SHIPPING COLLISION

Grey River Argus, 2 August 1940, Page 8

SHIPPING COLLISION

ARMADALE’S GAPING HOLE

Both Vessels Reach Port

[Per Press Association]

WELLINGTON, August 1.

The- motor-ship Armadale and the Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob came through Wellington Heads about daylight, the former in tow of a tug, and the latter under her own The Armadale,< which lias a gaping hole on the starboard side, big enougn to drive a bus through, was tied ujr at Aotea Quay, near the floating docn, and the tanker anchored in the stream. It is understood that her bows 1 are damaged. BADLY DAMAGED. Considerable damage was done to the Armadale, which is badly holed forward. Both ships arrived at Wellington under their own power. Apparently, the Ol e Jacob struck the Armadale, which gave the first news of the collision in an SOS, the mastei, Captain H. E. Webb, reporting that his ship was badly holed forward, and No. 1 hold was flooded. The tanker stood by the Armadale, whicn requested the assistance of tugs. The Toia and Terawhiti were immediately got ready, and left with all necessary towing and salvage gear, beforemidnight, only to find that towing services were not required. The Armadale arrived about 7 o’clock, and the tanker about an hour later. The tanker is now tied up at the on wharf at Miramar. NO LIGHTS ON SHIPS. The ships were travelling under war conditions, without lights. The hole in the Armadale is roughly square m shape, but wider at the top. It extends some distance below the water line- to within about six feet of the loredcck backwards into the holci. A quantity of cargo was lost, but how much is not yet, ascertainable. Captain Webb trimmed the ship try shifting part of the cargo of oildrums.

Lloyd’s surveyor made an examination of the ship. The repair joo will be big, and with so large a section of the hu l and frame s damaged, it may be necessary to get new material from Australia, according to Mr Turrell, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company. FORCE OF COLLISION. The force of the collision was evidenced by the damage to the tanker. I On both sides of the hull, for about 40 I feet back from the stem, though less on the starboard side, plates are buckled and dented. The stem and massive hawse pipes were fractured. The winch gear on deck, about 25 feet above the waterline, was reduced io scrap metal. Damage was also done to tne gear in the rorepeak, ihougn the destruction is not extending as rar aft as on the unprotected dec?<. The ship also suffered underwater damage, as she is slightly down at the heaa as she lies alongside the wharf. The commander is Capt. L. Grougn. A number of men were thrown from the bunks by the force of the collision, but none was injured on either ship. The Armadale, which was., coming up from fh e south, wa s bound west through Cook Strait. It is understood that she was in light trim. The tanker, Ole Jacob, which was bound south, was fully loaded with a cargo of motor spirit. The Armadale, which is well known in New Zealand ports, is a cargo vessel of 5,066 tons gross register, built in 1929, and owned by the Australian Steam Shipping Company, Ltd. (Trinder, Anderson and Company), of London. The Ole Jacob :s .i large motor-tanker, of 8,306 tons g rt K? register, 470 feet in length, by 59 feet beam. She was built last year at Gothenburg, Sweden, for Mr Johs Hansen, of Arendal Norway,