WAIKCARE ON A ROCK

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 707, 5 January 1910, Page 5

WAIKCARE ON A ROCK

.IN DUSKY SOUND. BEACHED isiNKING; ASSISTANCE'DISPATCHED. ■,: (By TeleßraDh.--I'reßa Association.) \ " '.■-.'•-■'■ Duhedin, January I.'. • .The Union; Steam ; Ship' Company receiyed word'this^'evehing- that' the.s.sr Waikare ; had; struck .a rock in Dusky; ,Soundal;noon. The vesselis; reported to be; badly damaged, and 'the' engine-room, arid- stokehole',' are.-; full', to', the .waterlevel. ■. ■■ ; ■,//■;/ '..:-■: .- : ':<-.■■ ■;;■

; The,vessel was beached on Stop.lsland, arid the : passengers;and crow .were landed oh the beach of the mainland. Arrange; ments;. are', dispatch' the Moura. as. earlyV.ias, possjlbie : to-morrow; morning, for the scene. '..;■• : - : -.- ■'■' '■:'■:'

'.-'• The :Union .Company-lost .no time;in .communiwting withithe Prime Minister, riowvin Invercargill, and, , , as a result, H.M.S. Pioneer,. now \iying- at. the.; Bluff, is'.coaling to-night, and lief, commander hopes tb.getawayvto. the , scone by ■daylight .to-mbrrpw.:,: ,. He hopes to \reach; Dusky Sound at noon, ; and: be back again at; the/ Bluff with the passengers* by -7 p.m. , ;: ; ; V ■:''.■, ■'\:':} : '. : .-'.-'' ~.^{^'

Tho lighthouse-keeper at Puyscgur Point has been signalled that the Rosamond, which is due at tho Bluff tomorrow morning, is to proceed to Dusky Sound to stand by the Waikare.

An ample stock of supplies 'will .be.put on board the -Monrai , ; and Mr.. M'lntyre, wrk6 : man^er, : ;wUl' ; 'be;Vifi;-p iasßengM"-.by-her to inspect' and consider , what is to bo done by way of salvaged :; v : y>\ : ""':}::'- : :,\':

Wellington has been telegraphed to get the tug Terawhiti and salvage gear ready for to-morrow morning. It is hoped that tho -Moura will be ready to proceed to Dusky Sound by eight o'clock 'to-morrow morning.

The Waikare, which was on her second excursion to the Sounds this summer, had 150 passengers on board. ,

/ The Waikare,

.- : Like, a great; many-'other, vessels-in -the: Union Company's~fleet)* the.VWaikare;was ;biiilt by Denny Bros., of Dumbarton, and was'launched.in.;iß97. ■ liarity- 1 of being.' rather '.broader .in; the beam in proportion to length' than- most of tho company's passenger steamers, the original'- intention:-being'■ to * build '■ r her longer^'than;Avas;.afterwards;;deemed ad-; visable.;■ Her.measurements; are 310 ft. "by; 4ift., Being.;Avell.fitted: up ;for passengers;, she 'has been utilised: forerunning' the annual,, to'the. Sounds .'tor? many : years past, .and: the,only;.previous" ; mishap, in .these'e'xcursions,was;,the occasion on. which the falling of; a derrick: on" the .steamer - inflicted .. fatal; injuries -'on: her. commander, Captain 'John Anderson. , Her' present comnianderi.isJCaptain , ■Newton;; ;S

Nα Telegraphic Communication

'.''■ The company's annual.(.Sounds /.exouiv :sions,'- which/have, attracted •■yisitorsVfrom,: all..'parts ; oft vjthjjf world, have ncnf ■', been, darried :out : fof"about;B3 years,:; at./first by'small■'",steamers,:.then by.'the' Tara-. wera,. and/more recently :by the.Waikare, evor:since that vessel's, arrival Zealand waters. 'The cicursipn'.is.'so.'ar- / much: ; o£; the ■; steaming!isdone; after nightfall, so that 'the■ daytime' may ; 'be available.for..seeing . the-.sceiiio. beauties of ,the' ; Sound's.'}. ;l?rom' : :the,'place; .where the '-. Waikare'T striick. no teleria'phio or. other communioation. ; isVavailable; and {word , of the^occilrrenco'-would have , ''to be brought, by. one ; of: h«r steam : launches to Puysegur>lighthouse.;.v V ; i W:.i. : v^

i ' Dusky Sound. Dusky Sound is sheltered mountain- r ous forest-clad Resolution Island, the southern sanctuary for native birds. Tho sound is reilly d'labyrinthine' system of fiords within fiords Theie are in it scores of little l&lots wooded from hilltop to the verge of the clear, deop waters There are also snug little harbours, i\heio large bhips can he as Captain Cook's "Eosolution" did in 1773, moored stem and stern to tho trees on tho shore, so deep are the waters, and so landlocked In the olden days, a century ago and more, this sound was one of the partioular resorts of the seal-hunting adventurers iv ho pioneered the south Now Zealand shores.

Captain and Officers. ,' , The Waikare loft Dunedin on her first Sounds trip on December 23, and for hor second on December 30. On the hrst occasion Captain Colin Mac Donald was in charge. The officers accompanying Captain Newton this trip are as follow: —Chief officer, Mr.- J. 'G. , S. Doorlyj- second, Mr. E. J. M! Apployardj third, Mr. D. MacKenziej extra, Mr. E. T. Crowe; chief engineer, Mr. P. J. Hickey; second, Mr. J. Mac Arthur; third, Mr. C. F. West; fourth, Mr. A. L. Inverarity; nfth, Mr. T. B. Eutter; purser, Mr. G. H. Doddj chief steward, Mr. P. B. Carraichael; stewardess, Miss B. Gash.

The' Passengers. The passenger list is'as follows:—Mesdnines Ayres, Allen, Brown, Crawshaw, Corbett, Hargroaves, Malion, M'Lennan, Price, Peck, KoWtson, Staughton, Thornber, Todd (2), Misses Allen, Austin, Addanell, Burke, Butts, Bryce (2), Bremner, Chamberlain, Clarke, Caygill (3), Clark (2), Duckworth 12), Dumbrell, Dempsey, Gow, ■ Harding (2), Haiper, Hargreaves, fflll, Halley (2), Jacob, Knight (2), King, Longridge (2), Monow, Middleton, Mai tin, M'Lennan, Mcllie (2), Moore, Nash, Peck, Eiddell, Staughton, Sinclair, Smith, Spiers, Small, Stone, Skeats, Twigg, Thomas, White, Watts, Wyatt, Drs Bonham, Crawshaw, Messrs. Alien, Bacon, Bulton, Brown, Bowie, Beckingsale, Corbett, Collins, Downes, Ekhard, Freeman, Frind, Falla, Garratt, Gilchrist, Griffitns, Harper, Halcombe, Hargrcaves,' Hamilton, Jacob, Kiddey, Knight, Mahon, Moody, Mooie, M'Bain, Meek (2), Miller, M'Cowen, Middleton, Matheson, M'Leod, O'Brien, Peck, Poole, Pirn, Pujlon, Robertson, Staughton, Sinclair, ' Sutcliffe, Stark, Smith, Thornber, Todd (2), Walker, Masters Moore, M'Lennan (2), Boberts (2).

Waikare's. Previous Trip. The following account of the Waikare's previous trip this season to the West Coast Sounds is from the "Otago Daily Times":—

. The : annual steamer . excursions :'from Dunedin to!the West 'Coast Soundsmaintain their 1 popularity iamong: the.nibst attractive holiday fixtures of the 's'u'innier season. , The Union.! Steam Ship ; Company spares: neither' pains' nor expense in ' fitting- lip 'a boat ;frqm ; its fleet ,for: these trips, 'aid nothing'is left undone to provide entertainment, ashore, , and '.'afloat!: for the many/ excursionists'' from.! abroad 1 ■ or from Home who avail themselves of these, opportunities.to see ..the. soeniq beauties.of 'the Sounds.. -Leaping cascades ;S aid. tumbling, waterfalls, towering 'cliffs'- and timbered:mountain , sides and'valleys;:to- 1 maritic inlets- and calm and. placid'-waters' teeming ji-iyitlr fish ;and' waterfowl,: pebbly; beaohes and adjacent, ferngroves are,';in themselves a sufficient attraction ;to." the. ordinary: tourist, , 'but;whon;to';these':are. added? the conveniences, of :l oil -launches and boats for getting -from : point .to: point, and on: return: to ..the' steamer :there';.' is. found abundance,to : cat, and no lack of en:., tertainment afterwards, it is not to be-' wondered at that, so/ many .visitorsVfromjhe Commonwealths and : elsewhere.-. are ; included .in the'.annual: .jassenger'. lists; Given good.; weather, no'ekoursion-to the Sounds under.] the /conditions : above but-, lined can ■;fail to, liq; enjoyable,' -and .in : this respect-the .WaikarO' was V,well favoured on th<».'first , .'of.her trips.this ye ar . Leaving Dunedin at'4.-J0 p.m. on December2s,:she reached iPresorvation> Inlet/at 12.30 p.m. on the folUnyirij'dav,, and , cast anchor , in.:Cuttlo Cove.: "During the after-noon-.the ■'steamer ' went .'up the., inlet' to the head :'of ;Long Sotind. ' • In 'thissound 'the-, only : , rainjithat^.fell- during- , the" trip >as';met ;vvith. : :;l)ut : dt:was;;npt; iiiisuffloient ■ quanhty or duration;. ; to' interfere .with: the .comfort of.--the excursionists. I Doubtful 'i Sound was- reached ion ; ! Christ--mas morning, , , ond\ breakfast "was served while at anchor in .Crooked "Arm; Hall's' .Aim-\and.;Qw-V^ia'--VMid;'''George':'Spniid-

ivere visifcjd during , tke. dcy;; tho,;lastnained 'after■ -'a'- lileasaut■. trip- ■,- through• Tiiompson's Sound... Tjie' Waikare 'an'-'' chorea 'in .Cascade' Cove -for '.:tht!. night,' and . Milford ' Sound : was reached;■,a.t;"'Bi a.in.'.next.day... .Bright Sunshine iduring. the day and moonlight nights enabled the; sightseers W view the varied;scenery to the greatest advantage. At Milford .Sound' the oil launches and beats were lowered and_ parties. "of excursionists were landed at various places, an&onb party, including two ladies, nvalked;; to:the ; Sutherland 'Falls,' while others:.went to Lake Ada and (b : the Giant's Gate' Falls, , -etc. ■ A sketching and parting party, went to : Sutherland's: landing, near the foot of the Bowen Falls. Cameras and \ the;. cinematograph; "were kept bnsy during the whole of the day; in Milford Sound.. and vicinity in/ seeur. ing; records; of 'the-; scenery ..and . events. r A.concert and dances were held on board during the evening. .Next day a painting and sketching party, was "landed at the; foot of .the glacier, and another. party : climhodto' lite" summit of-Bowen'Falls.: Breaksea:■ Sound; was next• visited,.: being reached■ about 8 ..a.m;' on December ,28, ; and here' Supper;Coye'was;explored, the; steamer 'afterwards- proceeding;"'.down; Dusky, Sound. i.The'return .journey -was, commenced from the latter sound, , ; and 'Otago Heads was: reached at 7.15. a.m. next: day,- and'ihe' \at Dunedin about an hour and a.half later. (The Waikare, after landing; her. jpas-; sengers/at Dunedin, .returned , to -Port Chalmers to.take in ; buhker coal for the New: Year excursion, and will come up to town, from 'Port at,B a.m. to-day; and will. leave again at ■i.30. j.m.'; for.; her second trip ..to;, the Sounds, , for : which; .there have been liberal bookings.? ":: \/;