Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1888. THE WRECK OF THE HAWEA.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXIV, Issue 140, 3 July 1888, Page 2

Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1888. THE WRECK OF THE HAWEA.

How the luckless steamer Hawea came to her end, m the harbour of New Plymouth, will probably remain a mystery. According to the evidence of the diver, who has thoroughly explored the bottom of the harbour, there is no obstruction there on which the vessel could have come to grief, md the natural iof erence is, therefore, that there must have been something ivrong with her hull. What, will probably never be known ; but enough has now oeen said to create a very uneasy feeling m the public mind. What are w& to think, when a vessel going alongside a wharf suddenly sinks ? If it be true that there were no rocks on which she could aave gone to pieces, and that there must tiave been something wrong with her before she reached the harbour ; — what was the matter, and how did the defect escape notice? It has long been generally believed (though the belief lias hardly ever Eound expression) that the examination of vessels is not quite so frequent as it ought

to be. It is certainly very unsatisfactory to hear of a vessel going down as did i the Hawea, when m the act of going t alongside a wharf, and to find that nobody i can give the least idea of how it all hap- t pened. We trust the matter will engage £ the attention of the Marine Department, I and that every effort will be made to dis- i cover the seat of .the mischief. This c theory (that ships are not closely enough inspected) is one which is disquieting, but ■, which we do not quite accept. The most . probable thing is that the vessel was " m good condition," but that she over-ran her anchor. This mishap might be ex- -, tonuated, if it happened m the case of a j sailing vessel, but it is absolutely inexcus- , able m that of a steamer. For, if the manipulation of a steamer be difficult, the manipulation of a sailing vessel is much 1 more so. One turn of the engine m a < steamer is equal, and far more than equal, 1 to a great deal of manual labour on board < a sailing vessel. To cast off a halyard, or ' loose a sheet, and then pull and haul, are ' one thing ; — to stop or reverse an engine is quite another. The one thing involves the labour of half a dozen men ; the other merely the movement of one hand. If a mishap occurs to a steamer going alongside, it is simply unpardonable. . '