THE ROTOMAHANA COLLISION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 26 January 1901, Page 3

THE ROTOMAHANA COLLISION.

Shortly after clearing the Lyttelton Heads on her run to" Wellington on Tuesday'night, the Rotomahana ran into the schooner Kcsticl and completely wrecked the little vessel above her deckline.

The collision took place oil' Point Gibson, thirty-three miles north by east half-east of Lyttelton Heads. The night was calm and very dark. The Kestrel was carrying no lights, and the Bofomahana was right on top of the ketch before she was seen. Both vessels were travelling in the same direction, and the steamer struck the little schooner on • her starboard quarter, dismasting her. making a complete wreck of her rigging. and breaking a few planks oil' her stern. The schooner's rigging also got entangled in the steamer's anchor, and this helped to complete the wreck. The Kotomahana hardly bears a sign of the collision, A boat was immediately lowered from the steamer to see if the crew of the Kestrel required assistance, and finding that they were all right, and that the vessel was intact below her deck, preparations were commenced to tow her back to Lyttelton so that within three-quarters of an hour of the accident the Rotomahana had headed for Lyttelton with the Kestael in her wake.' Within ten miles of Lyttelton Heads the Mourn was met with, and that steamer completed the work of towing the Kestrel into port. The Kotomahana then continued her voyage to Wellington, reaching there at J. 15 on Wednesday afternoon, about four and a half hours late. The Kestrel is a schooner of 51 tons, and is owned by the Kaiapoi Produce Company. She was bound from Kaiapoi to Colling wood, with a cargo of produce, and left Kaiapoi at six o'clock on Tuesday evening.