THE WRECKED TONGARIRO

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2870, 7 September 1916, Page 4

THE WRECKED TONGARIRO

VESSEL BEGINNING TO OPEN UP. A representative of the "Hawke's Bay Herald," who left on Sunday evening to visit the wrecked steainer'Tongariro, states, that on approaching the vessel it could bo seen that the Tongarirb was plainly doomed. The big list to port had brought the deck on that side to the level of the sea, while the stern of the vessel sloped down below soa level. The interior was awash foro and aft. Tho huge swell that surges incessantly over Bull Rook raked tho length of tho liner every few minutes. The liner looked utterly hopeless, and, as the waves eddied and swirled at her bows they laid bare occasionally "tho horns" of Bull Rock. These pieces of black, jagged -rock gave just a hint of tho terrible crags and pinnacles beneath tihe water, which had torn the bottom out of tho vessel and on which, sho now rested?

Even as tho screw of tho Tangaroa, on which tho reporter travelled, stop-' ped there was a dull report from the Tongariro, and as the huge swell that raked, her fore and aft had passed ,a split about a foot wido appeared amidships of the liner. Then, with each succeeding surge of the waves there would be other rumblings and groanings and tho crack could be seen widening. Up'to the timo .the Tangaroa left on tho 'rot-urn journey tho broach in the vessel had widened to about four feot. At one time it was thought that the" wrecked _ steamer would sunder apart. This opinion was freely voiced among the officers and men on board the Tangaioa. The captain of the Tongariro had tho previous day sounded-the water underneath tho stern of the vessel. It had then nino fathoms of Water under it, and r.s tho bow was firmly in- the grip of Bull Rock it was thought when tho break appeared that tho Tongariro would irresistibly crumple up iii the n.iddle. The fact that a few hours after the. first break the steamer had arched up amidships seemed to show that this was not at all unlikely at any moment. An officer remarked that even though the vessel may last a day or two tho constant strain incidental to the riso and tho fall of tho tide must hasten the inevitable end. ' On Sunday tho Eoutunui transhipped about 60 tons of cargo from tho Tongariro. Tho cargo comprised spirits, paints, and ladies' apparel. The Te Atu also succeeded in taking off about 60 tons of cargo. , i . A Press Association telegram received from Napier last evening stated that no boat has arrived from the wreck of the Tongariro for two days.