KAHU SPRINGS A LEAK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 21, 27 October 1919, Page 6

KAHU SPRINGS A LEAK

DAMAGED IN HEAVY GALE

BEACHED ATTHECHATHAMS

PASSENGERS AND CREW SAFE .. 'Advice was received by wireless from _the' Chatham Islands yesterday that tho iweil-known coastal steamer Kahu had been beached at Whangarda in a sink'in'g condition at noon on Saturday. The passengers, crew, and mails were all safe. 'The Kahu left Wellington about 4 .o'clock on Tuesday afternoon for tho , Chathams, 'and it appears that she sprang a leak at 2 o'clock on Thursday afternoon,- during a heavy south-west gale. Twelve -horns afterwards tho water Sad extinguished, the fires, and owing to the heavy sea.it was impossible to launch the boats. After the weather moderated tho orow strenuously exerted themselves and managed to get the water -How enough to permit of the fires being lighted. At i p.m. on Friday the fillip got under way again, and she reached iWhangaroa at noon on Saturday. ■' Dotails of the mishap! are contained in the following Press Association message received last night from Christchiu'ch :— "The special correspondent of the ''Press" at the Chathams wirelessed last night' as' follows-.—Richardson's steamer Kahu beached noon to-day at Whanga--10a; thirteen passengers and thirteen crew all landed safely, after very trying experience lasting over' two days. On JThursday, about seventy mif.es west of the . Chathams, tho steamer sprang ! a leak aft, as the result of heavy seas. The engine-room filled and extinguished all . thq fires,. After drifting in this manner till 3 p.m. on Friday, and by hard work on the part of all hands in hucket bailing, the water was lowered littlo by little • till a Are was started, the vessel thus 'obtaining a speed of three knota Owing -to the captain's sextant being smashed ' jby heavy seas, which continually ' ewept the ship, considerable ■ difficulty (vras experienced in locating the ship[s '(position, but on daylight breaking this piorning land was seen, and at noon the vessel was run at full 'speed on to n sandy beach, where sho now lies high and dry. Great work was done t>y all on' board, and remarkable courage was shown by the captain in trying circumBtanoes. Owing to no pumps being on the Kahu, baud bailing by the passengers and crew was continued, in order to sheep the vessel afloat until she was Reached. Tho pusseugers reached WaiJtangi by launch at 2 p.m. to-day," ' A steel and iron screw steamer of 185 'tons gross and 1)G tons net, the Kahu was built for her present owners, Messrs. JUohardson and Co., of, NapieK, at New-castle-ou-Tfriic, in 1586. ; Her dimensions are as follow:—Length, 115 ft.; breadth, ■19ft. lin.; dopth, Bft. Sin. After sho came out to. New Zealand the vessel Was employed in the Chatham Islands trade for about two years, subsequently being replaced by Messrs. Richardson and Co.'s steamer Toroa. Sho was then al-, lotted to the East Coast nui. On her last trip to the Chathams sho was sailing under the charter of Messrs, Zohrab and Co. Captain J. Lowry was in charge of the vessel, and sho carried the following passengers:—Misses Jacobs, Piwari,- Mednmes 'Roiiti. Rakeno, Messrs. •Ritchie, Lanauze, F. Mitchell, Marsden, H. Piwari, Ned Piwari, P. Panorau, Eakcno. Master Reriti.'