REFLOATED.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 June 1922, Page 5

REFLOATED.

RONA REACHES PORT. \ SHIP POUNDS HEAVILY. BEFORE REACHING DEEP WATER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Hauled off the Flat Rock at five minutes to eight this morning by the tugs Teawhina and Lyttelton, with her own engines going at full speed astern, the Rona, which had several times pounded her forefoot heavily on its ugly bed, slowly turned her stern eastward. Then came moments of fearful anxiety. Between two and three hundred .feet to the nor’-east of the Flat Rock the Rona rose to a fairly heavy swell, and then pounded down with a terrific thump on to an unchartered rock. This was apparently under the bridge and No. 2 hold. There were half a dozen heavy bumps in succession, but the Rona continued to back off and swing her stern to port, and then rolled heavily into deep water and floated calmly upright. There was a period of fearful suspense until the wells had been sounded, and then, when it had been ascertained that the fresh grounding had not penetrated the bottom, the tugs cast off their hawsers and the steamer set her course for Auckland and moved slowly up the gulf with the last of the inward tide. Fresh soundings were taken every -few minr but the vessel made no further wau.. Luck was with the Rona. “Had that last grounding penetrated the bottom under No. 2 hold.” said Captain Hood, “it would have been all up with the Rona, or rather, all down, for nothing could then have saved her.” Captain Hood added that this rock was a distinct danger to shipping. The chart here showed 18 fathoms of water, and the danger seemed apparent, a« the ship was already logged by 2000 tons of water in her forehold. There was a freshening breeze and rising sda at the time, and a further penetration of the ship’s hull must have been fatal. The Rona reached harbor about three o’clock. She berthed at Chelsea to discharge her cargo, and will be docked later.