BADLY HOLED

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 6 September 1927, Page 7

BADLY HOLED

THE STEAMER TIROA.

STRUCK BY ANOTHER•BOAT

Auckland, Sept. 5. The steamer Tiroa, owned by the Gisborne Farmers’ Meat Company, which was unloading a cargo of maize and wool at King’s wharf, was set erely damaged through being struck by the steamer Hikurangi .shorty after three o’clock this afternoon. The Tiroa was badly holed amidships on the port side.

The accident occurred when th< Hikurangi, owned by James Smith and Co., Ltd., was going alongside the Tiroa to supply her with bunkei coal. The Hikurangi is an iron steam of 287 tons gross, and the Tiroa, which is built of wood, is 206 tons gross. The Hikurangi failed to answer her helm in time and drove stern on to tlie Tiroa.’s side in the vicinity of the engine room.

The hull of the Tiroa was badly shattered from the deck to about two feet below the water line. She began to leak badly and was in danger of sinking- A weighted tarpaulin, used as a collisilon mat, helped to check the inrush of water. As soon as possible the Harbour Board's firefloat was placed alongside and her powerful salvage pump prevented the water from rising above the Tiroa's bilges. The firefloat’s pumps are to be kept going all night, -and in the morning the Tiroa will be put on the slip for repairs.

At the spot where the Hikurangi struck the Tiroa, the bulwarks were driven inboard and the deck was crumpled up. Considerable damage was done in the engine room, eonpci piping, pumps and bilge connections fastened inside the hull suffering most.

The Hikurangi is used by the owners for carrying coal from Whangarei to Auckland. The Tiroa runs regularly between Auckland, Hicks Bay and Gisborne, and arrived from Gisborne at 11 o’clock this morning.