COLLISION AT GISBORNE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 2 March 1917, Page 5

COLLISION AT GISBORNE.

BETWEEN LINER AND ARAHURa. ARAHURA BEACHED. GIbBORNE, this day. The Arahura and a liner were leaving the bay when they came into collision, and as a result, the Arahura was headed on to the beach, but not actually stranded until some hours later. With the assistance of the steamer Tuatea and th e dredger Maui, the Arahura was edged in near tie groyn, and hawsers were got out and attached to the groyne. The vessel’s stokehold is several feet Heep with water, and the engine room is also flooded. The point of collision is on the port side, where the plates of her upper works are tern away. Thei'e is a gap of several feet, partly below the water-line. The side of the ship is badly dented and buckled. During the night, with the aid of the harbour board’s launch, mats were got round the injured part of the ship. After a conference between the Harbour Master, Captain Carson, and Captain Dryden, of the Arahura, it was decided i to beach the vessel, and accordingly | the passengers and an injured man | were transferred to the Karoro, and i brought ashore, and the vessel was 1 run ashore on a sandy spot on the iWaikanae beach. ’The harbour board’s diver was taken off an hour | after the mishap, with a view to asj certaining the damage which the ves- ; sel had sustained. The liner was sailj ing for the south at the time of the mishap, and was commanded by Captain Goddard. The damage to the i liner has not been fully ascertained. | The vessel remains in + he bay await-

ing orders. The Wimmera is still -working cargo in the bay this morning. Harold Greenslade, chief cook on the Arahura, was injured when the collision took place. He is suffering from shock, but his injuries are ~ot dangerous. The position at 11.30 a.m. is that the A\ r ater in the Arahura had risen over the tops of the cylinders in the en-gine-room, and flooded Nos. 1 and 2 holds;. No 3 old is still dry. The steamer has about seventy tons of cargo- aboard, shipped at Napier and Gisborne for Auckland, together Avith coal and timber from Auckland, while Avas being over-carried from Gisborne. Thh water has only reached the timber and coal mentioned. The Vessel is holed amidships, on the port side, below the water line to the extent of three feet in depth and eight inches Avide. The gap is temporarily blocked and the inflow of A\ T ater at 11 a.m. was practically stopped, but not before it had reached the flooring of the saloon deck. At high water efforts will be made to more the A r essel under the shelter of the groyne. The sea;is perfectly calm, and discharging operations is proceeding. An auxiliary steam engine and plant has been put aboard, and hope to commence pumping operations to-night. Experts consider the heaAW belting on the Arahura saved the vessel from further damage.