THE ILL-FATED RIPPLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19250, 14 August 1924, Page 7

THE ILL-FATED RIPPLE.

CAPTAIN DAYEY’S STORY. A TERRIBLE NBCHt. FUTILITY OF WIRELESS. (Fbom Ode Own Correspondent.) !„ AUCKLAND. August 13. Probably the last vessel to see tiv r l Ripple before she came to grief north of Oap*S Palliser was the cargo steamer Waikawa. which left Wellington a short distance behind the ill-fated coaster. The master of the Waikawa (Captain A. H. Davey), who left his ship at Now-Ply-mouth, arrived at Auckland yesterday,- Ha stated that he was only a short distance behind the Ripple. Both were standing out in a fierce gale to get well clear of th# land, and making only about a mile, att hour. “It would be difficult to imagine a worse night,” said Captain Davey. “We could see the Ripple’s lights between the squalls. Most masters travelling the East Coast past Cape Palliser to givethe land a wide berth, and on this occasion the Ripple was standing out further than usual to get well clear. After battling for an, hour or two, the Ripple went_ to coat and! we headed through the strait. If she had broken, down an hour later she would, in all probability have been fairly sofp, although there would have been the risk pf going ashore about Castiepoint.” _ Captain Davey ventured the opinion that) the Ripple did not founder in open water, but touched rocks, and so came to grief. He was also of the opinion that even if the Ripple had been fitted with wireless and he had received her signal he Could not have rendered assistance, for had .he been alongside her it would _ have been suicidal to put a boat over. No small boat could have lived in the sea. -i WELLINGTON HARBOUR. BOARD CRITICISED. COULD A TUG HAVE HELPED? CHAIRMAN ANSWERS NO. . (Feom Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 15. A newspaper correspondent has asked'the question: ‘‘Why does not the Wellinghfsp Harbour Board keep in the harbour a tug which can go out in all weathers as is done at Auckland, Lyttelton, and ’Dunedin?” He suggested that had such, a vessel been available some of the lives lost in the wreck of the Ripple might have been saved. When the warning was received that the Ripple was in distress 'the Union Company’s tug Terawhiti was beifig overhauled and it was not until later in the day that the fishing vessel FpturiSt went but and made a search prior to going to the fishing gounds at Kapiti. A. fruitless search was made by the Mararpp on ; the way from Lyttelton, ‘but by the .time she arrived on the scene the Ripple had disappeared. The Wellington Harbour Board doea moit own a tug, its vessel in the harbour being the launch Uta, which, is not callable- of facing a storm of such severity ■; as ’fclffi one which raged that .particular night.' J ~ The Auckland Harbour Board oWiiS I 'k sea-going tug Te Awina, and there are also two or three tugs constantly employed-With steam up owned by the Devon nort.Steahi Ferry Company always available in on emergency. The tug Canterbury, owned',bwr hhe Lyttelton Harbour Board, is kept up-practi-cal l v day and night. The Otago Harbour Board owns the powerful bog Dunedin, -! sta- - tioned at Port Chalmers. Her fires are kept honked and are always ready at an hdiiFs notice in case of need, and she'-catew splendid appliances for fire-fighting, ‘A, -1 Mr G. MileHtell, chairman of the 'Wellington Harbour Board, replied that' 1 eVeh if the Harbour Board had a tug tiling had been in readiness to prpeeedlt6 sea when intimation was received fthat the Ripple was in distress, she could not hate reached the spot'under 10 hours in,siich/a eea, which would have been noon, whihjS the Mararoa reached the spot at 6.30 six hours before the tug could have reached. ( the spot. He had discussed the with the harbourmaster, who was of Opinion that no tug at present in New Zealand could have lived in such a sea, and.'to send out another boat would only have, beep to send it to the same disaster. Compulsory pilotage was obtained at Auckland,-Xyttglf ton, and Dunedin, and the cost of the tug was maintained by the shipping. In Wellington, on account of the excellent,-har-bour, compulsory pilotage does not obtajLoIt is doubtful if anv. tug could have got outside Wellington Heads that night, so one would have been of no avail. There was much wisdom in the suggestion that it is better to prevent a '..vessel going out into such a sea' than to respite her after she had gone, but that_was a matter for the Government. The Ripple left in , oomoaralively fine weather and no authority would have delayed her sailing when she did. She left at 3.25 p.m., and five other vessels left between 4.15 and 13.50 p.m. Mr Mitchell was of opinion that the time had arrived when ail boats leaving the heads should carry wireless, and had the Ripple had. wireless she could have let the shore know when she was first in trouble, and there would have been some c&arioo : of assisting her. That small boats should b» built to carry for© and aft canvas was also* a matter for experts. The board was distressed at the disaster and anxious to help in preventing future loss of life, huh it. was quite obvious that an average tug would not have been the solution On this occasion. - '•