MISHAPS TO STEAMER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17784, 18 May 1921, Page 7

MISHAPS TO STEAMER.

WATER ENTERS OPEN PORT. COLLISION WITH WHARF, Two sensational incidents marked the voyage of the steamer Mapourika from Nelson to Wellington on Sunday. Through a port having been left open one of the after holds was flooded, and when approaching her berth at Wellington, the vessel crashed into the wharf. The vessel leff Nelson early on, Saturday evening, apparently all secure. In common with several other coastal steamers that left- port* on Saturday, she was badly buffeted by the southerly gale. About five o'clock on Sunday morning some stewards an their quarters over the storeroom heard the rushing of water below. They hastened to investigate, and when the storeroom door was unlocked, they found seas gushing through the open port. The after hold was full of water. Owing to the water-tight bulkhead no water got into the engine room. The ship's pumps were promptly put into operation to clear the after hold- Although steaming was naturally slow, the vessel made port shortly after nine o'clock in the morning. The pumps were still going, and the vessel had a heavy list to starboard as she made her way to the Queen's Wharf in the howling southerly gale. Then a squall caused the ship to swerve, and she cut 12ft. into the end of the tee before she could be stopped. The vessel backed out a little, and then berthed without further trouble. A water pipe used ior operate ing the wharf cranes was cut through, and a good deal of water ran to waste before the supply could be turned oS. Stringers and crossbeams were carried away, and although the ship's bows went midway between two piles one of them was badly cracked by the impact. The Mapourika's bows were considerably scraped, and a couple of rivets above the water-line on the port side, 12ft. from- the stem, were started. The prmps were kept going up till the evening to get out the water that had entered through the storeroom port. Some years ago the same port was accident-ally left open when the Mapourika was coming out of Westport. Before the oversight was noticed the storeroom was flooded.