HARBOR BOARD AFFAIRS.

North Otago Times, 5 August 1903, Page 3

HARBOR BOARD AFFAIRS.

To the Editor, Sir,-I see by your account, of the meeting yesterday Mr Eeid asked the harbormaster if seas got up quickly, in less than twelve hours, Captain Ramsay replied, " Yes, much less." JTow, I remember being on board the Mamari in Oamaru harbor some eight or ten years ago, when Captain Maxwell was in command, and was chatting to tho captain and his wife in the cabin, when a telegram was handed in, telling him to put to sea at. once, We all went on deck, and what a change had come over the sea during the short time we had been in the cabin, Tho vessel commenced rolling about at the wharf, and some ladies who were aboard were going do\Mn the ship's ladder, but before they got to the bottom the foot of the ladder was crushed to splinters between the side of the vessel and the wharf, Cap.tain Sewell veiled to these ladies to get' off that ladder, a thing they were only too anxious to do,- Every roll of that steamer shook the wharf from stem to stern,- The result was the steamer broke every hawser during the night, and did some damage to the wharf. lam sure the officers of the Board will remember 'the circumstance, The sen got up so suddenly that the. captain could not obey bis instructions to proceed to sea. The late Captain Sewell and his men had a very anxious time of it"that night. It was .well known at that time that the .wharf is too short to tie up a long steamer to with safety,-I am, etc,, SHIPPER.

YW.g way explain that the Mamari ■did not break away from the wharf. Hqi- moorings had been cast off in Anticipation of going to sea at night, but the storm our correspondent refers to arose, and it was in trying to fasten her up again that 'each warp was broken as the strain tame on it. Since then no vessel has beenuipoored till she was Actually ready to Icave.-Ed.)