miles and a half. He did nob notice the boom of the turf which might have warned him of disaster. The first indication of trouble was a slight jar. He rang for full speed astern, but the vessel grounded heavily, and was bumping badly and making water in the engine room. He sent up distress signals, and ordered the boats to be prepared, but the coming dawn showed that ths vessel was practically high and dry, and the crew scrambled ashore. They rejoined the ship when the tide went down, and with the assistance of the Public Works Department’s staff from the Clarence bridge works, and of Mr. Murray, of Woodbank, all the cargo wqs saved. Captain Robertson has communicated with the owners, but is awaiting instructions in regard to salving the ship.' 2; PROSPECTS OF REFLOATING » _ POSITION OF VESSEL NO WORSE ATTEMPT MAY BE MADE ON THURSDAY , Captain D. Robertson, of the Wakatu, who was in telephonic communication with Wellington law. yesterday afternoon, said that the position of the vessel was no worse than it was on Saturday. He considered that the best time to attempt to launch the vesspl would be on Thursday next, when there would be a full spring tide

MESSAGE FROM CAPTAIN WAKATU RECEIVES SEVERE POUNDING. On Saturday night a telegram was received by the shipping manager of Mjessrs. Levin and Co. from Captain D. Robertson stating that the Wakatu was high and dry; broadside on to the sea. She had received a severe pounding at high water, and on Saturday night a fairly heavy sea was running. Arrangements had bejen made to convey the 12 tons of miscellaneous cargo consigned to Kaikoura and Lyttelton, to Kaikoura. The rudder had gone at the neck; many of the plates were buckled and cracked, but the structure above Hie bilge wag »n good order. Success in refloating the vessel depended entirely on fine weather. Captain Robertson believed that this was the only chance for her. The crew of 11 were standing by. ;Mr. W. Signal, superintending engineer for Messrs. Levin and Company, is arriving in Wellington to-day from Roxtoni - He will probably proceed to the Wakatu to see what can be done. / SEEN FROM CALM HIGH UP ON A SHINGLE BEACH. The Canterbury Company’s Cahn, while en route from Lyttelton to Wellington, sighted the Wakatu early yesterday morning, when about 1J miles from the shore. A member of -the Calm’s complement stated to a Dominion reporter last night that the Wakatu was lying orbadsido on to the sea, which was calm. She was standing .upright, and tlie sea on the port side was just lapping her side. It was then low water. There seemed to be a bank of gravel between the sea and the vessel. She appeared to be lying .easily, and one could have imagined her at her berth. PARTICULARS OF THE CREW Captain D. Robertson has been in command of the Wakatu for three years’ succeeding Captain James Wills, who retired alter 39 years’ service on the vessel. 'lhe other members of the crew are as follow;—Chief engineer, Mr, James Powell (Christchurch).; acting mate. Captain J. Ihithie (a poultry farmer of Levin); able seamen, J. M. Smith and 11. Roberts (Lyttelton), and H. W. Miller: ordinary seaman, C. Lane (Lvtteltoij); cook and steward. J. Alagee: assistant steward. H. f ielding; firemen, T. Tackney and E. Brown. Captain Duthie, who received an iniurv to his leg at Wellington recently in a motor accident, is arriving at Christchurch this morning. WAKATU NOT INSURED The fact that the Wakatu has never been insured must have saved its owners some Lhoqsiwi.ds of pounds during

the last forty years. When Captain Wills was retiring he strongly urged the company to insure the steamer, but such was not done. If the Wakatu becomes a complete wreck she will be a total loss, as there was not a penny insurance on her. THE WAKATU’S HISTORY The Wakatu, which is owned by the Wakatu Steamship Company, of Wellington. is an iron steamer built at Nelson in the year 1879 by Messrs. Moutrav and Crosby, for Captain Cross, of Nelson for trade between Nelson. Wanganui, and Wellington. Later on the vessel was sold to the Patea Shipping Company, of Patea, for’ the coastal trade between the latter nort and Wellington, but after a time she was found to be unsuitable for negotiating the Patea bar, and the ownership underwent another change. The uurchasers were Mr. G. F. Bullen, of Kaikoura. who bought a full halfinterest in order to ensure that the steamer would be employed in the Kaikoura trade, where his interests largely lay. The other owners were Captain W. R. Williams, and the late Mr. W. H. Lovin, founder of Levin and Company both of whom held a quarter interest. Captain Williams was eventually bought out. and after the death of Mr. Bullen—a gentleman whose name is identified with the settlement and develonment of the Kaikoura district—the whole of the interests came into the hands of Messrs. Levin and Company, of Wellington, who formed later on the Wakatu Steamship Company, ever since which time the vessel lias been employed in the WellingtonLyttelton coastwise trade. Captain James Wills, of Wellington, who was associated with the command of the Wakatu for thirty-nine years, prior to his retirement in 1921 states that the Wakatu was the sole means of communication with Lyttelton and Wellington for all the coastal stations between for many years, and it was only the formation of through roads and bridges which deprived the

little vessel of many of her calling places along the Atariborough and North Canterbury coast, most of which Were worked in the old-time way with the assistance of the steamer s surr boat, which took in the goods and supplies and brought off the wool and other products for outside markets For many years the Wakatu used to work regularly such places as Cane Campbell, Flaxbourno, Kekerangu, Flagg’ii, Waipapa, Kaikoura Ohmie. Amiiri boat harbour, tort Robinson. Stoneyhurst, and Moutimu, but for some, years past Kaikoura had been the only calling place for the steamer. ~ Sneaking of the old steamer. Captain Wills said that she was iron built, and was a “little beast” in a seaway, until she was lengthened in Wellington by Luke and Company, in 1883. At that time the steamer was lengthened by some 18 feet, and her hull heightened by 41- feet, the additions being done in steel. This alteration made her a very good sea-boat, and many a big storm he had weathered in her without anv doubt as to her ability to stand up to it. AN HISTORIC SPOT SENSATIONAL WRECK RECALLED Waipapa Point. Captain Wills informed a Dominion reporter, is a rather historic spot on the coast, for it was on the north side of the point where the Tairoa was wrecked in sensational circumstances some forty years Ago, with considerable loss of life He remembered that incident very well, for within sixty hours he was alongside the vessel, so close in that there were those present who thought that he was also in trouble. The Wakatu is lying within a few yards'of where the Tairoa was wrecked. ■ ' WAIPAPA POINT Waipapa Point is a low-lying projeetion, with sandy beaches on the southern side and shingle and boulders on the northern side, which extends well under a mile to seaward from the general line of the coast. It is situated some eighteen miles north of Kaikoura, and the projection is traversed by the mouth of the Clarence River. Captain Wills was in charge of the, Wakatu when she was employed in carrying to Waipapa the material for the first bridge over .the Clarence River. Though the point is strewn with big boulders, there is an absence of rocks or rocky reefs, visible or invisible, for the composition .of the projection is shingle and boulders only. There is deep water at low tide within a cable’s length (90. fathoms) of the land. Easterly weatlier is felt severely there; in fact, any wind with eaterly in it can “kick up” a sea there. WHEN THE WAKATU

BUTTED A GROCER’S SHOP There are still those in Wellington who can remember what a gala day it was in Nelson on the day the Wakatu was dragged from the yards of Moutray and Crosby to the water’s edge. Everyone turned out to see the fun, for it was not every day that an iron steamer was built in those days (and, incidentally, it is an even rarer occasion in New Zealand to-day), and what assistance the crowd could give was given cheerfully. There was only one mishap during the day, but it was a pretty serious one. This happened during the rounding the corner of Bridge Street, when too short a turn was taken, with the result that a portion of a grocer’s shop on the corner was carried away by the impetuous bulk of the steamer. The incident served as a topic ot conversation for many weeks after the launching. STRIKING COINCIDENCE OLD WRECK RECALLED. (BV TELEGRAPH— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Blenheim, September 7. Less than two hundred yards away from the spot, where the Wakatu is atranded lio the bones of the. old Uuiou Company steamer Tairoa,

which was wrecked on th© point on tho night of April 11, .1886, with the loss of a number of lives. It is something of a coincidence that the Tairoa’s "distress signals in 1886 were first noticed by the men employed in buikling the Clarence bridge and the Wakatu’s by men employed in repairing it so many years later. It is also worthy of note that the Wakatu jilayed a big part in the salving of the Tairoa’s cargo, and was off and on the scene of the disaster for days after it occurred. STEWARD IN WILTSHIRE WRECK (BY telegraph—Special correspondent.) Blenheim, September 6. Harry Feilding, the Wakatu’s steward, was aboard the ill-fated Wiltshire when she 'met with disaster.