HARD ON ROCKS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20108, 30 November 1939, Page 14

HARD ON ROCKS

SEEMS DOOMED FREIGHTER’S FATE BOW BENEATH WATER AT MERCY OF WEATHER RESCUE OF CREAV SALVAGE OF MAILS (Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, this day. Bound from Sydney to Lyttelton, the Union Steam Ship Company's intercolonial steamer, Waikouaiti, went aground on Dog Island, three miles off Bluff, in a heavy fog late on Tuesday evening. Now ham and fast on the rocks about 150yds. off the south-west corner of the island in Foveaux Strait, she seems to be a doomed ship. In her exposed position she is at the mercy of the elements. , Ho.w., soon the sea will .take its toll depends on the weather. As long as it is fair She can be expected to remain in her present position—tilted on her bow. which is towards the north-west, with her stern well clear of the water. She has a list of about 25 degrees to port. Once a westerly storm breaks, she may soon break up. Already there is considerable water in her forward holds, and it seems only a matter of time before it reaches the stokehold. The crew of the Waikouaiti were never in danger. Their personal belongings were brought ashore on the pilot launch, which reached the berth as the murky dawn was breaking. Thirty-eight bags of Australian mail were also brought on the launch, which returned to the Waikouaiti at 7.50 a.m. to tow in most of tile crew. A few, including the master. Captain J. Bruce!" and the chief officer, Mr. W. A. Todd, remained with the ship. The captain aTifi tifiicers and the few men who remained aboard the ship throughout the day left early last evening for the Blufi'. Although the vessel lias not officially been abandoned, any salvage decision will be made at Wellington. In Thick Fog

The Waikouaiti struck the rocky point of Dog Island in a thick fog at 9.15 p.m. She was not bound for Blufi but was on the way from Sydney to Lyttelton with mails and general cargo.

An inspection of the ship was made yesterday by Captain W. J. King, marine superintendent for the Union Company. A decision about salvage has not yet been announced.

Members of the crew had little to say about what happened after the ship struck the rocks. It was stated, however, that there was no undue excitement, and once it was realised she was hard and fast the men calmly waited until they coidd lie taken off in the morning. There was, it was stated, no big crash as the ship struck, but it was soon apparent that she was badly damaged. The water entered Nos. 1 and 2 holds and she began to'tilt a little, the stern being clear of the water. A gentle swell caused a slight movement of the ship, the grinding of the hull on the rocks causing some to wonder whether she would slip over the ledge, but she was firmly held. Firing of Rockets

Numerous rockets were fired to attract attention and, although the explosions were heard by some residents of Blufi few, if any, realised they signalised that a ship was in distress. When the pilot launch set out at 10 o'clock on Tuesday night to search for the Waikouaiti, a thick fog enveloped the harbour. A report was received that some persons had heard signals from the beach at the buck of Blufi hill, so it was decided to search there first. Visibility was almost nil. After a cautious cruise for half an hour, no sign of a ship in distress could be seen.

A course was then set for Dog Island. /Through inky blackness the launch groped its way on a compass course and eventually came up to the Waikouaiti, where it was first thought she would be. Fortunately the sea was as smooth as ever it is.

At first sight it seemed there was every prospect of refloating the ship, and instructions were sent to Blufi to order the tug Awarua, which is at Port Chalmers for overhaul, to put to sea as soon as possible. In a short time it was announced that the tug would be ready to leave at 5 a.m. yesterday, and that the Otago Harbour Board’s tug Dunedin was on the way. Water Filtering Forward Holds

A further inspection of the stranded ship revealed she was opening and that the water was entering the forward holds.

It was then apparent that any attempt to refloat her was doomed to failure. Word was sent to the mainland cancelling the previous instructions, and luckily it was possible to get m touch with the Awarua before the dock had been flooded. The tug Dunedin was also stopped and she returned to port. The Union Company’s coastal vessel Waiana, which left Blull' at 3 p.rn. on Tuesday for Dunedin, had been ordered to return and stand by the Waikouaiti, but she too later was requested to resume her voyage north. The first to reach the Waikouaiti after daybreak yesterday was a motor vessel chartered by the Southland Times. Cheery ''hallos” were shouted by those in the motor vessel as the Waikouaiti came within hailing distance. There were answered enthusiastically by the men at the deck rail. Lowering of Boats The sailors obviously were pleased to see the vessel from the mainland after their long and patient wait. Four or five men were whiling away the time fishing. They evidently accepted the situation with true seamen's philosophy. On board ship there was a scurry of activity as the men gathered

together what possessions had not been taken ashore by the pilot launch on her first trip and donned regulation life belts. Four boats were on the davits ready to be lowered, but three were used, the other apparently being left for use by those who remained in the ship. It was a thrilling sight as the boats raj tied down to the water and the sailors scrambled down the roue ladders into them. One man more energetic than the rest wrapped his legs around a bundle of thin ropes running from the ship to the boat and slid down with amazing agility. The blade of the ship's propeller, which was uncovered momentarily by each movement of the seas, was damaged, apparently through striking a submerged rock As the men began leaving the ship the trail of smoke issuing from the single funnel showed that there was still some life in her. Within a few minutes the pilot launch had the three boats in tow and the short journey to The Bluff was begun. The departure of the boats was watched by the master. Captain Bruce, a solitary figure standing at a corner on the bridge. Several strangely-silent seagulls had taken up vantage points in the rigging and at the masthead.