STRANDED ON REEF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22173, 29 July 1935, Page 9

STRANDED ON REEF

MOTOE-SHIP'S PLIGHT MISHAP IN THE PACIFIC TIMBER CARGO FOR ADELAIDE By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 28. 11.35 p.m.) SUVA. July 2S The motor-ship Hoegh Trader, from New "V\ estminster, bound for Adelaide with a load of timber, was stranded on Horse Shoe Reef last night. Part of the deck cargo has been unloaded. The sloop Leith, which is standing | by, is due at Suva this evening. | The Hoegh Trader went ashore at i 10.30 p.m. yesterday. Her speed at the time was 11 knots. It was, low tide. | The Leith did not attempt to tow her off for fear she might sink, as the I damage could not b° ascertained until j the forward hold was cleared of cargo. | The Noumea is standing by. There | is no suitable place for beaching the j stranded vessel in the vicinity. REFLOATING EFFORTS | A DIFFICULT PROPOSITION ' MESSAGES FROM THE CAPTAIN [bt telegraph—press association] WELLINGTON. Sunday The Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Office has received a message broadcast by the captain of the motor- : ship Hoegh Trader which states that she jis stranded on Horse Shoe Beef in ; latitude 17.39 south, longitude 179.17 I east. She is in communication with the Monterey and has requested that vessel to stand by awaiting orders for an S.O.S. signal. The Hoegh Trader also is in communication with the Aorangi, which is 310 miles from Horse Shoe Reef. The master of the stranded vessel reported at 11.45 p.m. yesterday that j she was in no immediate danger. The j ship was hard on the rocks and he was trying to get her off by her own power, but it was doubtful if he could succeed. The members of the crew were standing by the life boats. The Horse Shoe Beef is a very dangerous, low-lying coral reef situated in the Koro Sea. 25 miles from Levuka and 16 miles from Koro Island lighthouse. The reef is a danger to shipping because the top is below the surface of the sea and it can be discerned only in clear weather. Vessels trading between Fiji and Samoa, America or Canada proceed through the Koro Sea and are guided past the Horse Shoe Reef by Koro Island light, which is situated on the south end. of Koro Island. The services of the Aorangi or the Monterey probably will not be required because the steamer Parracombe, which was at Auckland early in July, is at Suva, only 35 miles away from the Horse Shoe Reef. The Parracombe arrived at Snva from Westport on Friday. The Hoegh Trader is a Norwegian twin-screw motor-ship of 4732 tons and i was built at Norway in 1930. She is en route from Pacific Coast ports to j Australia, and sailed from Los Angeles 1 on July 10.