FOG DELAYS SHIPPING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15659, 13 July 1914, Page 8

FOG DELAYS SHIPPING.

FIONA MEETS BAD WEATHER.

SMALL STEAMER ON A REEF.

Thb heavy fog which enveloped the city

and harbour on Thursday night and throughout Friday, began to clear during

the early hours of Saturday morning, and had completely disappeared by daylight. Saturday morning broke clear and fine but

subsequently a good deal of rain fell. The weather appears to bo stormy in (he Tasman Sea. The Colonial Sugar Company's steamer Fiona, which arrived on Saturday morning from Newcastle, had a very rough passage. The vessel cleared Newcastle on Saturday,' July 4, and met with moderate weather until Tuesday evening, when the wind increased to a heavy gale from the east, with tierce rain squalls and very heavy beam seas. The ship, being in fairly light trim, rolled about considerably. At 4.30 a.m. on Wednesday the weather became 60 bad that the- vessel was hovo to with her head to the wind until 6 a.m. The .gale then moderated somewhat, and the Fiona was again put on her course, meeting with strong winds and a very heavy swell until nearing the New Zealand coast. A dense fog was then encountered, and although tho Three Kings wore totally obscured, those on board know 'that tho vessel was in tho vicinity of this dangerous rocky group. The Fiona was slowed down at 7 p.m. on Thursday, and proceeded under very easy steam- until 11 p.m., when the fog started to lift, and a few minutes later the welcome light at Cape Maria van Diemen was sighted. The weather was clear down the'coast until the SV'hangaparoa passage was reached, at 8.40 p.m. .on Friday, when tho vessel egain ran. into a dense fog. She steamed slowly lor about, three miles* and tuen anchored in tne gull. Ihe log began to clear at 1 a.m.

on Saturday, and tue luouti came into port 6iioruy alter daylight. J.IIO iNuruiti'a company s steamers which were detained in purl un rriday mgnt sailed during the early hours ol oaturuuy morning, ine Alanaia Jelt port a lew minutes beiore 5 a.m. for Whangarei, and returned at her usual time on oaturaay evening, alter a very last round trip. Ine , Waiotaiu tailed cany on Saturday morning lor Mercury Bay and Tairua, and arrived back at her usual time yesterday morning, l'he Taniwha left at noon on (Saturday lor Faeroa, and returned last evening. •The steamer Joan Craig, which was reported passing Tiritiri at h p.m. on Friday, inward bound from Newcastle and fort Stephens, anchored in the gulf until the fog liad lifted on Saturday morning. She then steamed into port, and berthed at the Queen's Wharf at 5 a.m. to discharge a number of hardwood piles. The vessel sailed for Gisborne on Saturday evening. The small steamer Minerva, of the Clovedon Steam Navigation Company, Limited, which was reported to be . ashore somewhere in the gulf on Friday, returned to port on Saturday evening. The little vessel appears to have sustained no damage as a result of the mishap. She was on her way from Whitford.to Auckland when she was completely enveloped by the fog, and struck on a soft reef at Mullin's Beach, near Howick. The steamer was carried right on top of the rock, and remained hard and fast, being almost high and dry at low water. The tug Young Bungaree was despatched to the scene of the mishap on Saturday morning, but after several attempts had been made to tow the vessel off, the rope parted, and tlio tug returned to port. A party of shipwrights from the Devonporfc Ferry Company's yards, with skids and jacks, were taken on board by the Young Bungareo, which returned to the steamer's assistance in the afternoon. With the aid of the skids and jacks, the Minerva was floated off the rock, the men working up to their waists in the water. She was then towed into port by the tug', and berthed at the Femes on Saturday evening.