AFTER FORTY YEARS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 16, 20 January 1928, Page 6

AFTER FORTY YEARS

HAWEA TO BE RAISED THE PRIDE OF THE •SEVENTIES Forty years ago, on 11th June, 1888, the IJawea, a "epic, span, trim, and picturesque little vessel" (to use the words of one who knew her well), left Onehunga for New Plymouth with passengers and cargo. She made New Plymouth, at 11 p.m., and began to berth early next morning. A combination of misfortunes, including wind, the loss of her port anchov, low tide, misjudged distauces, and the stopping of the engines—a fatal mistake— brought the Hawea ashore and made ;i total wreck of her. Boats were lowered and the few passengers landed at the wharf, so that no casualties were added to th-i mishap. Now, Buys the "Taranaki News,'' the progress of the port demands that the remains of the Huwea shall be removed. The' local dredge is already at work deepening the berth for vessels at the Newton King Wharf, and in the area affected iie the remains of the Hawea. A few years after the wreck the vessel was sold to Mr. Thorn Oldfiekl, who conducted salvaging operations with spme success, many of the fitttings and other valuable parts which could be detached being turned to account. An auction gale was held, and various portions of the Hawea's rigging and equipment are still j to be found in many an unexpected quar- ■ ter of the Tarauafi district, bought at the auction by jovers of the sea and the ship, and others with a sentimental ttini of mind. Pieces of teak from the taffirails, cabin doors, and other woodwork now form table tops, picture frames, and other household articles. The aft poop skylights, with the teak seats attached, have afforded rest to visitors and patients in the old New Plymouth Hospital grounds for many years. The forecastle head was salvaged ill September, 1025, when the Newton King Wharf was extended, and a portion of the standing rigging gear is in the possession of the harbourmaster. Kigged before J875 and immersed in salt and sand for thirty-seven years, the gear, which was made of lignum vitae, showed no sign of the ravages of marine worm, and the marline yarn with which the splices were served was well preserved. The Hawea was the first vessel built for I the Union Company, and a sister ship to the Taupo, and she was looked upon in the 70's and 80"s as the finest tiling in the combined cargo «nd passenger service in New * Zealand. Like most vessels of those times she carried sail, and for her size had quite a respectable spread of canvas as well as good steaming power. THE OLD REGIME AND THE NEW. Shipbuilders and riggers in those days were very conservative and adhered a great deal to the old windjammer rig. They looked with a Sue contempt on the soft modern appointments and fittings. Herein lay the reason of the Hawea's lower rigging being s%t up with lanyards and dead eyes instead of being screwed to the plates as was afterwards the .custom. To the bitter last the riggers and builders of ships sought to postpone the march of innovations, simple, yet calling for no sailors' handicraft, and therefore demanding no pride in shjp-sbape detail. By virtue of this the Hawea's rigging spoke of the conflict waged even as late as the 80's between the old regime and the new. It was a waning fight and posfcibly after her completion the "psw" obtained full tway, for later the Hawea's spanker boom and gaff was removed. .One shareholder in the company said that it would ruin the company to have sucb* an expensively fitted ship in the service. The beading decorations over the cabins were largely representative of Scotland, with the thistle well in evidence. The cabins were good. The officers lived amidships, while the passengers' saloon was. aft in the long poop. The Hawea was a "well-decked" , ship, built with a rawed forecastle head, a raised observation bridge and deck amidships and a long, raised, poop aft, She was also probably the only vessel on the coast to carry a standard compass of reference, and another unusual feature was her two small brags distress signal cannon, and it is thought that these still lie with the ship. At sea the cannons were covered, in port, She arm of the brass boy achr ed until they were brilliantly burnished. The Haweo'e sails were, set on every possible occasion, and under favourable condition* she cut the water at thirteen knots. Now, after forty years the dredge Paritntu will carry on with the second cut in deepening New Plymouth's harbour. The Hawea is in the way and she ntust go. Asked .how long the removal would take, and what procedure would be ed, the resident engineer (Mr. G. W. B. Lowson) paid that shots would be used on the ship's remains, and the dredga would follow up with her buckets. .If the remains could not be coped wjth by the buckets, the diver would attach the pieces to the' dredge's crane and piecemeal the wreck would be cleared, The ship s boners, a few plates, the keel, and frame are included in the remains of the Hawea, one of the best-known boats of her time m New Zealand waters.