THE TAKAPUNA.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18413, 20 June 1925, Page 14

THE TAKAPUNA.

SCUTTLED IN PALLISER BAY. A LINK WITH THE PAST. {srKCIAL TO "IKB I'KEBS.'') WKLLIXGTOX, Juno J!>. ■ Tlio steam ship Tnkapuna. which was sunk in Cook Strait, off Pencarrow, yesterday, and now lies at a depth of over a thousand feet, has an interesting history. She. was tho first Union Company's ship not built on tho Clyde. She was built in 3883 by the Marrow Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., at Marrow, for tho Union Company. She was a steel screw steamer "ftf 1030 tons gross, length 220 feet, breadth 32 feet, depth 17 foot 5 inches. On her trial trip she did 35 knots, which at that time was considered a tremendous speed for ocean-going vessels. She was specially built for carrying tho 'Frisco mails and passengers between Onehunga and Xew Plymouth, whence tjiey wero conveyed south by tho railway* to Wellington. There was no North island Main Trunk in those days. Sho wns ono of many instances of tho cntcrpriso of the Union Company in past years. Tho Taknpunu was brought to Now Zenland by Captain I\ Jones, via South Africa, St. Vincent, and Hobart. to Pert Chalmers, where sho arrived on October loth, ISB3. Sho carried on tho express service till ldoß, and her la6t trit) in theservico was made in 1910. She ihen went on the Nnpier-Gisbornc service, and also did a few Wellington-Nelson trips. An instance is quoted of a man who loft Dunodin Post Oflico at 11 a.m. on n Friday morning, took tho train to Lyttolton, whoro ho joined tho Takapuna tho samo evening. Ho arrived in Wellington at noon the following dny, and left two hours later for Xow Plymouth, whero ho arrived at 6 a.m. on Sunday. Ho left New Plymouth again at 7 a.m., and crossed tho bar at Manukau at (5 p.m. tho same day, arriving in Auckland Post Offlco at 8.30 p.m., after ii trip of 57 hours, only nino hours longor than tho bost time to-day. The Takapuna nover met with any serious accident, but had a fine, clean run. Sho was paid off ten years ago, and has laid off Kaiwarra from that timo until dolivcrod into tho hands of tho shipbrcakers, except for a brief spell when she was docked to tako the barnacles off her.

When tho, vessel left the wharf a gull aottlod oil the top of tho foremast and remained there until well out to son. I'or a while another gull occupied the rear mast, and then shifted and settled on tho mast of tho tug. As tho Takapuna went down, a flock of gulls flew round, their screams rending -the air as if they realised what was happening. It was two in the afternoon before tho tow boat readied the spot below which the ribs of other old ships now lie rusting. Stripped and dismantled as she was, tho Takapuna, with her graceful linos, her funnel and her steel masts still standing, looked picturesque as, cast off from tho tow, she lay awaiting her doom. , Two charges of gelignite had been placed in her hull. A match was placed to their fuses, tho seacocks opened, and tho three men who wore on hor camo aboard tho tug. Tho final scono is described as follows:—One charge had gone off, tearing a holo in her sido, and she began to settle slowly by tho stern. Thrco min* utes later a heavier boom, the Bocond and bigger charge, had rent her side bellow tho water-line. Tons of. water poured into her, and sho bogan to heel over to starboard. Her rudder and propoller disappeared, and her nose rose slightly. Still more she • heeled over and presented her decks almost broadsido to tho tug, and ono could almost sec down tho funnol. The sea plunged in at the portholes, and sho rolled as if she would turn over. Her stern was dipping suddenly as if, with a last muscular effort, she almost righted herself. As tho weight of water was distributed, up went her head, and at an angle or about 45 degrees sho went down to her end, resting on tho bed of the sea on which she had travelled for so many yoars. Her funnel crashed as sho went down, and tho old lifeboat crashed against tho steel mast, tangled in the wire ropes, and disappeared from sight. A slight swirl of water showed for a few seconds to mark tho placo where she had disappeared. Somo planks and a couple of companion ladders ?oated to the surface. Three minutes ater the tug steamed over the spot and blew a blast of farewell.