IN DISTRESS

Southland Times, Issue 19894, 12 June 1926, Page 7

IN DISTRESS

MANAIA ASHORE HARD AND FAST ON REEF PASSENGERS BEING LANDED FAIR SEA RUNNING. (Per United Press Association.) Thames, June 11. The Manaia is ashore on The Watchman, a small island a mile from Slipper Island, which is about five miles from Tairua, on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. The Watchman is about 30 feet high. The ship appears to be broadside on from Tairua, with a dip in her stern. She is in a very exposed position. Cory, Wright and party, of Tairua, proceded there early this morning by launch, but have not yet returned. At 10 a.m. the Ngapuhi arrived and is rendering assistance. Affair sea is running. PASSENGERS REACH AUCKLAND. ACCOUNT OF THE WRECK. NO SIGNS OF PANIC. TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Auckland, June 11. The Ngapuhi reached Auckland with the Manaia’s passengers shortly before eleven o’clock to-night. The passengers, interviewed, said the wreck was unattended by any sign of panic. The only indication that anything was amiss was the sudden grinding of the ship when she piled up on the reef hard and fast. Though all the passengers looked tired, scarcely any showed any serious signs of the experience. The passengers said that the Manaia, when they left her at 2 o’clock this afternoon, had a decided list. The work of salvaging the luggage and cargo was in progress but a later report is that the crew have left the wrecked vessel in the schooner Motu. "What we need more than anything is sleep,” said one of the passengers. “None of us has had any since last night, though some were able to doze for a couple of hours on the Ngapuhi.” The steamer Marama, for Sydney, was delayed to take those passengers who were coming by the Manaia to join her and transferred to the Ngapuhi. The main concern of those transferring to the Marama was the safety of the luggage. This was naturally somewhat disorganised, but the officials worked hard and few passengers boarded their new ship dissatisfied. All pay a tribute to the conduct of■ the women and children, particularly the children, when the ship struck. One passenger remarked that the kiddies just stood by without a murmur.

“The luckiest feature of the mishap,” said a member of a theatrical company, "was the fine weather. Had there been a south-easterly there would not have been so many of us to tell the tale.” He added that the general impression was that the Manaia was held un by only one rock. The passage on the Ngapuhi was described as comfortable and high tributes were paid to the officers and crew of the vessel. At 9.30 p.m. to-night the Captain of the Manaia reported that the Manaia’s stokehold and engine-room were flooded. Some of the crew were being transferred to the Rimu which was standing by.

LIST OF PASSENGERS. Tauranga, June 11. The passengers on the Manaia are: Messrs Johnston, Fyfe, Toppin, Peters, Wil kinson, Harris (2), Capper, Kenny, Ludwig, Ciochetto, Mackrell, Hewette, Sayer, Hill, Aitken, Jackson, Patrick, Clark, Frost, Fergusson, Canning, Lock, Graham, Stean, Beale. Lea, Perryn, . McKay, Benham, Mere dith, Harrison, Masters, Dale (2) ; Mesdames Begg, Avery, Perryn, Abraham, Miss Abraham (3), Rich, McLead, Brook, Bucknall, Stewart (2), Lully, Best, Scott, Pittaway, Stone, Laurance (2).

VESSEL MAKING WATER. Auckland, June 11. A Whitianga correspondent wired at 11.5 i a.m.: The Manaia Is making water but is being held on the rock by her propellors. SCOW STANDING BY. WEATHER CLEARING. Auckland, June 11. The Star’s Tairua correspondent wires • that the Manaia Is about one mile off Slipper Island, well upon the reef behind ’ a small rocky Island. He can see a two- ' masted scow standing by. The Northern Company’s steamer has just arrived. The Manaia is keeping steam up. The sea is moderate and the weather is getting calmer. It Is dull and cloudy but clearing. Cory Wright’s launch is on the way out. NGAPUHI TAKING OFF PASSENGERS. Wellington, June 12. Radio messages to the Secretary-General of the Post Office state that the steamer Ngapuhi was communicated with at three I this mornifig. The weather was then comi ing up, and the ship was making water . fairly fast. She has about 60 passengers aboard. j At 10.44 this morning a further radio ■stated: “10.2 a.m., from the Manaia. The Ngapuhi is now taking passengers off, two boats having got away safely.” ALL PASSENGERS SAFE. Wellington, June 11. The following distress signal was received • from the Mania by the Wellington radio station at 11.35 last night: “S.OJS. Manaia ,on Slipper Rocks.’ Further messages i stated that the captain thought the vessel to be O.K. till morning, but he del sired assistance to be sent at once for the passengers. The Manaia was formerly the i Union Company’s Rotoiti, and now belongs Ito the Northern Steamship Company. Her | tonnage is 1159. j A wireless at noon stated that all the ! Manaia’s passengers had transferred to the Ngapuhi. VALUE OF WIRELESS. A STRIKING EXAMPLE. THE NGAPUHI DIVERTED. (Special to the Times.) Auckland, June 11., No clearer case for the value of wireless on a coastal vessel could have been made out than that provided by the facts attached to its use in connection with the Manaia incident. Had the ship not been equipped she would probably have lain on the reef, her plight unknown to any except those on board until the Matu passed that way from Tauranga several hours later, and had a storm been raging the position would have been considerably graver. As it was the Mania was able to acquaint the Auckland authorities of her condition and ask for assistance.

The next important part played by wireless was when the authorities here set about immediately to provide relief. It was decided to try and intercept the Ngapuhi, which was on her way from Wangarei to Auckland, and this was done at about 3 a.m. when she was picked up off Kawau, about 7.0 miles distant from Slipper Island. The Ngapuhi was diverted and within six hours she was standing alongside the Manaia. In addition to this the Manaia maintained communication with the Northern Steamship Company throughout the day.

The great value of wireless on a steamer lies, as is demonstrated in this instance, in the prevention of delay that might very often mean serious consequences. The course taken by the steamers in the Tauranga Service lies between Slipper Island and the mainland. The passage is about two and a quarter miles wide and a number of small islands including the Penguin and Rabbit Islands are in, the vicinity. From the south end of Slipper Wand a reef extends for some distance and close up to the reef are 23 fathoms of water. Wrecks have occurred at Slipper Island on previous occasions. The auxiliary schooner Te Teko belonging to the Northern Company, struck at the south end of the Island on August 6, 1920, and soon broke up. One of the crew was drowned in an endeavour to reach the shore.

The scow Surprise, was wrecked there previously, while on one occasion the steamer Triumph struck the rocks, but was subsequently got off. On May 12, 1921, the Northern Company’s steamer Tasman while bound from Auckland to Whakatane struck on the Rurimu Reef of Matata and sank shortly afterwords in deep water. The passengers and crew took to the boats and landed on the beach near Matata without mishap. The wreck occurred during squally, rainy weather in the early hours of the morning.

A few years ago the rafting steamer Wairoa went ashore on the Tairua bar, a few miles to the North of Slipper Island and became a total wreck. Over a period of nearly half a century the history of the Northern Steamship Company has been comparatively free of marine casualties. Prior to the lo«s of the Tasman and Tcteko the steamer Muritai was lost on the middle Chicken Island, off Whangarei Heads, while the steamers Kia Ora and Gairlock were wrecked on the west coast.

The Manaia’s cargo includes 34 bales of hemp, 21 bales of tow, and 30 bales of sheepskins, 63 cases of fruit, 21 sacks of maize, four cases of bacon and a moderate quantity of general cargo. The Manaia has on board for Auckland an ordinary quantity of mail matter which is not very heavy. Slipper Island where the Manaia struck is owned by Messrs G. and W. McLaughlin, and is used as a sheep station having an area of between 600 and 700 acres. It is situated about four miles off Tairua Harbour near the mainland and is about 40 miles by water from Tauranga. Captain W. F. Norhury is one of the veteran masters of the Northern Company’s fleet. He has been associated with the company for just on 40 years and at different times has had charge of al! the company’s larger vessels. When the Ngapuhi was built he went Home and brought that steamer out to New Zealand.