CARGO IN WAIPIATA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27384, 9 May 1950, Page 6

CARGO IN WAIPIATA

All Loaded At Dunedin And Oamaru

About 4000 tons of general cargo from Dunedin and Oamaru were in the holds of the Union Steam Ship Company freighter Waipiata, when she collided with the overseas vessel Taranaki, off the entrance to the Wellington harbour on Friday night. Some of the cargo is bound to be damaged, but to what extent, will not be known until it is lifted from the vessel.

At Dunedin, the Waipiata loaded about 1500 tons of cargo for Auckland, and about 800 tons for Wellington. From Dunedin, she went to Oamaru. where she took on a further quantity of cargo, believed to have amounted to about 1700 tons, as her capacity is about 4000 tons. Among the items in the cargo loaded at Dunedin were Wool, confectionery, canned goods, hides, drums of linseed oil, blood and bone manure, ranges, bran, pollard and other goods, and from Oamaru, the cargo comprised mainly lime and agricultural produce. A Union Steam Ship Company official said yesterday that he knew nothing further about the collision of the Waipiata and the resultant damage to cargo, than he had read in press reports. That there would be some damage to the cargo was obvious, but it could not be assessed until the cargo was lifted from the vessel.