Hard And Fast On Barrett's Reef

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5307, 21 January 1947, Page 5

Hard And Fast On Barrett's Reef

( Press Assn.-

ALL PASSENGERS LANDED SAFELY : ATTEMPTS TO REFLOAT SHIP

-By TeJegraph — Copyriqht.)

WELLINGTON, Last Night. On her first. post-war civilian voyage across the Tasman from Sydney, the Huddart Parker Company's motor linhr, Wanganella, struck the south end of Barrett's Reef while entering the Wellington harbour about 11.30 on Sunday night. The ship lies hard and fast on the reef and is slightly down in the stern. The Wanganella, on making the Wellington Heads, appeared to hit what is known as the Outer Rock, when r sweeping into the harboui. The night was completely dark, but clear, and the sea was almost a flat cairn. When the news- of the accident was given the harbour board by its signalman at Beacon Hill, above Seatoun, the harbourmaster despatched the tugs Toia and Terawhiti to assist, and the harbour ferry Cobar and the tug Natone to take off the passengers.

At 3 a.m. it was reported the tak- j ing off of the passengers had begun. I There were about 4'00 passengers on board, including Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Tovey, Lord Nuffield, Mr. R. Hanks, general manager of Nuffield Export Ltd., and Archbishop Panico. Barrett's Reef is a prominent reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour. i The Wanganella is the fifteenth j ship to run on to Ban-ett's Reef, j which consists of 'a cluster of rocks ] in the entrance to Porfc 'Xiicholson. The main channel lies between the reef and Pencarrow Head. The reef takes its name from Dicky Bari;ett, one of the port's original pilots and a wellknown character of early Wellington, who later became host of the hotel on .Larnbton Quay, which also bears his name to this day. The. Wanganella, after the accident, lay on the reef in the dark, brilliantly lighted from every porthole and from the lights in her superstructure. High in her rigging two0 red lights glowed on the masthead, signifying the ship was in danger but the tugs were ablc to go right alongside and there appeared to be no danger to passengers. Radio Communication The eoastal vessel Gale, proeeeding to sea from Wellington, was the first ship on the scene. She cruised in the vieinity until the arrival of the first tug. Two-way radio between the .Queen's Whaiff tower and two of the harbour board's vessels greatly facilitated comnrunieation between the accident and those direeting operations. The Wanganella is commanded by Captain R. Darroch, who has been in charge since 1938 and had commarid throughout the Wanganella's war service. He succeeded Captain G. B. Bates, who had been the ship's eommander since its launching'. 4 The usually .persistent sound of the whistling buoy on Barrett's Reef could be heard throughouit the night on a cairn evening or when a sputherly wind blew, stated a resident near the scene of the mishap The buoy could not he heard from the shore last night or early this j morning, presumably because a light northerly wind was eahrying the sound out to sea. Although they did not hear the crash, other residents stated they were awakened soon afterward by blasts from smaller vessels. , With the eoming of daylight sightseers arrived in crowds at Breaker Bay, coming on motor cycles, bicycles and on i'oot, and scram'bled for vanfage points.

The ship struck at 11.43 New Zealand time. One passenger said the ship's docks, which had not been adjusted to New Zealand time, jshowed 10.55 when tlie liner stranded. It had been intended to adjust the sliip's time at midnight. I)ance in Progress A woman passenger stated that a dance was being held on deck when the liner struck. She felt q sbuddei* pass through the ship, but thought the anchor was probably being dropped at the heads. The daneing continued, and that fact reflected the unconcern of the passengers, all of whom were quiet and orderly and patiently awaited their turri for transferring to vessels to bring them into uort.

Passengers Were Cairn Most of the first group of 75 passengers from the stranded liner who reached the shore at 5' o'cloek in the morning ori the pilot launch Arahina, treated their adventure ligHtly. Mostly women ancl children, they all wore life jackets. Several young children wrapped in blanlcets were sleeping soundly. . The passengers declared that they had been exceptionally well handled. "The first thing we noticed was a slight hump and everybody seemed to Lilter up on to the deck," said one. "There was nothing much to it. Eyerybody was cairn." The passengers were served with coffee in the lounges of the liner within an hour of the ship hitting the reef. They had been told at first to stand by the lifeboats but it soon became apparent that there was no immediate danger.

The impact was described by one passenger as being exactly like an earthquake. These early passengers were allowed to bring 'only toilet gear asbore with them. iSome !of the women were still in njghtdresses. In the sheds at; Queen's Wharf, where party after party was landed, hot drinks and biscuits were waiting for them. The Salvation Army mobile cafeteria was early on the scene. All the passengers were ashore by the middle of the morning. The ferry

Cobar, went back to the liner in an j effort to bring' off mail and heavy luggage. It is understood that no general cargo was carried by the ship on this voyage. The first light of day revealed the liner lying wedged among the blaek jagged rocks of the reef. Close under her bows rose the ugly fang of I thc Outer Rock thrusting eight or 10 feet above the siiiflfface. The sea swirled around its base and- broke in I white foam around the liher's how. The Wanganella seemed to have taken a slig'ht list to starboard. Her bow was riding high indicating that she had driven some way into the reef.