STEAMER HAWERA

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9719, 23 July 1917, Page 6

STEAMER HAWERA

SERIES OP MISADVENTURES. The South Taranaki Shipping Company's coastal steamer llawera, 174 tons, Captain Jack&on, which ietc Pa tea wharf on Thursday night lor Wellington, had a rough experience, first grounding iu the river, and after putting to sea encountered a gale, leaked badly, burnt up all her coal, and. was compelled to run to an nnchorago south of Kapiti Island. The Hawera loft Patea wharf at U p.m. on Thursday, and, owing to tho (night being exceedingly dark, tho vessel ran on to a mudbank when halfway to the bar, near the viaduct. Tho llawera remained fast until 10 o’clock on Friday morning, when the steamer Kapuni, belonging to the same company, towed her off. The Hawera’ then put to sea, but soon ran into a heavy southerly gale. The vessel was badly buffeted, and Mie began to leak considerably. All through Friday afternoon. and evening the little boat fought her way against the gale. The bunker coal was then diminishing to an alarming extent, and the vessel’s woodwork and cabin doors were burnt to keep up a sufficient head of steam to take her to an anchorage at Kapiti Island. On Saturday morning Captain Jackson sent ashore a message to the Government caretaker on the island, who then proceeded by launch to the mainland. A telegram was drips tolled from Paraparaumu to Dalgety and Co.’s YVellington office, asking for a relief boat to bring bunker coal to the Hawera. A telegram was thereupon sent from Wellington to Captain Sawyers, of the steamer Kapiti, at Wanganui, instructing him to take the necessary coal to the Hawera. The Kapiti cleared Wanganui at 10.30 o’clock on Saturday night, and arrived alongside the Hawera at daybreak yesterday. Ten tons of coal were transferred to the Hawera, and tho Kapiti then came on to Wellington, where she arrived at 4.40 o’clock yesterday afternoon. . Captain Jackson stated that as the bilge water in the Hawera had washed a lot of muck into the vessel’s engines, it would occupy some four hours to clean things up sufficient for the voyage to ho resumed. ' Ud till an early hour this morning there were no signs of the Hawera, hnt owing to the vessel leaking she would come along under easy steam. The Hawera is a wooden steamer of 02 tons net and 174 tons gross, built at Auckland in 1912.