DEMOLISHING HAWEA WRECK

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1929, Page 3

DEMOLISHING HAWEA WRECK

BLASTING OPERATIONS AT PORT. Blasting operations with a view to demolishing the wreck of the s.s. Hawea just east of the position’ which the Newton King wharf now occupies, have been commenced at the jport of New Plymouth. It is intended to dredge to a depth of 27 feet at the spot where the vessel now lies and it hoped to complete the removal of the wreck in about a month.' Already about half the wreck has been destroyed. It is 41 years since the Hawea was wrecked, and since then the wreck has been plainly visible from the’ surface of the sea.’ The loss of the vessel occurred in June 12, 1888. The s.s. Hawea ■was one of the first two vessels built for the newly-formed Union Company. She was a fine vessel, and her wreck was a very serious loss to the company. At the time of her loss she was 13 years old, and was capable of a speed of 13 knots. She was a fairly large vessel of 900 tons gross. The passage of the vessel was from Onehunga to Nelson, via New Plymouth. At the time of the mishap she was on her usual run, and was about to berth at the wharf. There was a stiff northerly breeze blowing at the time and the vessel was very light having practically no cargo aboard. "In order to reach ■ the wharf the Hawea was forced to make a detour around a sandbank, which extended off .the breakwater practically into the middle of the harbour. The s.s. Gairloch slipped in ahead of the Hawea and the master stopped the engines, with the result that the wind caught her and she drifted inshore. She moved to the foul ground, where she commenced to bump, and having no ballast tanks she was pierced by rocks. The vessel settled on the bottom, and with the rising tide soon filled. Later her back broke and she sank to the position in which she lies to-day. Much of the wreck can still be seen after the blasting operations, and the boiler remains intact. The blasting has been distinguishable from the usual operations by a sharp knock instead of a dull boom, the knock being caused by the charge striking the plates of the vessel. The plates, though rusted, v/ere in a remarkable state of preservation. About two tons of pig iron, used as ballast, in the vessel, have been recovered from the wreck. The iron has become crystallised through long immersion in water.