WRECK FORTY YEARS AGO

Evening Star, Issue 19775, 27 January 1928, Page 14

WRECK FORTY YEARS AGO

HAWEA OH NGAMOTU BEACH VESSEL TO BE RAISED BY DREDGE PROGRESS DEMANDS REMOVAL. Tho wreck of: the Hawca is to bo raised. Jt has been companioned for forty years only by the sea creatures and the green waters'of Moturoa Harbor, high, alas, above her Plimsoll mark. The progress of her last port now demands that her bones be disturbed and bared again to the northerly breeze that sent her to her watery grave on June 32, 1883 (states tho Taranaki 1 Daily News ’). The Paritutu commenced a week ago with tho work of deepening the second area of 100 ft wide the length of tho Newton King wharf to 25ft at low water. In that area lies the remains of the s.s. Hawea. The Hawoa’s last voyage was from Onehunga, which sho left for New Plymouth with passengers and cargo early on the morning of Juno 11, 1888. She arrived off New Plymouth about 11 p.m., and remained anchored until 6.15 next morning. Leaving her anchorage there, the Hawea lost her port anchor —a bad beginning. The wind blew freshly from the north, with a choppy sea, and when the starboard anchor was hove short tho port anchor, which was still down, carried away with about fifteen fathoms of cable. The starboard anchor was then made ready, and, with tho daylight coming, the Hawea proceeded slowly into port. The tide was low in about the first quarter flood, but it was desired to clear port as early as possible to catch the night tide at Nelson. The fairway had only lift of water at that state of the tide, and the Hawca had to make a wide, sweep to clear the sandspit at the end of the breakwater and extending a considerable distance inshore. While coming in the s.s. Gairlocb, of lighter draught and twin-screwed, passed to windward ahead of tho Hawca to berth at the inner Moturoa. wharf. THE CAUSE OE THE WRECK.

The light was uncertain, and when the master of the Hawca ■ (Captain I Hansby) had hauled round from the I spit end for the end of the wharf, tho Gairloch’s starboard green light was showing as she backed in. The uncertainty of the distance separating the vessels confused him, and he stopped the engines—a fatal mistake. The wind at once took command, and the Hawca swung shoreward and started bumping almost immediately. The starboard anchor was let go, but it was too late, and a lightly-laden ship was broadside on to the fresh wind in a flood tide. Tho captain afterwards said he did not use his propeller when he first struck because he thought the blade would be stripped by the rocks. The vessel had only a single bottom, and, being made of iron, lacking the straining stress of steel, sho soon holed and filled as the tide rose. Boats were lowered, and the few passengers landed at the wharf. So did the Hawea become a total wreck.

What a wonderful change will greet her reappearance! The soundings, landmarks, and physical features, and tho high-water mark in that locality are greatly different. .Since then, and ultimately with the Hawca’s last chief officer as harbor master, there has been a great change. The breakwater has been extended 3 ,260 ft, the Moturoa wharf widened from 60ft to 72ft, and lengthened to 60ft. The high-water mark was then far shoreward, reaching to a spot still marked by a concrete wall near the railway line facing tho hotel. No portion of the harbor ever had been dredged. The fact is that had conditions on that fateful morning been as they are to-day tho Hawea. might still have had her Plimsoll mark above water.

Tho forecastle head was salvaged when the first 100 ft cut east of the Newton King wharf was completed in September, 1925. Before that and a ferv years after the wreck tho vessel was sold to Mr Thom Oldfield, and ho conducted salvaging, operations with some success. Divers and workmen were engaged for weeks, and many of the, fittings and other valuable detachable parts were turned to account. An auction sale was held and many were the bids from lovers of the sea and the ship and others with a sentimental turn. Memories are to be found in many an unexpected quarter in tho district in the forms of various portions of her equipment and Pieces of teak from the ta(Trails, cabin doors, and other woodwork now form table tops, picture frames, and other articles of utility in homes. Tho 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. RELICS STILL PRESERVED. A ‘ News ’ representative saw a, portion of the standing rigging gear in the possession of tho harbormaster (Captain W. Wallet)- Rigged before 1875 and immersed in salt and sand for thirty-seven years, these portions showed no sign of tho ravages of the teredo or marine worm. They were composed of lignum vitro—a very hard wood. The marline yarn with which the splices were served were well preserved, while tho wire cable and other jijirts were encrusted with a sandy cement.

Tho ship’s boll, which, gave relief fo, called the watches and marked tho tune at sea, now tolls on bind, but at longer intervals. Part of her cargo was boor, and years afterwards the divers brought fo tbo surface several bottles. They did not long remain intact, and the informant declared tbo contents were “clear ns crystal.”

Captain Waller served for three, and a-lialf years as chief officer of tho Hawca, and Captain Duder, now harbormaster at Auckland, who was with him at tho wreck, was then second mate. The former recalled those days with a vividness not without a tinge of sad fooling. 'Tho vessel was of iron, with a single screw, and was built by Denny and Co., of Dumbarton, for tho Union Company. She was the first vessel actually constructed for that company, and a sister ship to the s.s. Taupo. Her length was 216 ft, gross tonnage 721 tons, and she was looked upon in the 7U’s and 80’s as the finest thing in the combined passenger and cargo service in New Zealand. Like most vessels of those times she carried sail. OP brigantine rig, the Hawea carried a square foresail, and double topsail yards with a fore and aft forecastle and a spanker abaft the poop. Eor her size sho carried quite a respectable spread of canvas as well as good steaming power. CUSTOMS IN THE ’SEVENTIES. Shipbuilders and riggers in tho 'seventies and ’eighties were still very conservative and adhered a great deal to tho old windjammer rig. 'They looked with a lino contempt on the soft modern appointments and fittings. It must have been a nauseating feeling for the older salts to note the trend of things. Herein lay the reason of the Hawea’s lower rigging being set up with lanyards and dead eyes instead of being screwed to tho plates as was afterwards the custom. To the bitter lasT the riggers and builders of ships sought to postpone the march of rule of thumb innovations, simple, yet calling for no sailors’ handicraft and therefore demanding no pride in ship-shape detail. By virtue of this the Hawea’s rigging spoke

of Iho conflict waged oven as laic ns the ’eighties between the old regime and tile now. It was a waning light, and possibly after her completion the “new” obtained full sway. Captain Waller related that towards the end h 3 had the Hiiwca’s spanker boom and gaff removed, and carried that sail no more as it was not neccssarv.

One shareholder in the company said that it would ruin the company to have such 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 wore good. The o(fleers lived amidships, while the passengers’ saloon was aft in the long poop. The Jlawca was a “welldecked ” ship, built with a raised forecastle head, a raised observation bridge and dock amidships, and a long, raised poop aft. There were sunken ’tween decks forward and abaft midships—the wells. “PICTURESQUE, TRIM VESSEL” The vessel was distinguished in several features. She was conspicuous among other tilings for her standard compass of reference. This was mounted 01 her poop upon a teak tripod about Bft high in a place least affected by tho iron magnetic influence. Probably she was the only vessel on the coast to carry such a fitting. Another feature was her two small brass distress signal cannons. At sea they were covered. In port they wore uncovered, and the arm of tho brass hoy ached until they were burnished brilliantly. The cannons still lie, it is thought, beneath tho waves. Spick and span, shipshape and clean aloft and adeck was tho Hawoa, and for those characteristics she had a reputation all round tho compass in New Zealand. Tier sails wore set on every possible occasion, and under favorable conditions she cut the waters at thirteen knots. Doubtless many a curse fell on the air when tho tars of those times .were called out to clap on sail. However, tho Hawea was a trim ship, and all took a pride in her.

Now, after forty years, the dredge Paritutu will carry on with the second out in deepening the harbor. The Hawea is in the way and she must go. Asked how long it would take and what procedure would ho adopted, the resident engineer, Mr G. W. B. Lowson, said that shots would be used on the ship’s remains, and the dredge would follow up with her buckets. If the remains could not bo coped with by the buckets the diver would attach tlie pieces to the dredge’s crane and, piecemeal, the wreck would be cleared. The ship’s boilers, a few plates, the keel, and frame are included in the remains of what her last chief officer termed “ a spick and span, trim and picturesque little vessel.”