COLLISION AT SEA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1509, 31 January 1901, Page 57

COLLISION AT SEA.

THE RESULT OF SAILING WITHOUT

LIGHTS.

- Shortly after clearing the Lyttelton Heads on Her run to Wellington • on Tuesday night* the Rotomahana ran into 4he schooner Kestrel and completely ■wrecked the little vessel above her deckline

The collision took place off Point Gibson , ithirty-thrde males north by efast half-east of Lyttelton Heads. The night was calm but very dark. The Kestrel was carrying no lights, and the Rotomahana was right on top of the ketch before she was seen. Both vessels were travelling in the same direction, and the steamer struck the little schooner on her starboard quarter, dismasting her, making a complete wreck of her rigging, »and breaking a few planks her stern. The schooner’s rigging also got entangled in, the steamer’s anchor, and this helped to complete the wreck, The Rotomabana hardly bears a sign of the collision. A boat was immediately lowered from the steamer to see if the crew of the

Kestrel required assistance, and finding that they were all right and that the vessel was intact belpw her deck, preparations were commenced to tow her back to Lytv teltoii, soi'that- within three-quarters of - an hour of the accident the Rotomahana had headed, for'Lyttelton with the Kestrel in her wake. Within ten miles of

Lyttelton' Heads the Moura was met vwith,; and that steamer completed the , work of towing the Kestrel into port. The Rotomahana then continued her

voyage to . Wellington, reaching here at . 4.15 yesterday afternoon, about four and , a half hours late. ; I .The Kestrel.is a schooner’ of 51 tons, •and is owned by. the; Kaiapoi Produce Company. She ; was hound from Kaiapoi to Collingwcod,. with a cargo of produce, and. left Kaiapoi at six o’clock on Tuesday evening.