SMOKE DELAYS STEAMERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 129, 24 February 1908, Page 10

SMOKE DELAYS STEAMERS.

MAORI ANCHORS. IN THE HARBOUR. (BY TEI/EGItAPII —SrECI'AI, CORRESPONDENT.) Ciiristchurch, : February 22. lho smoke 'on' the ;coast, which- has been I very thick on several occasions lately, .ivaa responsible for the Maori reaching Lyttelton to-day some four hours behind time. ; She left the ; Wellington wharf,at 8.30 last night, but it was nearly five hours later beforo slio got clear of Pcncarrow Heads. A very dense smoke haze was hanging over the harbour, , and Captain. Post, of the Tutanekai, which arrived at Lyttelton this morn-, ing, said that when' he left Port' Nicholson the smoke was very thick, and appeared to be {jetting worse. He sighted no land or; passing steamers during tho night,- and only picked up the 'land off'Picton Bay this morn"18; .. - • ' • ' Captain Manning, on arrival, said the smoko was so thick, in Wellington Harbour that lie could not risk trying to get out, and therefore anchored for a couple of hours. He then made another .attempt to take his vessel out, but was compelled to drop anchor a 'second _time.',' 'Shortly.''after/ one-'o'clock' this morning, the smoke commencdd- to- clear,' and the Maori got under' way, and passed out of the harbour at 1.25 a.m. A- fresh southerly,- which was met with on the, run down, soon!:cleared away the :.dense smoke, and the rest of tho trip was made ni clear weather./.