MISHAP IN FOG

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1940, Page 7

MISHAP IN FOG

RANGATIRA RUNS AGROUND NEAR PIGEON BAY PASSENGERS TRANSHIPPED SAFELY. VESSEL LATER REFLOATED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. December 29. Sliding gently into the reef at the western headland of Pigeon Bay, about 20 miles from Lyttelton, in dense fog this morning, the inter-island steamer express Rangatira. under the command of Captain (>. B. Morgan, remained hard aground for nearly 10 hours. Her 750 passengers were safely transferred in lifeboats to the cargo steamer Waimarino, which berthed at Lyttelton shortly after midday. The Rangatira was assisted off the reef by the Lyttelton Harbour Board’.tug. Lyttelton. 1, and an intercolonial steamer on the afternoon tide, and steaming up harbour at a brisk eight or 10 knots, she completed her interrupted journey apparently little the worse for her standing. She arrived at Ly.ttelton at 3.40 p.m. The mishap occurred about 5.30 a.m. The Rangatira had been steaming slowly for some time in a thick coastal fog, with the siren sounding at intervals. She struck so gently that most of those on board did not know she was aground. A few of the male passengers went on deck and saw a reef of rocks a few yards away on the port bow. Passengers were told to return to their cabins and await orders. In response to wireless messages from the stranded ship the Lyttelton staff of the Union Company quickly made arrangements to dispatch relief ships. RESCUE IN SUNSHINE. When the relief vessels left the wharves fog extended the full length of the Lyttelton harbour. It began tc lift as they neared the entrance to Pigeon Bay, and the actual rescue operations were carried out in brilliant sunshine and with an almost smooth sea. The reef on which the Rangatira struck, at the mouth of Pigeon Bay, is situated some five miles south-east of Lyttelton Heads. The Rangatira went aground about two hours after full tide,, and when the rescue vessels ar-, rived she was lying about 300 yards off the west headland of the bay, with her bow well out of the water and showing most of her bow rudder. Her stern was well down in deep water and the tug had made a line fast and was pulling gently to prevent the Rangatira going further up. The ground steamer had no list, which greatly simplified the transhipping of passengers. Soon after the arrival of the Waimarino the port lifeboats, that is on the lee side, which had previously been swung out, were filled with women and children and lowered into the water without mishap. All passengers were wearing lifebelts and seemed in remarkably good spirits. As soon as they boarded the Waimarino women passengers were given facilities to wash and were served with tea. All praised warmly what, had been done for them aboard the Rangatira. All had had a substantial breakfast before leaving the ship. Stewards had helped passengers into their lifebelts. When the Waimarino came into the inner basin and was warped into her berth at No. 2 wharf there was a big crowd to welcome the rescued passengers.

Arrangements had been made by the Railways Department to transport the southbound passengers to their homes.

On February 2, 1936, .a similar, but more serious, mishap befell the Rangatira, when she ran ashore on the rocks under Sinclair’Head, Wellington, in-a blinding southerly gale and was extensively damaged. SLIGHT DAMAGE ' SHIP'BEING SENT TO PORT CHALMERS. TO ENTER DRY DOCK. CHRISTCHURCH December 29. After her arrival at Lyttelton this afternoon, the Rangatira was found to be making water slightly. After she had been inspected by the Lyttelton Harbour Board’s diver, it was decided to send her to Port Chalmers for drydocking, and she will sail from Lyttelton later. LYTTELTON SERVICE MAORI REPLACES RANGATIRA. WELLINGTON, This Day. The mishap to the Rangatira has made needful a rearrangement of the Union Company’s Wellington-Lyttel-ton express steamer service, and in the meantime extra sailings which had been arranged for over New Year and early in January have been cancelled. The damage to the Rangatira and how long she will be out of the service are not yet known. The company announces that the service from Wellington as from today, will be as under:— Maori: Mondays. Wednesdays, and Fridays at .45 p.m. Wahine: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7.45 p.m. The Wahine was scheduled to leave Wellington dast night, but because of the Rangatira’s mishapfi she left shortly before 10 o’clock in the morning for Lyttelton, and left there again last night for Wellington in place of the Rangatira. RANGATIRA SAILS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day, The Rangatira sailed at 9.30 a.m. for Fort Chalmers, where she will be docked.