LAUNCHED IN 1919

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

LAUNCHED IN 1919

BUILT AT BELFAST WELL-KNOWN AT WANGANUI I The Port Bowen is a twin screw vessel of 8267 tons, having six cylinders, and a cruiser stern. She was built by Workman, Clark and Company, Belfast, and was launched in 1919. With a length of 480 feet, a breadth of 62 feet, and a depth of 32 feet, the Port Bowen is registered at the Port of London and has been employed regularly in the trade between New Zealand and Home ports for the Port ’ Line, loading at Wanganui in the ' course of her periodical trips. Her - master on the present trip is Captain > F. W. Bailey, who has been with the Port Line for 29 years. It was reported that this is his first command, 3 but no confirmation of that could be 1 obtained last night. The Port Bowen, in ballast from J. Port Kembla, New South Wales, arrived at Auckland on June 28 to begin ’ her Homeward loading. She has already loaded at Auckland, Napier, ' Lyttelton and Picton and from Wan- ’ ganui she is scheduled to complete loading at Wellington and sail for Southampton, London and Newcastle- [ on-Tyne, via Cape Horn. Cargo From Wanganui. 1 H. R. Beauchamp and Company are ) the Port Bowen’s Wanganui agents. ■ In the Wanganui roadstead she is - scheduled to load the following cargo: ! —Frozen meat —1847 carcases of mutl ton, 8477 carcases of lamb, 72 nags of sundries and a ton of veal for London, 1 10 ton of boneless beef for Newcastle, and 2350 carcases of mutton, 18750 carcases of lamb and .135 bags of sundries for Southampton; dairy produce, 400 boxes of butter and 704 crates of L cheese for London and 150 crates of ? cheese for Southampton. Terawhiti Arrives. ’ The Terawhiti left Wellington at 1 > p.m. yesterday and arrived it Wan- ■ ganui at 12.30 a.m. to-day, going > straight to the task of assisting in tne salvage. From 9 o’clock last night the Kahal nui had a line to the Port Bowen’s 1 bow and had moved her to some ex--1 tent. With the rising swell the - stranded vessel bumped a good deal, ’ but was considered to be in a better position than she was at nightfall. breakers, 200 feet off the mole. A ■ rocket was fired and a line thrown 1 across the stricken hull and the four 1 men brought ashore safely. The find- • ing of an inquiry was that the wreck • was due to misadventure because of 1 an exceptionally heavy sea. Beaching of the Cyrena. On May 24, 1925, the Cyrena 1 screw stuamc'r 2138 Lons gross), when . entering the Wanganui Kwer in the . days 01 a shoaling bar, became stuck ' on a sandbank, bne was refloated the 1 same day under her own power, but • was caught by a strong flood curren ■ ana again grounded 600 yards further ■ northward. She was taen leaking ■ badly and by midnight had 14 feet oi . water in her holds, li was assumed that she had first struck submerged logs. To prevent her blocking the ) fairway, the Cyrena had to be beached. Her bones have remained a grim reminder of Ihe perils of the sea. At- ■ tempts were made to destroy her steel l huli and were used, the work being entrusted to Colonel J. E Duigan, now Major-General Duigan, Chief of the New Zealand General i Staff. So strong were some of the ex- . plosions that windows at Castlecliff 1 were damaged. Back in 1908 the small stcamei Charles Edward wont ashore at the end of the breakwater. She became a , total wreck and was demolished. Asked For Sporting Chance. After being damaged leaving the port of Bleheim for Wanganui on May 21, 1920, it was found on the vessel Aorere (37 tons) that the stokehold plates were awash in two feet of water. This was when she was 14 miles south of Wanganui. By noon on May ; 23, after the pumps had been at worn . for long hours, the chief officer reported that the men were exhausted. They approached the master, Captain d. Crotty, and asked for a sporting chance. He decided to beach the ves--1 sei. In a heavy gale the steamer weu thrown up on the Rangitikei beach and the crew landed safely. She became a total wreck. There was ni. neglect or incompetence on Captain Crotty’s part. Explosion on the Moa. On February 3, 1914, an explosion occurred on the coastal steam/r Moa I (185 tons) bound from Wanganui to Wellington, when she was six miles south of Wanganui. Her cargo consisted of 5000 cases of kerosene, motor spirit and benzine, turpentine and a

quantity of general goods. Within an incredibly short space of time she became a mass of Hames. To escape the fire the crew threw lifebuoys, piece., of wood and wreckage into the .sea and jumped overboard. The Arapawa could not approach within 100 yards of the burning vessel because of the terrific heat and the fact that her own cargo consisted of benzine and kerosene. All the Moa’s crew were reseued with the exception of a fireman, William Kennedy, who was sitting on a hatch when the explosion occurred and was killed instantly. Brigantine Carla. Some 33 years ago the brigantine Carla went ashore about a mile further north, and at the same time the Pelotas stranded on the beach just south of where the Port Bowen grounded. The Pelotas had a load of sleepers on board for use on the Wanganui tramway line, which was then in course of construction. Efforts to refloat the Pelotas failed, and she eventually went to pieces. The Carla was purchased by the late Mr. A. Hatrick and successfully refloated. Her name was changed to Wanganui, and she subsequently traded for years between Australia and Wanganui, being commanded by Captain J. White, who later on filled the position of harbourmaster in Wanganui for a long period.