UNPLEASANT SUGGESTION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 70, 19 April 1909, Page 4

UNPLEASANT SUGGESTION

SITPOSED M'K ul'F MOTI'ROA. STUCCK BV A STKAMER. Masters of vessels trading to this port, ami those of our lisliennen who carry on their operations faiilv regularly in the vicinity of Jloturoa', will be surprised to learn of the supposed existence of a rin-k it lioitL a couple ol culiles' length oil' the MoUirou Sugarluuf.

At / the Harbor JJoard meeting on Saturday, a letter was received from Mr. M. lliuld, Xew J'lymontli branch manager of the tnion Slcanisiiip Company, covering the luiiuwiiig commuiiL cation from Captain Cameron, master of the t'orinna, and asking the Board to make a survey of the locality:—"l respectfully beg to report that on the tUnd inst. (.March), at about 'UU p.m. while leaving Xew Plymouth hound for Wellington, vessel di'.iuglit being 12ft. lin. forward and lift. llin. aft, coming out on my usual heart.igs and steering to pass about two cables northward ol Moturoa, when the island was bearing about S. by JC. the vessel struck some submerged object, apparently on tii:' pori. side. The wells were souiideil, and it was found that the vessel was not uK.lc ing any water, so the voyag.- was con tinned to Wellington, where the matte: was reported to the manager of the. I'nion Steamship Company, and also t(. the Collector of Customs.' The vessel was examined in tile after-ballast tanl. by the tbivcriiinent Inspector, who could find no trace of the vessel having sustained any damage. I have been ove; the same ground often before, or about the same, and never noticed anything before. 1 am very sorry this has occurred."

Tin' Marine Superintendent's letter to tin- (.'l'lii-ral Manager of tin- Company staled: -If tin' vcs. ; .| passed iivi'r tinground timt Captain Cameron says she iliil, I cauniit iinili'i-iliinil how, liie t'u riiimi conlil timi-li, us t!ii' cli.irl shows S to HI fiitiiiniis nil riiiiii,! this vicinity -My own opinion is that Hi,. Coriniia must Inn,' lunched n log that was sub merged in llii' water, in- something of tlmt kin.l, fin- I fci'l satislii'il that' if ,-> rock or bank existed in tlmt locality, tin- break mi it would lie very notice alii," in licuvv weather. She was only drawing 14ft. llin. aft and 12ft, Jin. forward, and niiv siiliiiii'i-jicil ruck that sh,. I'uiiUl loiu-h on that draft i-onlil have lii'i'ii seen from tin. vessel's bridge, n» all the rneks in tlmt 'locality have long seaweed on tliein limiting'up to the surface. All the sums I would rccoiii iiiciiil that the New Plymouth llarlior Hoard 1 uniunniciited with and askei'i to make a survey over this "round in case tlmt some oilier vessel may meel with a similar accident."

Captain Hood, harbormaster, said tlie point referred to was outside the harbor limit, hut it migdit be as well for the Board to undertake a survey at once, although it was really a matter for the Admiralty.

The chairman agreed, and considered n survey would show tlia.t Ihe complaint had little of importance in it. The steamer had probably struck 11 waterlogged piece of timber. Had it struck 11 rock there would have been some mark on the vessel's hull.

Captain Hood said it was as well In investigate, lie remembered that once when he was bringing a steamer out of (lisborne he grazed something, and reported the mutter to the Marine Department, being of opinion that n rock was the obstruction. Very few agreed with him. for the spot where I lie accident happened was right hi the ordinary I rack of (railing vessels. He persisted in his rei|iies| for a survey, but it was not made until the Tiiraw'era, a bigger vessel, nearly stove her bottom iu by striking the' same submerged object. The survey revealed the presence of a pinnacle rock right iu the fairway.

II was derided that I lie harbormaster should sweep the locality, iu order to discover if there were a rock in the place stated.

■lust arrived, at Dockrill's, Devon street Central,, New Plymouth, an indent of .Allan's famoiw {rents' boots, also (.'. and .1. Clarke's sujiorior ladies' liools and slurts. In stock, a large assortment of the liest ladies', gents', and children's colonial hoots and shoes by reliable 'r.afcera. All the above are "oflVml to the public at prices that can't be beaten. Advt.