POSITION AT LYTTELTON

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14837, 1 December 1913, Page 8

POSITION AT LYTTELTON

RAIN STOPS WORK ON SATURDAY

ARRIVAL OF THE CORINTHIC.

TWENTY-FIVE SHIPS IN PORT

VERY BUSY WEEK AHEAD

After many days of fine weather, there was a sudden change at Lyttelton on Saturday morning; and practically the whole of tho £ork of the port was "held up," not by tho strike, but by a heavy downpour of rain. Since the re-opening of the port on Tuesday, work had flroceeded uninterruptedly, and excellent progress had been made with the discharging and loading of ships. Every preparation had been mado to copo with an exceptionally largo amount of work on Saturday, and had the weather remained fine two of the big orensea steamers and several coastal steamers would have been despatched from Lyttelton.

HEAVY GALE AND RAIN. At an early hour on Saturday morning, however, the wind changed to the south-west, and rapidly freshened to a strong gale, with a very heavy downpour of rain, which lasted until close on noon. The weather conditions at 8 o'clock were so bad that.it was impossible to start work at any of the ship 3in port, and consequently tho v aterfront presented a depressing scene of idleness, which recalled the recent days when the striker, had charge, and prevented any work being done.

WAHINE ARRIVES. After an absence of four weeks, during which she had been laid up in the stream at Wellington, the Union Co.'s feny steamer Wahine made a welcome reappearance at Lyttelton. She arrived outside the breakwater about 8.45 a.m., having been delayed on the passage_by a! very heavy southerly swell. The Wahine was signalled to berth at the west side of No. 2 wharf, but tho strong gale made mooring operations a very difficult task. The Wahine backed into port as usual, but the strong wind forced her out of position, and finally Captain Aldwell had to get the Harbour Board tug Lyttelton to assist the steamer alongside. She was safely berthed about 9.30 a.m., and landed a large number of passengers and a big mail. - •

MANNED BY VOLUNTEERS. The Wahine is manned on deck by masters and officers, and in the stokehold by arbitrationists. Sho has a full complement in all departments, and will continue to run in the ferry service in conjunction with the Pateena. I During the afternoon tho Wahine loaded several trucks of general cargo fir Wellington, and. after taking on passengers and mails, she left shortly after 8.30 p.m.

KOWHAI COALS WAHINE. The Union Co.'s collier Kowhai was hauled alongside the Wahine on Saturday morning and the ferry steamer was coaled by a large gang of new unionists. The men did good work, and the Wahine's bunkers wero filled shortly after 3 p.m., when the Kowhai returned to her anchorage in the stream, the berth at No. 3 wharf being required for the Hinemoa.

ARRIVAL OF THE OORINTBCIC. At 6 o'clock on Saturday morning the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co.'s big 12,000-ton steamer Corinthic arrived from Wellington, but as-there was no berth available she "anchored' in the stream. The Dorset sailed for Dunedin at 6.30 p.m., and the pilot then boarded the Corinthic and brought her alongside and moored her at the vacant berth at No. 7 wharf. The Corinthic has 2000 tons of general cargo to land, at Lyttelton, and will start discharging at 8 o'clock this morning.

A FINE AFTERNOON. The weather cleared shortly before midday and several of the steamers resumed work at 1 p.m. It was hoped to clear several of the steamers and get them away beforo tho week end, but the heavy, rain during the morning completely upset plans.

THE DORSET SAILS. Work was started on the FederalShire line steamer Dorset, and discharging operations were completed shortly after 5 p.m. The big steamer sailed at 6.30 p.m. for Dunedin, where she will start unloading .this morning. After putting out the balance of her cargo, the Dorset will proceed from Dunedin to Australian ports to load for England.

MIMIRO SAILS TO-DAY. The A. and A. Line steamer Mimira will complete discharge of tho Lyttelton portion of her New York cargo to-day, and will leave this afternoon for Yhinedin. Thence she will proceed to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, to load for England. > The Tyser .teamer Marore, which was also stopped all day on Saturday on account of the rain, will sail about Wednesday, for Dunedin, ten completo discharging. KAIRAKI LOADING. The Kaiapoi Shipping Co.'s steamer Kairaki arrived from Kaiapoi at 6.45 a.m. and berthed at No. 2 wharf About 600 tons of general cargo and produce have been booked for shipment by the Kairaki for New Plymouth and Nelson. Loading operations were started at 1 p.m., but as there was. no chance of finishing on Saturday night, the departure of the Kairaki was postponed until to-day. She will be an absolutely full ship. The Wootton, which loaded coal ex the - Kaitangata, in the stream, left at an early hour on Saturday morning, and arrived at Kaiapoi at 5 a.m. She will return to-morrow, and will sail on Wednesday, taking a full cargo of produce for Picton. "' OPOURI, FOR NELSON. Having completed discharge of her cargo of timber, the Opouri is loading produce for Nelson. She was delayed by the rain on Saturday, but will sail today, calling at Timaru to completo loading. CARGO FOR KAIKOURA. The Wakatu and Cygnet are loading full cargoes for Kaikoura. Owing to the steamship service having been held up for a month there is a great shortage of stores in the Kaikoura district, and a large amount of freight is offering for that port. Tho settlers in the surrounding districts have felt the pinch very badiy, and a number of them who are acting as special constables in Lyttelton express great satisfaction at jhe re-opening of the port. Speaking to a "Press" reporter on Saturday, one of the Kaikoura men, a small farmer, said that he had to cart his goods 38 miles inland and his wool and farm produce had to be handled in the same way. The strike was a serious matter for the small farmers, and they were determined to see things through. The holding up of the produce of thenyear's work might spell financial ruin to them. Tho Wakatu and Cygnet were delayed by the rain on Saturday, but they will load to-day and sail this evening for T_aikoura.

LIGHTHOUSE STEAMER ARRIVES. The Government steamer Hinemoa, after calling at Godloy Head, arrived in port on Saturday afternoon from Wellington, and berthed at No. 3 wharf. She will ship stores to-day for southern lighthouses, and will sail at daybreak to-morrow.

MORE COASTAL STEAMERS* The Cautoi bury Shippiug Company's steamer Petone "is to load cargo for Napier and Gisborne, and will sail on Wednesday St o rm is due to-day with cattio from. Wanganui,. and will return w.t. a.10a.l of produce and general cargo to that port. The Breeze is due to-morrow to load for Pictoa and Wellington

lITANIA FROM BUNBURY* _ __ lden witJl a full cargo of about 2,000,000 feet of jarrah from Bunbury, tho Norwegian steamer Titania, 3613 tons, will arrivo in the stream this morning. The Titania was to have called first at Dunedin, but when she passed NuggetPoint on Saturday morning she was signalled to proceed direct to Lyttelton. The Titania will be berthed as soon as a vacancy can bo found at one of the wharves. Another Norwegian steamer, the Hercules, is now at Wellington, and is due to arrive at Lyttelton this week to discharge SOO,OOO feet of jarrah from Bunbury. The Norwegian barque Sara was to have sailed on October 30fch from Bunbury with a full cargo of jarrah for Lyttelton, and is due very shortly. The American schooner Bainbridge left Puget Sound on October 3rd with a big cargo of Oregon pine for Wellington, and as she is now 59 days out, her arrival may be expected this week. Another oversea sailer, the Italian ship Combermere left Marseilles on July 10th with a full cargo of roofing tiles for Dunedin and Lvttelton.

A FULL HARBOUR. With the exception of two breastworks, every berth.in the inner harbour at Lyttelton is fully occupied, and tho port presents a very busy scene, with a forest of masts and funnels, and until one or two of the ships complete discharging the finding of berths for steamers arriving will be a somewhat difficult matter. The Kowhai. was sent out into tho stream on- Saturday to make room for the Hinemoa, and it is probable that H.M.S. Pyramus will shift from No. 3 wharf to the Gladstone pier, to-morrow. Tho fleet of ships in Port on Saturday was as follows:-— No. 2 Wharf —Wahine, Kowhai, Kairaki, Cygnet. No. 3 Wharf—H.M.S. Pyramus, Wakatu,' Hinemoa. No. 4 Wharf—Rimutaka. Kini. No. 5 Wharf—Canopus, Opouri. No. 6 Wharf —Remuera, Mimiro, Karamu (coaling Remuera). . No. 7 Wharf —Marere, Dorset. Gladst.no Pier—Petone, s.s., and schooners Eunice. Aratapu, Annie Hill, Lily, Morning Light, Eliza .Firth. In the stream—Cormthic, Kaitangata. Flora. JExcluding hulks and harbour steamers, the total tonnage of the fleet in port on Saturday was nearly 70,000.