S.S. HAWERA-A WRECK

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1583, 29 October 1912, Page 4

S.S. HAWERA-A WRECK

-■— 4 — ON PATEA BEACH. EFFECT OF SATURDAY'S GALE. After a storm comes a calm, but th* storm usually has a way of leaving .some traces beliind it. As reported yesterday, the coastal steamer Hawera went ashore whilst endeavouring to negotiate the Patea bar on Saturday morning. At first it was thought that she was in a fairly safe position, and prospects of refloating hor appeared to bo promising. Yesterday afternoon, however, reports were received hero winch told a different story. The gist of this story was that the littln vessel was a wreck, 'having been very heavily battered by the fury of the recent gale. It appears that, at the time that the Ilawora went ashore at Palca, there was a fair eoa running, and the wind was blowing fresh froni the southwest. The entrance to 'the port is a difficult ono to negotiate at any iinie, but, under weather conditions similar to those which prevailed at tho time when the Hawera was crossing tho bar, much seamanship is required to hnmllo a vessel. There is not much room between tho two trainiug walls, and, in order to get as much water as possible, a master in. chargo of a vessel has to navigate his ship close up to tho western wall, and then shoot across to the -eastern wall, and hug this structure until he ie woll into tho river.

Accounts received indicate that Captain Jackson had received the signals to "take tho bar," and therefore put his head to tho river month. In manoeuvring sho happened to be taken by a sea on to the eastern wall, and after backing out tho wind and sea caught hor, -and landed her on tho boach to tho eastward of the rubblo and concrete breakwater. It wae horo that most of , the damage was done. The general effect was that the Hawera was left lying on a sandy bottom, with her stem close up to the well, and her etern pointing seawards. She was practically broadside on to. the sea, and had also taken a list Jo port. Seu after sea camo tumbling over tho little vessel, smashing her bulwarks and carrying everything movable away. Previous to this the vessel's stem was broken and tho holds began to fill with water.. Tho decks were smashed in and much of the cargo washed out. Some of this was subsequently seen floating up tho rivor. Spectators looking at tho little craft from a position above her, could only see a mass of twisted pipes and framework in tho fore-hold.

When she went ashore tlio Hawora woe l la<l«u with over 100 tous of cargo. An endeavour was made to eavo some of this j but the (icti6n of the .waves filled the hold with sand, and most of the cargo J is buried to a depth of about six feet. It is said • that the vessel's back was [ nlso broken and further that sho had settled down- some distance into the sand, j It is understood that an attempt will Iμ I mado to save the boiler and engines. |. The Hawera was one of tho finest little , coastal vessels which have traded in and out of Wellington. Sho was quite a now j boat, and was only delivered from , tho builders about eight months ago. Her I dimensions were; Length, 112 feet; beam, [ 20ft.; and depth, Bft. 6in. She was fit tod L with refrigerating machinery and her , propelling power consisted of compound surface-condensing engines. The vessel's . planking was of kauri and her keel and kelsons were of iron bark. .She had accommodation for two passengers. Her gross register was 200 tons and she hud 1 a carrying capacity of IGO tons, exclusive of i machinery. She was built by W. H. Brown and Sons, of Auckland,' and engined by Geo. Fraser iuid Sons of the samo city.