The Daily News TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1904. A ROUGH DAY AT THE PORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 179, 2 August 1904, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1904. A ROUGH DAY AT THE PORT.

The northerly wind that sot in on Sunday evening increased to a heavy gale during tire nigfit and made tilings lively at the port. There were in harbour at the time two sailing vessels, the Wbangaroa and Frank Guy, which had brought over from Australia cargoes of tim'ljer for tho Harbour Board. The Frank Guy was lying, on the eastern side of the wharf, and the \V'ha»garoa was moored between the wharf awl the mole, while the Harbour Hoard's dredge was moored some little distance out from the wharf. The harbourmaster took every precaution for the safety of the vessels 1 , and it was well that he did so, for the sea made rapidly, and by yesterday morning very heavy waves were dashing over the breakwater. About 4 a.m. the s.s. Rarawa signalled her arrival by a lengthy blast from her siren, and shortly afterwards she came in and was l made fast to the wharf. Tho gale raged fiercely all the morning, a nd at 11.30 a Daily News reporter was -despatched to see how the vessels were faring. When ho reached the breakwater it was high water, and the sight was a magnificent one. The sea, which Captain Hood, the harbourmaster, said was the heaviest he had sem during the seven years ho had been here, was a confused mass of waves, which occasionally broke over the mole with resistless force, throwing humli-eds of tons of water into the liittle basin where the Whangaroa lay. A little way out gigantic waves were dashing agaisst tho Sugar I.oaves, sending their spray half way up those wollk»own land' mark. 1 ?. It was. u splendid sight, well worth going to see. Under such circumstances it may well 1)0 supposed that the harbourmaster was hiiviag an anxious time, having been on the wharf since 3 a.m. Nevertheless, what with the shelter afforded by the breakwater and tho extraordinary precautionary measures taken to meet the effects of the gale, the vessels' held safely to their berths* until the wind veered round to the south-we.it, and thus materially helpul to lessen the risks. That a steamer and a couple of sailing vessels should successfully shelter throughout the fiercest gale that has ragwi on this coast is saying a great deal. No one who visited the scene yesterday could fail to bo impressed with the great -benefit of tho breakwater, and also with the necessity for its extension. Another 1000 feet adddd to the molo would make all the dilTerence to -the eafety of the shipping, the wear and tear of the hoard's mooring gear, the strain upon t'lile wharf, and the anxiety alike of the harbour oflicials and the masters of the vessels. Had it been possible lor the ratepayers of Taranaki to hivve viewed the scene at the port yesterday as we saw it we do not think one ol' them would have gone away without ibeing convinced of the urgent necessity of sanctioning a loan lor the further extension of a woi'k ttiat even in its present lmlf-linisTjed state was obviously such

a conspicuous success as a means of shelter upon our storm-bound coast. There was, however, one matter in connection with, the happening*: at the port yesterday that we feel it our duty not to pass over in silence. It was rumoured about town that tho Rarawa was brought into the wharf against tho signals put up by tho harbour o/licials. If that be true —and wo 'believe it is—all wo can say is that the Harbour Board should take notice and cause some inquiry to he made. Undoubtedly the berthing of tho Karawa in the early morning in the face of a heavy gale and tremendous sea is high testimony to t'ho skill and seamanship of Captain Norbury, as well as to the capacity of the port. Hut there aro other considerations. How could tho master of the steamer possibly know the state of affairs ut the wharf when ho was outside the harj hour '.' It is quite poswiihlo the harbourmaster might have had his hands full in holding the two vessels already in shelter, and found himself with no spai'o go-ar available for a large vessel like the Itarawa in rase of necessity. It is possible also that somctlmug might go wrong at the critical moment, a propellor foul of a ''no or something of that sort, and the next thing would be a steamer piled up on the bench. Such things hu\e happened, do happen, mid will happen again. Had the unexpected happened yesterday a grave responsibility would have been incurred by somebody, and that somebody would not have been the hitrlKiiiruin-'-ter. Further than that, great and unmerited 'injury would have- been sustained by the port. It seems to us that the Harbour Hoard should take steps to prevent a recurrence of t.'iiis sort of thinfi. The harbourmaster is in the best possible position to know how affairs stand in the harbour, and confident and clever thought the master of a vessel ni a y lie he has no right to jeopardise the reputation of others, however much ho may bo inclined to accept risks himself. If tho harbour signals are not to lie obeyed, what is tho use of them ? They may as well be abolished so that vessels can come and go M t»ey pleased.