PILED ON ROCKS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1924, Page 6

PILED ON ROCKS

KONINI A TOTAL WRECK ASHORE NEAR OCEAN BEACH. ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE, NO LOSS OF LIFE. Running ashore during the darkness of the early hours of yesterday morning*, the Union Company’s steamer Konini (1420 tons) has become a complete wreck on the rock-bound shore near Ocean Beach, Southland. The vessel’s complement numbered twenty-three ail .of whom reached the shore safely in boats. It is not thought possible to salvage the vessel’s cargo, though the ship’s fittings i and gear may be recovered. The Konini was cn her maiden voyage. , By Telegraph.— Press Assn.-—Copyright. Invercarg’ll, Last Night. i About 2 o’clock this morning in I rain and pitch darkness the steamei Konini (1420 tons), of the Union Steam Shi * Company’s fleet, went ashore al Whale Head or South West Point; on the coast at the back of Bluff Hill, about half a mile from Ocean Beach. * The vessel was making about nine knots at the time of the disaster, and struck heavily on a ledge of rocks about two chains out from- the rugged coastline. There was fortunately no wind, though a heavy swell was running and* there was intense darkness. The situation was, therefore, sufficiently precarious.* Four rockets were fired and the ship'll whistle blown steadily. The dstreag signals were heard arid the harbouf' board’s tug was immediately despatched from Bluff. She arrived off the scene’ of the wreck about 4.20 a.m., standing o’ut about a hundred yard--. She took off the crew, who left the Konini in "the ship’s boats. There was no loss of life and no casualties of any kind, the men being able to take bymast of their personal effects with them. Subsequently the vessel settled down, her eng’ne room being full of water with fairly deep water along one side. The vessel is a‘ compfete wreck, and there is considered to be little prospect of her cargo being salvaged, though an attempt will probably be made to salvage a lot # of her gear. Th? first southerly weather that arrives will in all nrobebility break her up. PITCH BLACK NIGHT.

The Konini is a new vessel of 1420 tonl gross and- 833 tons nett register, and was on her maiden voyage, her last port being Wallaroo in South Australia, where she loaded about 2000 tons of salt and gypsum for Duned’ri and northern New Zealand ports. The master is Captain Vint, who is familiar with the coast and for years has had his Bluff pilotage exemption, certificate as a careful and competent mariner.

The loss of the Konini is particularly unfortunate, inasmuch as it follows the mishap to the Armagh, which was?piled up _ on a sand ‘bank at Liverpool..;while in charge of the pilot. Captain ,Vint was then master of the Armagh, though the responsibility »for that disaster was not his. He then took command of the Konini, but once again misfortune has overtaken him. The remaining members, of the ship’s company, numbering 1 wenty-thfee all told, are as follow:—E. M. Anderson (chief officer) ; H. A. Boyd (2nd officer) ; L. T. Wells (3rd officer) : R. H. Proctor (chief engineer) ; H. Miller (2nd engineer); John Lewis (3rd engineer) ; J. Ingles (boatswain) ; Allan Robertson (donkeyman); C. Carnie, J. Moneriefe, J. A. Finch, L. W. Poole, A. Gourley, J. Irvine (able seamen) ; M. Carlin, Joe Dickson,. J. Carlin, R. Fernie, F. Beattie, R. Graham (firemen) ; J. Lockhead (chief steward) ; and James Hunter (2nd steward).. The officers and crew were conveyed to port, and are at present awaiting instructions. A preliminary inquiry was held to-day before Mr. H. W. Ruff ell, Customs officer at Invercargill. Apparently thete is little explanation to given, apart from the fact that the vessel got off her dourse in the blackness of the n’ght, the fain contributing to the low visibility. The Dog Island light was picked up soon after the vessel, passed Centre Island. 'J'he' distance between the two points is approximately 25 miles. The Konini was standing out, the course being set to carry her, V it was thought, round behind Dog Island, which is the usual cdurae followed by steamers making round the coast for Dunedin. MADE WATER RAPIDLY.

Shortly after passing Centre Island, hom ever, Captain Vint, who had been on the bridge since 6 a.m., lost the Dog Island Ifght in the rain storm, which so intensified the mirk that nothing at all could be seen ahead. This was not considered an alarming circumstance, as their course should have enabled them to easily clear the dangerous rocks behind the hill. The Dog Island light was not picked up again, and the first realisation of peril came when the hill suddenly loomed out of the darkness right ahead. It was then impossible, to avoid a disaster. The vessel struck- head on and immediately swung around, losing her rudder in doing so. When she settled her bows pointed- out to sea, as though she-had en- A deavoured to make seaward and had struck in the stern. Sh e lifted and crunched on to the rocks many times, un- * til her plates were badly gashed. Making water rapidly, she began to settle. At | midday she lay upright and fairly high I out of the water, being clearly in view from the sandhills at Ocean Beach.

To-morrow, morning it is anticipated » party will leave Bluff by boat and make an investigation, provided the sea remains calm enough to approach the vessel. Il is not considered that there will be any possibility of salvaging the cargo, but it is thought that the fittings and gear will be recovered. The steamer was not fully loaded and, of course, is liable to get a battering at any time from the heavy sou’-westerly seas that roll through the straits.