MARITIME MYSTERY SOLVED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15303, 26 August 1920, Page 3

MARITIME MYSTERY SOLVED.

VESSEL SIGHTED WAS KIA ORA.

The anxiety of the people m local shipping circles m respect to the supposed shipping disaster was dispelled to-day, wh«?n it became, known that the Shaw, Savill si earner Kia Ora was lying about 12 miles oft' Gable End Foreland from noon on Sunday until 6.30 at night, when tho vessel* steamed to tho northward of East Cape. There is little room for doubt that ib was the Home steamer Kia Ora standing off the coast under easy steam which was sighted by the men on Rototahi station and mistaken by them for a vessel m distress.

Tliis opinion is emphatically held . by Mr A. M. Puflett, of Gisborne, stevedore' to the company, w*ho was on board the Kia Ora during the recent storm. Mr Puflett states that the vessel was at Tokomaru Bay, loading, when the storm came up on Friday afternoon, and she put to sea. The Kia Ora went out some IE miles, and then came within 12 miles of Gable End," and cruised about "under easy steam from Sunday at noon until 6.30 p.m., when she turned round and made for the East Cape. Prom the vessel he could distinctly sec the shore m between tho gusty rain squalls. No whistle,, was blown by the vessel from the timo she left Tokomaru Bay on account of the storiri and returned after ib. He saw both the Arahura and Monowai pass between the shore and the Kia Ora on the Sunday afternoon. He felt convinced that the men on the station saw the Kia Ora- and thought she was a vessel m distress. How the men on the station caihe to hear any whistle blown* could not be explained by him, as he was sure, the Kia Ora did not at any time sound the whistle. .

Asked by tho pressman if ho could explain why the men on shore stated distinctly that they saw no funnel on the vessel, Mr Puflett said it was -beyond his comprehension. As to the vessel appearing low m the water, ho said the sea was not^ altogether' smooth and this would be likely to give that impression to the onlookers. Tlie Kia Ora returned to Tokomaru Bay on Monday afternoon, and left again yesterday for Wellington. .. He concluded by saying that he felt convinced beyond doubt that the alarm "was caused by the Kia Ora, as. the story of the men on tho station in v the main coincided, with his own recollections.

Mr L. Balfour, of tho staff of Murray, Roberts and Co., m conversation with a reporter, stated that he was also oh board the Kia Ora when the vessel put to sea on Friday on account of the storm, and although be did not know of the exact locality of the ship off tho- shore, he knew that on Sunday evening the ye sol .turned round and steamed m tbe direction of the East Cape. He did nol hear any whistles blown by the vessel.