SHIP AGROUND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23851, 30 December 1940, Page 6

SHIP AGROUND

RANGATIRA IN FOG

REFLOATED LATER

PASSENGERS TAKEN OFF

PICNIC ATMOSPHERE

[bt telegraph—phkss association] CI! RfSTCH-rHCK, Sunday Sliding gently into the reef at the western head of Pigeon Bay, about 20 miles from Lyttelton, in a dense fog this morning, the Union Steam Ship Company's ferry steamer Rangatira, of 6152 tons, under the command of Captain G. B. Morgan, remained hard aground for nearly 10 hours. Her 750 passengers were safely transferred in lifeboats to the cargo steamer Wainiaririo, which berthed at Lyttelton shortly after mid-day. Tho Rangatira was assisted off the reef by the Lyttelton Harbour Board's tug Lyttelton T. and an intercolonial steamer on the afternoon tide, and, steaming up the harbour at a brisk eight or 10 knots, completed her interrupted journey apparently little tho worse for her stranding, arriving at Lyttelton at 8.40 p.m. Thick Coastal Fog The mishap occurr; 1 at about ."5.30 a.m. The Rangatira had been steam--1 ing slowly for some time in a thick i coastal fog, with her siren sounding at j intervals. She struck so gently that I most of those on board did not know ! she was aground. A few of tho male 1 passengers went on deck and saw a reef of rocks a few yards away on the j port bow. The passengers were told to . return to their cabins and await orders. In response to wireless messages from : tho stranded ship, the Lyttelton staff of the company made arrangements to [ despatch tho fast coastal steamer WaiI marino and an intercolonial steamer I which was in port. The tug Lyttelton I. was also sent out. Rescue In Sunshine When the relief vessels left the wharves the fog extended the full length of Lyttelton harbour. It began to lilt as they neared the entrance to Pigeon Bay and the actual rescue work was carried out in brilliant sunshine and an almost smooth sea. The Rangatira went aground about two hours after full tide and when the rescue vessels arrived she was lying about 300 yards off the west headland of the bay, with her how well out of the water and showing most of her bowrudder. Her stern was well down in deep water and the tug had made a line fast and was pulling gently to prevent the Rangatira going further up. All in Good Spirits The grounded steamer had no list, j which greatly simplified the tran- | shipping of the passengers. Soon after j the arrival of the Waimarino the port I lifeboats, which had previously been 1 swung out, were filled with women and ! children and lowered into the water without mishap. All passengers were wearing lifebelts and seemed in rei iiiarkably good spirits, j The lifeboats of the Rangatira are of : the manually operated propeller type 1 and the women passengers were eni thusiastically assisting in the operation !of the hand levers. Air Force men, ■ passengers on the steamer express, lent valuable aid in loading the lifeboats. The only mishap reported was that to a woman, who tore a fingernail. The i crowds in the lifeboats were so cheerful ; they might have been going to a picnic. A companion ladder lowered on each side of the Waimarino expedited | the work of taking the passengers j aboard. Some of the launches assisted l>v towing lifeboats and one large passenger launch took a full load of passengers. Welcoming Crowds As soon as they boarded the Waimarino the women passengers were given facilities to wash and were served with tea. All praised warmly what had ! been done for them aboard tho Ranga- | tira. All had had breakfast before leav- ! ing the ship. Stewards helped pasj sengers into their lifebelts. When the ; Waimarino came into the inner basin there was a large crowd to welcome the rescued passengers. Anxiety continued to he felt for the fate of the Rangatira and preparations i were continued in Lyttelton for attempted salvage. Shortly after three o'clock tho anxiety was ended by adj vice that, the Rangatira, under tho ! combined power of her own engines and row lines from the Lyttelton j. and the Union Company's intercolonial vessel, had hacked off the reef. When the Rangatira steamed up the harbour ' siiorlly before four o'clock showing no signs of her ordeal, Evans' Pass and Summit Roads were lined with hundreds of motor-cars. , Railway Arrangements Arrangements were made by the ; Railway Department to transport 1 southbound passengers to their homes. Those who were travelling to points south of Timaru were conveyed in three railway buses, which left C'hristchurch in thi! middle of the afternoon. Passengers for .south stations as far as Timaru were carried on the usual Sunday excursion train which leaves Christehurch at . r >.25 p.m. These passengers were obliged to leave without their luggage, which was despatched from Lyttelton by a later train. Mails from the north carried on the Rangatira were brought to the city on the (5.25 p.m. train from Lyttelton. A return trip to Wellington this evening is being made by the Watnne, which made a daylight crossing from Wellington to-dav. In addition to passengers hooked f'tun Christehurch. there were 101 l passengers on a special train from Duncdin. FUTURE SAILINGS MAQRI BROUGHT INTO SERVICE [by telegraph— phkss association] "WELLINGTON, Sunday The Waliine arrives at Wellington tomorrow morning in place of the Rangatira, and leaves again at 8.30 a.m. for Lyttelton. The Maori will be reeommissioned to-morrow and will leave at 7.15 p.m. for Lyttelton. and thereafter the Maori will leave Wellington on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the Wahine on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7.45 p.m.