PERILS OF THE SEA.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2858, 1 February 1916, Page 4

PERILS OF THE SEA.

TWO STEAMERS ASHORE. NO LIVES LOST. KAITOA AND KOMATA IN DIFFICUI/llIvS. PENCARROW AND TER A WHITI OBSCURED. PBK PBEBI ASSOCIATION. Wellington, January 111. One of those rare sea fogs that obscuro the entrance to the harbour and enshroud the Wellington coastline in mist came down yesterday morning, and remained practically all day. It rendered navigation extremely hazardous, and, as a matter of fact, caused two vessels to go ashore, one, the Kaitoa, at Terawhiti, and the other, the Komata, at Pcncariow Head. Generally, there is always wiflicient wind from one quarter or another to keep the Straits clear of fog. but yesterday was quite an exception. Looking seaward at about 10 o'clock yesterday morning front tho Heads, the fog was seen advancing in a low bank all along the horizon. The sky was blue and cloudless. At about 11.30 tho fog entered the Heads, first leaving the hilltops bare above it. A little later it spread through the fairway, hugging the eastern shore of the harbour. The explosive fog signal at Pencarrow was audible by this time. and a steamer's siren could be heard outside the Heads. It was the Maitai, from San Francisco. She came in under very easy steam, her siren going at the regulation intervals. Some yachts were dodging about in the fairway off the Pinnacles at tintime the fog fell, but they turned back and mado for Worscr Bay or town. BLOTTING OUT EVERYTHING. By 12.30 p.m. the fog was so dense that it was impossible to see more than L'O yards ahead. Vef-sels due at the time were tho Shaw Savill Jiner Taimii and the Berwick Law from Auckland ; the Canopus from Westport; Tvotuku. from We:;t Coast ports; and Ha worn, from Pa tea. Luckily, before the fog practically closed the harbour the .steamers I'akelia, Paparoa, Indrabarah. Polierua, Arahura, Maori, and Patccna had come in. The last-named had the log just astern of her. The Ashburtoii. from Ib.ie North + canto in through the log behind the Maitai. Unfortunately, the Union Company's collier Komata and tho Anchor Company's passenger steamer Kaitoa were not so lucky. Both got ashore in the fog, although at different points. Tho Komata. by a singular coincidence, touched quite , close to where the Devon was wrecked, and the stranding of the Kaitoa was at a spot where it is believed the Penguin went down with the loss of over 70 HARD AND FAST. Pencarrow, 2.15 pm. Up to the present all efforts to shift the Komata have proved unavailing, and the vessel remains hard and fast. There is now some conjecture as to whether she is not grounded on a rocky bottom, in which case her position will bo serious.-especially should rough (southerly weather set in, as tho locality is very much exposed. STEAMER AND HER OFFICIOUS. Tho Komata is of 19 ( J4 tons, under the command of Captain John Carey, formerly of the Mapourika. She was J>iiilt on tho Tyne in 1907 for the Union Steam Ship Company, and has been running in the West Coast cofd trade for some years past. She is 286 ft long by 42ft beam and 18ft oin deep, and is a particularly handy type of vessel for the work she has to do. Captain Carey has with him the following officer*: First. Mr J. Hughan ; second, Mr H. E. Schmidt; third. Mr P. Harris; chief engineer, Mr W. J. Cannon; second, Mr W. Norris; third, Mr G. Renuie. SALVAGE BOATS RETURNING. Late in the afternoon the Arahura and Terawhiti were returning to Wellington. THE KAITOA COMES OFF. Later. The Kaitoa has been floated off, and has reached the wharf. Tho Komata isr on the rocks, with relief vessels standing by. The vessel is hold fast by a pinnacle of rocks and is making water, but it is honed to get her off at high tide.