STEAMER SINKS IN RIVER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20678, 25 September 1930, Page 12

STEAMER SINKS IN RIVER.

ACCIDENT TO TANIWHA.

VESSEL STRIKES A SNAG.

RAPID INFLOW OF WATER.

" EVERY COMPARTMENT FLOODED.

T" • *| [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THAMES, Wadnesdny. Striking a snag in tho Waihou River at 5.40 this morning in a heavy fog the Northern Steamship Company's steamer I » Taniwha,' of 263 tons, en route from Auckland to Paeroa, just got to Puriri Wharf before she sank. Captain J. Freeman said tho vessel left ■ Auckland about midnight in the usual ■f arrived at the mouth of tho TWaihou, going up on the tide. She landed tho mails at Turua and loft that wharf at about 5.20 a.m. bound for i 'Puriri, whoro she had a passenger, Mr. . Patterson, of Puriri, to land. After leaving Turua the vessel steamed , , up the river and at 5.25 a.m. ran into a heavy fog bank which stretched from bank to bank. The order was at once a., given to reduce speed and the pace was . reduced, to a crawl. Just as the vessol was abreast of the Puriri beacon at 5.40 she struck heavily what appeared to be a snag. '

Besting on Mud Bottom. It was at once evident that something Eorious had occurred for the members of the crew, could hoar the water rushing •• into tho vessel, which began to settle V- by tho bows. She was hurried to the Puriri Wharf, where sho was made fast. By the time the captain was able to get on to the wharf structure tho vessel had sunk and was resting on the mud bottom. All haste, was made to send ont mooring lines. fore and aft and also to tho banks If.;-., and the Taniwha was secured in an upright position. v.V. . In the meantime the tide was rising s■'- rapidly and being a strong spring tide filled, tho holds. Tho Taniwha ia well *3>.v down by the stern and is full right up . o- to the deok, being flooded in every compnrtment,,including tho engine room. Before the boat went down it was found ■vsr/ possible to land a two-year-old racehorse, l-l Hunting Horn, the property of Mr. J. Irwin, of Paeroa, which was returning after running at tho Avondale races. As long as it was possible to maintain «. head ..of steam tho crew busied them- % selves in landing as. much of the cargo as ~, possible, ! but .finally the water drove the stokehold gang out. It rose very rapidly and put out the fires. , . One Handled Tons ol Cargo. There were about 100 tons of cargo on board consigned to Paeroa and Puriri, as ~'y,' well as other landings up the river. Much I;*! of this was fnel oil, but there was a quantity. of perishable goods for several of the stores in the district. Practically all these are under water. The crew lost all their bedding and be-: Hi: longings. - ' .'!•* /

edi Captain Freeman has been in command of .tho Taniwha for the last 16 years, e ' * having taken over at tha outbreak of war, Hia home is in Auckland. The !b first mate is Mr.. R. Savage, also of Auckland, who is very well known in Thames and the surrounding district. Tho second mate is Mr. G. Home, of Anck »?fcr land,

*■ J l ' Mr. W. who is the chief engi.Beer, was on watch at the of the Cj" accident and he stated to-day that the Z-.ni- inrush of the water was very rapid. It was only 10 minutes from the striking -" J 'of the snag to the sinking of the ship. The second engineer is Mr. A. Bond, who resides iri Grey Lynn. B"- . The deck crew consists of Mr. F. Hullgren, the boatswain, T. Abrahams and W. Perry, able seamen, Messrs. V. - Axeman and R. Bennett, ordinary seaf':-. men, - aria R. -Mumford Mr. F. Wells-Wildman is chief steward and Mr. ' F. /McDonald second. Mrs. T. Crocker is P. :s the stewardess. The engine room staff comprise Messrs. A. Colley and W. Ban- |' ir kier. Hole in Port Bow. As she lies at present the Taniwha has her bow pointing .down stream and it is thought that, the hole which <;qused her sinking' is located in the port bow. With an exceptionally high tide to-day it was expected that the decks would be . under water this afternoon. In the meantime little can be done until the arrival ©f the representatives of the underwriters.

WATER ABOVE THE DECK. fe . " FLOUR AND SUGAR CARGO. c-'.'Vi • . ' r ■ 1 1 .[mr telegraph.—own correspondent.] '• PAEROA, Wednesday. When the tide Was at its full to-day the water submerged the deck of the Tanii»sk- ,wha by over 2ft. The cargo carried inig. eluded flour and sugar. The loss will mainly fall upon the consignees as only a small portion was ™vered by insurance. i-A large portion of thp cargo was consigned to Te Aroha and Morrinsville and would 7 have been transhipped at Paeroa. Some 18 years ago the same vessel was submerged under similar circumstances. She was raised and repaired and rein- •-* stated in the Paeroa-Auckland service.