DRIVEN INSHORE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19998, 25 July 1939, Page 11

DRIVEN INSHORE

LINER’S DRIFT PLIGHT OF PORT BOWEN FAILURE OF DYNAMOES STORM. CHUCKS TUBS W A TIM? SID MRS M A BOON E D (Pol* Dress Association.) WANGANUI, this day. Sixty-eight waterside workers, with about am equal number of the crew, are marooned for the time being on the stranded 1 Port Bowen. Forty-four wafersiders were taken out to unload the ship’s cargo into lighters and 24 to jettison coal. The watersiders. have .been out since Sunday at midday and there was no prospect of getting them off yesterday or last night.

The vessel now has no electric power and hurricane lanterns were all the lights aboard last night. It is difficult to keep warm and the men are making the best of things ’tween decks, aware all the time of the pounding of the seas and tlie rising Wind, it is hoped that the weather will moderate and the lighters will be able once more, to approach the stranded vessel and so bring the men ashore. t..-.

•Mr. T. I-I. Lovegrovc, head of a stevedore firm, and his son are also aboard the Pont Bowen unable to return, to the, shore.

Broadside on to the beach -and much closer inshore than when she first ran aground, the Po-rt Bowen nresented a sorry sight, tost might.

Yesterday afternoon the company asked the Wanganui-Rangitikei Electric Power Board to provide floodlights 'from as near high water marl: ao possible. Eight floodlights have been set up near the beach, but the distance front the- shore to .the stranded liner, some 300yds, makes them of moderate value only. It is estimated that the Port Bowen has been, forced inshore 200 to 300yds from where she first ran. aground. When she grounded- first her bow was pointing inshore and. her stern was on a slight angle to the north. She '.hen appeared to, have ploughed on to 'the top of a ridge of sand. More Serious Position The stormy weather which sprang up ear.ly yesterday morning, however, has -carried her well over that ridge inshore, and she is now in a far more serious .position. In the afternoon it was obvious that her bow was moving, but she seemed to be fast amidships, suggesting that most of tlie friction .from .the sandy bottom was taking place near her engine room. It is reported in several quarters that the plates below the waterline of the 'ship have been damaged. No official confirmation of this could be obtained -as the agents of the ship are reticent and an atmosphere of pessimism has developed since the change for (the worse in 'the weather. It iis reasoned by those who have knowledge of the power of tides and the suction of sand that if the ship could, drag three anchors during Monday night, a more severe storm will drive her right up on the beach. A heavy gale was blowing -up from the west at 9 o'clock last night. The frozen meat aboard the Port Bowen will probably have 'to be jettisoned to-day. Without her power to maintain refrigeration, that cargo will rapidly perish. Accommodation for it could have been found ashore, but as the vessel now lies beyond what is considered to be a safe distance from the beach, it is risky to work the lighters unless the sea, is calm. Tug Lyttelton II Arrives

After a 23-iholir journey, the modern tin,', LyifeteTion 11, arrived at Wanganui, benlhing alongside the Tofci at CastlectilT wharf at 4 o’clock yesiterdlay. afternoon. Captain A. It. Champion, second pilot at the port of Lyttelton, in hn interview said that the tug had had a good journey and was in readiness for whatever work was assigned to her.

All four tugs were at CastleclifT yesterday afternoon, but on account of the rough weather, could not continue to work on the Port Bowen. At 4 o’clock yesterday morning, the Wanganui Harbour Board’s tug went out to the stranded vessel, but a heavy manila . hawser fouled one of the tug's propellers and she had to .stand off the . Pont Bowen to repair the damage.

The men. aboard the tug worked hard and freed the hindrance within, two hours. The Kahunui returned to port .at G. 30 a.ni The. Teraw.hsti . out to sen at 4 (.•’clock yesterday morning and remained out until the afternoon. ' “It .was rough and a risky task close inshore," one of the crew declared, adding,' that the tugs, had they reached flic Port Bowen, would have had to overcome a line of breakers on. the soatVard side. .