SHIPPING MISHAPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1916, Page 8

SHIPPING MISHAPS.

HEAVY FOG LN COOK STRAIT, .. I . , I THE KAITOA REFLOATED. i By Telegraph.—Press Association, Wellington, Yesterday. The Kaito, which won't ashore near Terawhiti last night, was refloated an hour and a half later. Some 20 passengers, including the women, were taken on board again, but the fog came up thicker than ever, and the Kaitoa is now standing by waiting an opportunity to enter the port.

VESSEL ARRIVES AT WELLINGTON. THE PASSENGERS' STORY. Later. The fog lifted and enabled the Kaitoa to get to Wellington soon after 11 o'clock. The passengers state there was no panic when the vessel grounded, 150 yards from the rock beaeh. Two boats were quickly launched and the passengers soon landed. Big fires were lighted on the beach and biscuits, fruit and hot coffee were served out by the stewards. Blankets were sent ashore and the women passed the night under a tarpaulin shelter. The Kaitoa floated off about an hour after grounding. Some lof the passengers returned on board, while others were brought into town, by motor-ears.

j The passengers were surprised on reaching the beach last evening •to find the sun shining brightly on top of the mountain while the steamer was hidden in fog. The sea was quite calm. It was about 8.30 o'clock .on Sunday evening (says the New Zealand Times), when the steamer became stranded, not 60 very far from Tom's Rock, which is generally accepted as the scene of the Penguin disaster almost exactly seven years ago. There had been a thick fog in Cook Strait all the afternoon, and as the evening came on the fog increased in density, till it was impossible for anybody to fee. through it. The assumption is that the fog was directly responsible for the vessel going ashore.

The Kaitoa is a steel twin-screw steamer of 304 tons gross, 130 feet long, 2!! feet 5 inches broad, and Sfeet 4 inches ieep. She was built in 1309 bj-'Mackie and Thomson, Ltd., Glasgow. Her owners are the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Co., Nelson, for whom Bannatyne and Co. are the Wellington agents. Her master is Captain Stevens, who has been in command for some time. The Kaitoa has been constantly engaged on the run between Wellington and Nelson in conjunction with the same owners' Nikau, the vessels leaving there on alternate days. It is an extraordinary coincidence that the Kaitoa was to be withdrawn from the running temporarily this week in order to go on the patent slip, and was not to resume until Friday. The Penguin was wrecked in the locality on February 12, 1900, when 75 lives were- lost. The weather then was very 'thick, with driv\«- rain.

KOMATA ASHORE. NEAR PENCARROW. Wellington, Yesterday. The. Union Company's collier Komata, bound from Westport to Wellington, is ashore in the vicinity of Pencarrow. Slic is reported to be partly refloated. Tlie tug Terawhiti has gone 'to her assistance. At fl o'clock Ilia fog was still very thick, and several vessels were unable t;> i/;ake the pori. B-VJ-vwuß PR)ci:i:u:n ; 'v. VESSEL ON A SANDY BOTTOM. Later. The Komata, which is ashore at Pencarrow Heads, has 2400 tons of coal i..:i board. She left Westport at 5 o'clock yesterday morning, and was due in Wellington at daybreak to-day. Abou*- Kidnight she ran into a thick fog. Captai.i Carey slowed the engines and had frequent soundings made, but about 5 o'clock she bumped heavily and stucK fast. The engines were reversed but the vessel would not move. The nig Terawhiti was sent dflwn to the Heads at 7 o'clock and was able to get alongside.

The Komata is lying on a sandy bottom' and is making little water. Tic cargo is being jettisoned and, as the weather continues calm, it is hoped to get her off before long. The Arahura is assist'*!/ in the salvage work. VESSEL HARD AND FAST. Wellington, Lnst Night. An examination of the Komata disclosed two feet of water in the bilges amidships, and just forward of the bridge bulkhead the water is dribbling through the joint of - ,: he sto.tehuM floor plates, but the engineroom is quite dry, indicating that the damage is forward. The vessel is apparently held hard and fast by a pinnacle rock just under No. 2 hold. She moved somewhat under the strain of towropes at high water, perhaps, two feet. A hulk was placed alongside this afternoon to receive coal, and a small steamer is standing by all night in case the weather changes, but latest reports state that there is. no alteration in the position and r.othing further cfln be done till high water, which is at 1 a.m., when another attempt to flow off the vessel will be made.