LASHED BY GALE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 230, 28 September 1928, Page 7

LASHED BY GALE.

WAR-TIME SHIP ARRIVES.

WITH DAMAGED PROPELLER.

AX TON 10 STRUCK BY HUGE SEA.

'"She stood up to it well," said Captain Frederick Hardwick, of the steamer Antonio, which berthed at Auckland today after having bten buffeted by a tierce gale in the Western Pacific for over a week. Interest is added to the achievement by reason of the fact that the Antonio is one of the many "standardised'' vessels built in Great Britain during war time, when losses from German submarine attack were very frequent. She was built on the Tyne, in less than a month, during 1918. The reproach that vessels of this type were "jerry built." has often been made, but the behaviour of the Antonio—formerly the War Fijian—has been irreproachable throughout a particularly severe test.

The brief words of the log entry are in themselves a sea epic. "On September ■20," states the log, "strong westerly winds, increasing to gale force. Speed at times reduced to three knots." Such is the official record of a mighty gale which the Antonio had to fight head-on, with the handicap of a damaged propeller. The gale was in its second day when it was realised that something hai happened to the driving nu-elmnisin. What it was cannot be ascertained until the propeller can be examined, hut it is probable that a portion of fie bln.le was broken by the force of a huge sea which struck the ship 6On miles from Auckland. Although she was shaken from stem to stern by the lashings of the angry waves the Antonio stood up to it in the manner which is best expressed by the captain's own words. The Antonio carries SOOO tons of phosphate, nearly half of which is to be discharged in Auckland. She is a vessel of .522.5 tons gross, her owners being the Now Egypt and Levant Shipping Co.. with agents in London. The Port of London i- her port of registration, and -In- is under charter to Messrs. Andrew Weir and Co., of Glasgow. After discharging the Auckland portion of her rargo the Antonio will sail for Lvttelton next Wednesday.