STEAMER BEACHED

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15250, 13 March 1913, Page 7

STEAMER BEACHED

I^S||S : OOMPANY'B KOWHAI : j . 'EKpiffl WITH THE MOLE, I 'fv:. xi AT DUNEDIN. » ««J»BXPH.— ASSOCIATION.] - ■ Dtoedin, Wednesday. I ' mgg Union Company's cargo steamei I fiMfcsi came to grief this morning while mk<'f the way * rom Dunedin to Gisbornej "coastal port*. As she was steaming . 3tbroogh the heads > about 8.55 clock ' - U» face of a moderate gale from the iib-eaat, she became unmanageable and j—«,d across the entrance in the direction the mete. She was well down by the jtim. be* bow being light. The boat ''twaAi the full force of the wind » *° WM ju*en bow-on, on to the mole. She rode \yA over it, but in doing so struck the rabbi* wall just as the engineroom was fe met it ' *" It was immediately found that water % yat pouring in through the gash in the -"4«fcUi aader the stokehold. Owing to the "?-h£ flow of water into the stokehold *ngineroom, Captain Hendricks de- "'"' "tided to turn up the channel and with all *)* steatif availably the' Kowhai was fllfeiied towards Port Chalmers, the capita hoping to get her to a place where Igj^coald^ beached. . Meanwhile the miar was rapidly rising and in a few jipatat the fires were swamped out, and < ' ! thf* below had to clamber up on deck. Jb» nasrVTi stern was settling down at ■ jJIBPIPg' nit *» but she was headed or . 4 ttady point near the wharf, at the spit '■'■'-■■ mmmiM Harrington's Point, where she was beached. Anchors were run ashore to f fteveot the Kowhai from slipping back H intoi deep water. r s**i Ifce wg Plucky, on board of which was Tr*?lfc. Melntyre, superintendent of repairs Sttrtk* Union Company, quickly arrived :' «t the scene, but by that time the Kowhai *m submerged to the level of the deck at ipijjpateii- After the crew's effects had haw transferred to the Plucky, the tug ' latsroed to Port Chalmers for the hulk ~) rkrr~" so as to transfer the cargo and '' to procure a diver. " She subsequently re- • tamed to the Kowhai, and stood by until tfce evening. ' ' ■• ■■„/■ lathe afternoon the incoming tide and afcre&g wind caused the Kowhai to float ■'■ m to the beach, and as she rose" and fell . \- ipr lon part came in. contact with the fejpy. fanaldara forming a retaining wall. Il§§finag to the danger of further damage, *Jpß stranded vessel was removed to a safer •;-p- Bastion on the beach a short distance on the ■|||ioirn side of the Spit Jetty, where she ; !.' <*«t moored. A diver went down to I the extent . of the damage and I Infect collision mate over the hall. I illf , * i ** will be made to pump the ™* I afl oat to-morrow, suction dredge No. 404 I flPp 1 * utilised for the purpose. :. AssumI isf that the holes m the Kowhai can be I gipsefcaafly dosed, pumping operations will I '0i "? completed very quickly, and it is I Sfami *° have the Kowhai docked some I f/&%sjm to-morrow. The general opinion is I raBF captain ** entitled to great credit I llPfe getting the Kowhai back to a place I Bly^ B *''' 'after' this accident had' happened. I The Kowhai: ii; a single-deck.' steamer •of ffJPfB 001 ' "and w *» bought by the Union Sffitißpsny about two years ago. She has JlglHK* been engaged io the coastal' trade.