THE ILL-FATED ROMA.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 100, 1 May 1906, Page 4

THE ILL-FATED ROMA.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RONGA

The Ronga (says the " Lyttolton Times") was one of the swiftest and handsomest of the smart schooners engaged in the coastal timber trade. She was of New Zealand build, having been launched from the yard of Messrs Brown and Lano, Whangaroa, upwards of six years ago. The vessel was constructed to the order of her owners, Mr T. H. Ker, of Christchurch, and Messrs Brownlee and Co., of Pelqrus Sound, specially for the traffic in which she has always been engaged, the timber trade between Lyttelton and Havelock. Her register was 93 tons, and she was always in thoroughly good order and admirably ' found in every respoct. Her manning was even in excess of the requirements of the law, which prescribes that a vessel of her class shall carry, besides the master, two able seamen and an ordinary seaman. The Ronga's complement consisted of a master and five able seamen. Though possessing a well-deserved reputation for speed, the Ronga, by some persons ■at all events, was not regarded as an especially safe vessel under all conditions. When loaded she was safe enough, but when in ballast she was generally regarded as somewhat unreliable and needing very careful handling. This opinion oi her was strengthened by her capsizing twice in Pelorus Sound, on each occasion when putting out ballast and sailing up to where she was to load. Her first mishap occurred about a year after she had been launched, and the second twelve months later, in September, 1902. Captain Peterson was in charge of her on both occasions. After the second accident she underwent some alterations at Lyttelton. Her roasts were shortened, and the area of her canvas considerably reduced by direction of the insurance companies, who did not consider her a safe risk. Despite these precautions some persons persisted in regarding her as rather unreliable in ballast. It was, on the other hand, considered that with 25 tons of ballast she was reasonably safe. When she left Lytteltqn on her trip last Saturday, she carried more than that quantity, as there were thirty tons of coal in her hold.

The Ronga was, it will be remembered, the winner of the schooners' race at the Lyttelton regatta of 1904The vessel was insured for the sum of £1000.

The Ronga was built in 1900. Her principal dimensions are:—Length 98ffc, beam 28ft, and depth of hold fii. Her owners are Mr T. H. Ker, of Christchurch, and Messrs Brownlee and Co., of Pelorus Sound. The name of the Ronga was painted on her stern, but it is slated that justbefore leaving on her last voyage it was painted out and covered with a coat of white paint. THE CAPTAIN AND CREW. The following were on board the Ronga when she left Lyttelton on Saturday:— Edward Peterson, master, Swede, aged forty years, unmarried; J. Peterson, A.B. and mate, Swede, aged thirty years, unmarried; J. McPlierson, A.8., Scotchman, aged thirty-seven years, unmarried; J. Johnson, A.8., Norwegian, aged twenty-seven years, unmarried; C. Olsen, A.8., Norwegian, aged twentytwo years, unmarried; Charles Foreman, A.B. arid cooki German, aged forty-two years";' unmarried. Catpain Petersen, who was very popular in Lyttelton, was a thorough sailor, frank, genial and open-hearted, had gained the esteem of "-all sorts and conditions of men" with whom he came into contact. Of Scandinavian blood and birth, and with all the Norse love of the sea and a full share of the Norse daring, Captain Peterson had been for some srxteen years in tbe employ of the owners of the Ronga. lie left the ship Greta at Lyttelton in March, 1890, to become an A.B. on the schooner Falcon. He afterwards became mate of that vessel, and, having obtained a. master's ticket, was later on put to command the ketch Clematis, When the latter waa^sold to Auckland buyers and the Ronga obtained in her place, he took the ketch to Auckland and brought the schooner to Lyttelton.' The command of the Ronga was first given to? Captain C Green, who was^the senior in the service of the owners, and who, "to take the new vessel, quitted the Falcon, which was transferred into the care of. Captain Peterson. Some time later Captain Green obtained a shore appointment and Captain Peterson became master of the Ronga. He gained a reputation for smart passages. The mate of the Ronga, J. Peterson, though of the same name and nationality a? his captain, was not related to the"latter. The members of the crew were all well-known in Lyttelton, and had, so far as can be ascertained, no relatives here. There was only one native of Great Britain among them, Mcx'herson. Foreman, the cook, had been for some years connected with the Ronga and her consort, the Falcon.

THE CAPTAIN'S PREMONITIONS

The fact that Captain Peterson and his men were lost in the sudden and terrible accident to the Ronga in the howling gale and mountainous seas off Cape Campbell during the darkness or Saturday night, has created a foeling of deep grief and horror among his many friends in Lyttelton (says the Christchurch "Press."

It is understood that Captain Peteiv son has an aged widowed mother and a widowed sister in Sweden, who were to s large extent dependent on him. Captain Peterson was a Freemason, and belonged to the Canterbury Kilwinning Lodge, No. 03, N.Z.C." It has been remarked by a large number of his friends that during his stay in port- last week, Capt. Peterson seemed somewhat preoccupied and downcast, and several times made the remark that sooner or later the Ronga would drown him. On Saturday morning, however, before he left port, he seemed to have*frecovered his usual good spirits, and he said that the gale was a good fair wind for him, and that he would be back again inside ten days. When the launch was towing thj? Ronga out, the strong wind and heavy §(?9- paused her to hang for some minutes between the moles, and one bystander remarked that it looked as though she was unwilling to leave port. Once outside, however, with her foresail and one jib set, the handsome little yg&sel went away at steamer speed. The Ronga, although always in splendid order and well found, was by some persons not regarded as a "safe"' vessel when in ballast, when it was said shp required very careful handling. The foot that she capsized on two occasions in Pelorus Sound doubtless gave rise to this belief. The law prescribes that a vessel of the Rongji's class shall carry besides the master, two able seamen And an ordinary seaman. Tho Ronga carried on her last trip five able seamen, besides the master.

The Ronga usually carried 25 tons of ballast, which was considered quite sufficient, but when she left Lyttelton on Saturday she had over thirty tons of cea] ja her hold. Loose cpal", howover, is I'Mgarded as being somewhat "lively," and the Itptj^fi bad no "shifting" boards jV hn'r holds to keep the coal from shifting. It is considered that the vessel either "broached to " or was struck by a sea, which made her heel over, and so shifted the coal to one side, causing the vessel to capsize. It is understood that the Ronga wa3 insured for £1-200 with the ISqvt Zealand Insurance Company.

By a coincidence (says tho '•' New Zealand Times "), is was in the same vicinity irhere the Maim sighted the derelict schooner supposed to be the Ronga, that the la-tv Captain F. W. S. llenaer, twenty-five years ago, in tho fcchooner Hannah Barrett", found the capsized schooner Clematis. The master and mate Jijad been imprisoned for two days in the c/ibju after the vessel overturned. As the water vras then gaining in the cabin, they decided to dive for freedom. The "mate went first, but was never seen again. The captain managed to succeed in reaching the surface, and scrambled on to the hull, where he was discovered twenty-four hours later.