RADIO TELEPHONE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 169, 20 July 1939, Page 8

RADIO TELEPHONE

SHIP, TUGS AND SHORE IN TOUCH PLANS MADE CAREFULLY In contrast to the days when ships' ■ captains, clothed in oilskins and souwesters, bellowed at one another through wind and rain, officers playi ing pails in the salvage of the Pori 'jßow-n, north of Castlecliff yesterday were able to converse with each other • by radio telephone. Five years ago the Wanganui Haibour Board, in conjunction with the ■ overseas shipping companies, had a radio telephone installed, which enables those on boaru vessels in the roadstead to speak to anybody whe can be reacheu in New Zealand by telephone through the Wanganui exchange. Not only that, the tugs Terawhiti. and Kahanui are fitted with equipment which enables the officer.: in cnarge to speak to the officers on the Port Bowen. J Radio proper, on board the Port i Bowen, kept 11 constantly in touch i with tbe world. When the IndraI barah went ashore at the mouth of 1 the Rangitikei River in 1913 the news I took a long time to travel. Yesterday ' news of tne stranding above CastlcI ciift was known througnout the world j within three hours of tne happening. I Officers and crew of the lug Kana- ' nui came ashore late yesterday afterJ noon and reported for duty at 9 p.m., I the tug going back to its position oi I watchfulness at the scene of the | stranding. A line was thrown and the I tug awaited the rising tide. Weather j conditions, which showed signs of becoming worse, improved at midnight hast night; at high tide, there was a | moderate swell along the shore at Castlecliff.