MARAROA ASHORE

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 48, 24 February 1917, Page 6

MARAROA ASHORE

STRIKES IN A DENSE

FOG

BETWEEN PALLISER BAY :: AND PENCARROW

VESSEL HARD AND FAST

SMOOTH SEA; PASSENGERS x SAFE. -

1 STEAMERS STANDING BY.

'. .While on her nsual journey from .Ly Helton to Wellington this morning the well-known ferry steamer Mararoa wont ashore at Capo Turakirae,. a prominent headland about sis miles 'from Pencarrow Head. The first message was received in Wellington at 8.55 o'clock, and naturally caused anxiety as to the safety of the passengers on board. It was a radiogram to tha Secretary of the General Post Office, and read:—

Mararoa « ashore on rocks in deep fog. Captain cannot locate locality as yet.

The news soon circulated throughout Ihe city, and those with relatives and Iriends aboard became particularly anxious. A later message, received at 9! 15 o'clock, was rather more reassuring. Its full text was as follows:—

; Mararoa ashore at Turakfrae j; ;; Point. Stern in 4£ fathoms of :! ; water. Steamer making no ' '. ' water.

MONOWAI STANDS BY.

■ ;It was also, ascertained that the ssa in Cook Strait' was comparatively smooth, but that the fog was particularly heavy. It was bright enough in the city this morning until half-past eight. 'An hour later tho -whole city was enveloped; in a heavy mist. The summit of Mount .Victoria was not visible from :tlio'citySstreets,;.and. those who are used' to the conditions in Cook Strait readily realised what it must have teen .liko '/outside." It seemed that the Cook Strait fog was responsible for another ■mercantile loss. Later still more re- . assuring ..Sews beanie .to hand, namely, that the Monowai, en route for Auck-,land:rand-aHomB liner; were both stand-Vng-liy. '; At 9.21 o'clock the following was sent by Captain Drewetto,' jolt the Monowai, to Captain.Reid, master joi^ the: Mararoa:—■ "?:•■ ' '•■■*- " .".-

Monowai close by—about two miles'froih you. Will stand by.-;

! j'jK'irther. evidence, of the density' of tho ;Tog v.*?a&' thgn," forthcoming.: ;At . 9.'34 io'clocV,l a second message was sent from Hrib M^«nowsi, and stated: "Monowai i-feloso b^* you, only waiting for fog to ■ clear." ' By this it is apparent that the 'boats IraA 1- not been able, to ; sight one • another. ■ The Mararoa remained hard and fast, but some anxiety was exjjressed ai\ to what would happen in the event of a strong southerly springing up, roC which tLwra appeared,- to the lay mind ; a± f least, to bo some possibility.

INHERE TITE MARAROA STRUCK.

i.lt is probaWa that the Mararoa has fiat least three \ hundred passangers on ;';b!oard. Accord ing to a, message received from Orongoroitgo the -vessel is lying 'tlpse into • the itiwre, so close, in fact, Hjiat conversation wiJk passengers from •the beach is possible. Turakirae Head I is. a 6pot well-known to mariners. It ji.k.six miles beyond! Pencarrow Head and J three miles beyond Baring Head, and ■ the spot where the Maxaroa has struck lis. close to the Orongoyongo homestead. : The Rimutaka Moumtains extend from 'the Head in a nortteasterly direction (along the west "side of 1 Palliser Bay. i'AppToaching from the «astvracrd the j Head appears, from a distance, to end in a bold abrupt convexity. On a- nearer approach a low point is observed, exf tending from its base, which gives it ! much the appearance of the snout of ia porpoise. Low, detached straggling rocks extend off Turakirae Head onethird of a mile, and continue almost the same distance from the coast, as far as: j Baring Head.-The Orongorongo and WaiI £ui-o-mata Rivers flow into the sea beftween these two heads.

' : TERAWHTTI DESPATCHED. i>'As soon as the Union Company, receivf eel information, preparations were made '■ lor the despatch of the powerful tug ■ Terawhiti, which .vessel has a wide • xeputation as a salvage tug.l SBe was iaken round to the Patent Slip, where she shipped a great quantity of up-to-date- salvage gear, besides provisions from , the Paloona, and left for the scene of the mishap shortly before 1 o'clock. '.WILL THE VESSEL FLOAT OFF?

; The possibility of floating the', Mararoa at high tide was considered by some experts this . morning, although, without further information, they were unable to form any opinion on this point. It will be. high tideat 6.50 o'clock this evening. ,At noon, according to a message irom Mr. Hiddiford's station at Orongorongo, the Mararoa was still hard and (fast. It was then low tide. The sea was smooth and the fog was lifting, only tho hills being then obscured.

There was a very heavy fog in Cook 'Strait last night, and this was encountered by the Maori going South from Wellington. The fog-horn was sounded pbntinuously. . : ■ ■•■

I. The'"pilot boat TJta, which went out at 8.30 • a.m. to attend to lights, re'iurned to_ the wharf a little after 2 'p.m. 'She was not far away from tho jspot where the. Mararoa went ashore, "kjuite near Messrs. Riddiford's homestead, but was unable to pick her up, the ■■weather being still very .thick. The sea ■was quite calm when the Uta was out., but the wind was freshening. The Mono* •■wai, Nafcone*, and a liner • were 'standing by, and the Terawhiti was just i 'arriving. „ '} MARAROA'S; NEW MASTER. yl Captain. J..D. Eeid, master of the jMararpa, only joined that vessel on last, .and was therefore (making his "second trip in her from Lyt•/telton to Wellington. He has the reputation of being one of the most careful .masters.in the Union Company's service. Tor some time .past he has been^in charge of the Paloona, and as an example Qf 'the care he has invariably taken, a pas■'sengei- who arrived in Wellington from Melbourne by the Paloona about a year iago told a Post reporter to-day that, i"whilst coming into Dunedin Harbour, a eihick fog came over the entrance. Kather Hhan risk going into port, Captain Reid 'fput out again and anchored off the har-;-bour all night, only entering when the ■fog cleared next morning.