AN ILL-FATED SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 116, 13 November 1923, Page 3

AN ILL-FATED SERVICE

WRECK OF THE KAEO

THREE LOSSES IN FOUR YEARS.

The auxiliary schooner Kaeo,~ which was totally wrecked at Nine ' Island 'on October, is the third vessel-on the service between Auckland and Niue'tfiat has been lost within the past three '."or four years. In two previous instances the" vessels engaged in the mail- 'ami cargo service were lost at sea and "never heard of again. The Jubilee .disappeared two and a half years ago,' and'the Awanui about a year lately The Kaeo was on her first trip to the island when she. was wrecked. Tuap'a,' where she went ashore, is about five miles from Alofi, the seat of government'and-port of entry, The fringing reef is broker* by a narrow boat passage, partly natural and partly the result of improvement effected by H.M.S. Mildura many years ago.

The Government has received.\±he following message from the Administrator at^Apia (General Richardson):—-- "■■ - "Captain Mac Donald, master"of ' the Kaeo, arrived, at Apia this., morning (Saturday) in an open boat, after a nine days voyage from Niue, bringing the following message from the Resident Commissioner:—'Kaeo wrecked' at Tuapa on 24th October. No lives, lpstr-Mail and outward cargo saved. Outward cargo partly salvaged, also . stores and part ship's fittings. Ship now lying on .her side, awash. Lifeboat carrying'small mail, including orders for hurricane 'season. Food supply will last'till "Cfiristmas. Twenty-five"Europeans desirous.of leaving, Niue this year, many urgent:' "' The Administrator (General Richardson) has arranged for..a. .visit.Jib the, scene of the wreck by the steamer' Lady Roberts, which was recently sent from New Zealand for ordinary transport between the Samoan Islands, and emer* gency calls .from other isolated islands, such as have just come to hand in this radio. ' :. ■ ■ -■'-. ■

When the Government called for the usual tenders for the shipping servic* contract last year, an offer was received from the owners of the Kaeo, also* an offer, from the Scales Shipping Company for a steamer service. The latter was not only attractive from tho point of view o f offering an excellent opportunity for the development of tfatfe. but it was also implied that the Department would be reasonably free'" oE the worry and anxiety, that have .always been present in the case-of the-power schooners. To give Messrs. Scales a chance to fix up the steamer. service,.the Department agreed with them, and temporarily ,met the service by continuing the Ysabel. They ran her for four trip? this year, and she put up remarkable performances, on each occasion doing the round journey in what was equivalent to steam time. On the round trip from Auckland to Auckland, .with, calls , at three ports at Niue, discharging and loading, she did it in an average of 30. days. When, August last, it became practically certain that the .idea. ,pf,; asteamer service would have to be-aban-doned, the Department gave the owners of the Kaeo the option of taking* up the service at their contract price. This was accepted, and the. Kaeo dis'plnrotl tho ' Ysabel for the run in September. As stated above, her ill-fated trip v.-as t her first under the new arrangement,.-.