MARAROA WILL BE SUNK AT SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19240, 29 November 1930, Page 1

MARAROA WILL BE SUNK AT SEA.

ONCE POPULAR SHIP NOW BEING STRIPPED. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, November 29. When the Union Company’s recently purchased liner Monowai, ex Razmak, arrived from Bombay, the Mararoa moved alongside her and many of her saloon fittings were removed for use in the third cljtss accommodation of the new liner. The Mararoa’s oil-burning installation has been removed and fitted in the Waipiata, and the once famous old ship is now a mere shell and will be towed round to the patent ■slip to-day to have what remains of value on board her removed, prior to being scuttled in Cook Strait. The Mararoa was built for the intercolonial service, and it is claimed that she was the first triple expansion steamer to enter New Zealand waters or cross the Pacific Ocean. She left Great Britain on October 2, 1885, via St Vincent, Cape of Good Hope and Hobart, for Sydney, where she arrived on November 26, 1885. Captain James Edie brought her out, w 7 ith Mr C. M’Allister as chief engineer, and both remained in her for some years. Her first trips were made to San Francisco in the mail service, but she did not remain long in this, owing to her bunker space and mail room being too small, and the Mararoa was placed in the Australian-New Zealand service, where she made many fast passages. In 1905, she entered the Lyttelton ferry service in conjunction with the Rotomahana. In' 1907 she was relieved by the Maori and returned to the intercolonial service. She re-enter-ed the ferry service in 1908, and continued there till the arrival of. the Wahine in i 913. The Mararoa went back on the ferry run while the Wahine -was on war service, and during the influenza epidemic she was the only vessel to maintain the ferry service. She made her final trip in June, 1927, and since then has been laid up at Wellington. The Mararoa has had several minor accidents in the course of her forty-two years of active service. Her one serious accident occurred on February 24, 1917. When on her way from Lyttelton to Wellington she ran aground at Turakirae Point, about five miles to the eastward of Pencarrow Head, in a dense fog. No serious damage was done, however, and after the passengers had been transferred to the Monowai, she was pulled off by the tug Terawhiti, while the Monowai and Kaituna stood by in case of need.