STEAMER v. WHARF.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 191, 7 May 1908, Page 8

STEAMER v. WHARF.

J RED FUNNEL BOATS COLLIDE WITH THE STRUCTURE. THE MAORI AND THE TAKAPUNA. Two of tho Union Company's steamers hit pieces out of tho Queen's Ayharf yesterday, when attempting to berth in a fierce southerly gale, and in both instances tho wharf came off second best. Tho most serious accident occurred at about 7 a.m., when tho turbine ferry steamer Maori, from Lyttelton, was berthing at No. 1 South, Queen's Wharf. "When tho Maori was close in, with considerable way on, a strong squall struck the vessel's starboard quarter and turned her noso into the wharf, and, before she was brought to, her sharp stem had cut through ■ a 14in. by 14in. ironbark stringer, and no . fewer than 42 (Sin. by 4in.) rimu deck planks, in all about 30ft. It was a clean straight cut, travolling on such a slight angle that, had it been a bluff-bowed steamer instead of the fine-prowed Maori, it would liavo sheered off. before a quarter of the "cut" had boon traversed. As it is, a particularly ugly gash lias been mado.in the decking of the wharf, the stringers below aro 'afloat; and one of tho particularly strong piles has been given a twist. - ' ' Strange to say tho steamer escaped all injury, v Thero is "a mark on her knife-like stem-post on a level with tho wharf, but along tho hull there is only a smudge, not, even the paint being removed. -With ferroconcrete wharves steamers will not so easily escape punishment from such mishaps. It is a coincidence that two of the'redfunnel fleet should butt into tho wharf on the -same day, and it is still further coincidental that both cuts should follow tho samo angle. Early 'yesterday afternoon tho Takapuna, from Oiiehunga and New Plymouth, was making her way into No. 10 berth (Jervois Quay), chased by'a "snorting" southerly that made the procoss a difficult one. Captain M'Lcan made ono attempt, but had to back out again, and after pulling out again lie mado a' second attempt, but owing to tho force of tho gale behind her camo in at too sharp an anglo, and before the vessel .could bo induced to go astern, she bit into tho wharf, crashing through the stringers and about , five feet of tho block decking of the wharf. When she - struck, tho fluke of an anchor, hanging over tho port bow, pierced one of the plates and bent,a rib. 1 ■' As the - Takapuna's ' engines were going "full s'pecd_ astern" when sho struck, the vessel on colliding with the wharf recoiled almost immediately, and she was taken out clear of the. wharves, and manipulated so as to back stern on into her berth.