THE S.S. KAIPARA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 718, 18 January 1910, Page 6

THE S.S. KAIPARA.

RANGITOTO CHANNEL. : STATEMENT BY THE HAEBOTO- . MASTER. ' (By Telecrapli.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, January 16. : Tho news of tile grounding of the Kaipara. in the fairway of Rangitoto Channel came as a thunderbolt , to . local l shipping circles. That such a thing could happen was never dreamed of, as vessels of even greaiOT 1 draught' thin the Kaipara have passed to and fro through. Rangitoto Channel timoa out of number : without any, such symptom, of touching the bottom ever being recorded. The supposition is that-the Kaipara, being«Jieavily loaded, and, going out at'low-tide,, struck a rock,, but; no 'such- rock,-it. is stated, is recorded on the Admiralty, chart, which has been used for many :yeaxs, and which has hitherto been found perfectly - accurate. The of the channel, which is marked by buoys,.has always been regarded' as deep water, free from'any%b-' strnction; but' now that this accident has taken' place, an exhaustive survey ' will doubtless,be-made to ascertain tho exact depth throughout.- ' ' ■' . A regrettable -feature of the mishap is -the fact, that the Kaipara was the'first ■monthly stetimer which was to leave the port of' Auckland for London; direot. In tho past the Home boats have only mode Auckland the .'final' txrrt of call onoe -in . a - way, but; the . New Zealand Shipping: Company, recognising the:growing. importance" of the port; decided to make Auddan'd- the. final port-of' call .far their steamers leaving' :dnce ;a month;' and the-Kaipara was the : first vessel to leave under - ': the now; arrangements.:, , ;. Most of tb-a" passengers say. that they 'esperienced a .very, slight 6hock when, the ship struck,.'but a couple; of : the crew :who;,were' in ,',the fo'c'sle at. the; time; say that ■ there .wis. a' very considerable shock, and.; a, loud 'report. When 'tho':accident occurred; there was no 6ort of panic. on .board.; ; The iboiits . were ."at 'oncfl swung out, and '..lifebelts'-served' to''tlxe iladifei and all wens ready to -take',to the; .boats, when the; Chelmsford-most . opportunely came alongside and. took the passengers back .to town. • . : ,

.' >At high water the big ship, lies' with.' .her .bow- decks: only a fewffeot out. of. water, which is up to the; hawser pipes. She has a list to the starboard side some feet lower -than .the;,port,..side, '.but: not sufficient to make any:apparent-difference ■to the lervel of the deck. Her position is right' between ithe two light. buoys, and she-is much : nearer; to ...the white .light than the ■ grew .one on '• the -. Rangitoto shore.. -Her .bow, points.towards B-angi-toto.. Aft tlio decks are spick and span,but; forward of.' tho. bridge ■ everything is' littered over'.ivifch gear, and, a glance dowii the gaping, hatches reveals the Nt>. 1 and N0.,, 2. holds .full, of - water, with sheep carcasses .and ' butter : boxes and ;cheese crates'floating: about. Lumpers standing on temporary platforms, fish up tho/boxes and ■ carcasses ~ grappling irons, boat hooks, etc., and pass them to the deck, where tliejrare transferred to the' lighters'alongside. ;■ - ■

"It is very difficult, to say. anything as' to .how tho accident' occurred," said the harbourmaster (Captain' Duder), when' interviewed by a "Herald" representative. "But I;am satisfied*.that-tho harbour is as'good to-day as ever'it was.' Our own .Admiralty chart - is used, and 'whenever Ve. have-' tested-' the 'water - the chart has orrod on tho safe side, as-we have always found tliat they always allow a margin' of safely." • ■ - -'.- In Captaitf Dndert.opinion the .Kaipara'is not now, where'she-struck. - "Oh, .dear no,";:he said; in answer to a further inquiry. "I could not say how far;she;has shifted, but, there is. not less than' from 31 feet-to 32 feetioi -wator all round her at -low-tide in her present tion.".- iv.

:? -hi] answer, to a,<juestion'.as to the depth' iof water in-Ransptoto Channel, the hap-'' bourmastor. said, that. in: a .deep-water eec-: tioil at low, water -there,was about 31 feet, and /about 1 10 more feet at, high water. Prom: the -'deep-water section it, of coarse, became .shallower :tKo further one ; went from , mid-channel. The vessel had evidently shifted' towards, the;. deep-water channel, where, she was ;now lying between ,the. two luminous buoys. .. i--..-v C; I V;.'.:-' ■' " !, i <;v DEEP DRAUGHT SHIPS AT ~ AUCKLAND. , (By Tdeirraph-—Sticcial Correspondent.) . .Auckland,- January: 17.' >Inv.tlie. course. of: a further.,interview,. Captain Duder gave some interesting particulars of. . the j.draughts ,of. .some . deep-. . gpiiig . vessels ; - which - : have '...'worked., the pbrt' : df :.AucHaird.' ; 'He '..instanced., the I ..American fleet' of,, battleships ;.whicli ,was' brought: during August, ■ '1908,' under : the supervision of the 'board's,,three.'officers in l.jieri'ertV safety. Ji';yet,". said .Captaiii'l Duder, "that was.'done. at three-quarters, ebb tide,, and . on' a .hazy; .foggy ,morn-' i-tig, -and! the' last ship 'was. anchored ■ at tide.. •' Not the;slightest,.hitch' occurred,' and.not tie slightest symptom of touching tho bottom of. .'Eangitoto .Channel, or of anywhere ;,iii the .harbour, .was 'evibr'. felt,:. and,! yet. some. 1 ' of' 1 those b'attlediipa'.'drew a.'little over 28. feet. [27ft. ?J;.as'. against., the-^ipara's; 27ft": ; "Have. any ', vessels .'drawing a'; greater depth' of ' water thaii'- those battleships ever entered the harbour?" ■ "Yes," replied Captain' Duder, "H.M.S. Ppwerfnl.';'. She ,bas ':drawn'. the greatest depth of; water ;-of': any . vessel; during my 1 , experience here. - She draws .a - few .inches over. 23ft. . when she goes out after, taking in coal, and sKe, as", you .know, has'ibeen' in - and- out : time-i and' 'again without- experiencing ."the'; slightest, mis!hap.i The, New Zealand Shipping. Companyfs steamer Otaki- left the Railway ! \Vharf ;about a year' ago- -drawing.' 29ft.. aft,\ but not so -much forward, and she got out safely 'enough.'. She did not, however, go out at \ low water."- ; : ■, ■ "In - the deep Bec'tion of the channel .'there is not: less' thai "31ft. .'of 'Water' at low water ' spring tides,' and :it is: only -.in a : : short length of ; the' channel 'that .there, is as littlo:os. that."That-4s, at and /about where the Kaipara' is how •lying; She .has sunk, in- 31ft. of 'water in ,ono 'of -the - shallowest parts of the ■deep-iyater "channel:':-'' After "that- the ehtanel steadily'.-improves to six or seven fathoms out towards .tlie'beacon/' '