STORMTOSSED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 699, 27 December 1909, Page 5

STORMTOSSED.

; ; RAKANOA IN;A; HURRICANE..-X/^v ■:';■■■■,; four:men : injured. ;;'.: ';;■■■ - ; - '■'- : .}'? ■OFFICERS' WrTEES FLQODED.' 1 < <,' -■ X[, " "Four of my; men dro ; knockod out' , .;,' was. tho startling news with which Cap- '. ; ■tain- Carson ..'greeted-, a ,, , brother ;.captduS.'..:.'". : ;:'." ':.'- as soon'as lie. has berthed his vessel nt ■■'•'''■■■•'■' : -'; the TaraoaUi Street' vhnrf last night.W' : Vv Nowe that a. doctor wasrequired oil: tho ;■-;*■;-':. vessel hud preceded the Stonier ,, into.■■,'■ .v 1 town from Uii Heads,, and Dr.- Kemp : ' : -. \ras waiting; when tho vessel berthed, .and ■■■•': ■ ':■ • ms-eerylcos wore required by. four sotk'j'V''-''.'•■'•' men, Anthony. Murray,. Frank' ■• Thomas;■.:';':■■•, -iJtobt: irnttson (or Mathorson), and Thos. : ;.:-Vv;,; l'aroy, .nil;of .whom confined-/to ■;■;.''; their/bunks:with".more or loss ; 6orious .■;■ : .\' : :':> mjurics received; whilst ,'atlendihg.V, to ■/ ';';'■.■ their duty"ln tho,face of a. hurricane in ~; Cook Strait , , r The doctor examined' each ''■';;"■ ef tho four;meni.tind , f.ubs«queutly or- : - ; . ■' ; \, dored their, removal to -tho hospital; -itt : n'" : "-- tho ambulance; . . ■.'?..■■:■'.'.:..." ~^'!.'■':':■ •:■

Long'; Battle With the Gale. ::.;^';;;r; The ; llakanoa, laden with;coal, icti 'U■■".>-■■'■'! Wcstnbrt' at; 7.30 onFriday evening, ; and '■•'"•'•''•'■ basse<l : ;Farewell '&\Af at .7.45 on , SatuV-•:■ ' : £?- day morning..: Tho •weather was, beauti-i : ;■:■ 'Afully fine .until 'nearing. Tcrawhiti, .■■ at <■' ,; V\f nbout; B. p.m.," and it. wae'cxpected by '■'';, those., on,' board ■ that.they would. mnko ;; ' ; -i,)-: .by,. 11.30;. on Saturday :night. '-.'■ ji when off, Terawhiti' a.liurrioano. caiie.-down-on tho yefeol with little 'or.'iu)'* ; .'''li warning, - and a' long battle ,\vith. the rag-;;; |-• V ■;':- ing el«n)ents,' ; oomnienced,.' and ! la6tod -'. >; : '| right,up...to: the of, the' istednier /■! ": i'r' ; inside .'.Wollihgton.; Heads last nieht.. Tho ~."■',; : weather was thick and dirty, froni tiie.;.'.',■::■■■:. first 'onslaught, ,'and tho. eoas' .quickly >. ; ?'i> Eathorcd strength /until' tlw; wind 'Was:■'.',; : ,-\;-r. blowing with lmrricono,'force,;..and ,■ b mountainons. lecd., was; . rumiiiig. v There % ' '■{; ■ was no question of turning, for, shelter,',; ~.j,:'; and the vessel's head hud t0... be kept 'oil-; , ' ■*-''; to the; htigoeeas, .which Tapidly goth-" - : & erod'force. .-The.steamer wes headed,tCK«V.'■,';.'/■: wards Cnpe -CainpbeH eventually, bnt the ; ,:V''"''. force of;the gale ivas BUch that,:although'.■;;'*,'., sho Iras keptsteatiiiug "full-ahead," - she ';.■'-;■ i ; - made'_praoiically, no (progress, and .H'a3 : ;■:.■.';: to'all intents and purposes hoi"c-to,;GrcCtt.-;(',;•; seas .burst, over tho : vessel's, bow; and.,..,.? qtfept; her.: decks,- and; sho- took 1; large ;.■-!.;;; quantities 'of /water oyer, her , stern-fla v";":■'■•.-/ her bow rose in the big: rollers. ".The fora;'';' '■?.-''}?- part.of tho vessel ie elcar; of dock;ham-..r;;.vl per,; but. everything' jnovaiilc, thatnot lashed suffered,- although the ¥ dam. . >,' .,■;■;' ago; in : . this' respect',' was ;only '. trifling^., ',';'■ The , after-pait of tho'ybssel Buffered moßt ( ', •>/,'.% as it is hew-that the officors'..cabins are i.'"!-V'# situated.' ■■■;.■: . i :■.•'.;, '/'■',-' • ■■':{.''. ■■>• vti--;. ;':V^ • At'ttbb'ut 11 poloak on, when\the : ,gale" was.,a^:.its;worst, a-"sea-;',./Qk iuatv named Farcy iyas' engaged./endear '[■[{'; : : puring-'to fix.whatvis-terinoa a' "reliev:',' : : xti; ing. tabic" , , over, .tho ."Vt«r-eftl)in > '-!.'jvhea ; : V:';v.V;! ono of.'.tko heavy/seas,which were. r breakr:~'T'>i ing. over, then shin'overy; few; ininutes.« ,;:C; struck him and .washed;him.alouE tho;.deck, %;".-! injuringhiniso' .severely, that : .ne had ".to ;.>:.'-,,:■• take to,his.;l)nnk.'"The work..was aban-.. Ufr,?; doned for; the. time being; as it could , jiot;-;:T?;i:if be carried>out,'\ritkout too much risk.;, , ;;,*■■;;«:.;;;^ ';'.;; , Strilck; by< a;;Glant , ';Soa.v'. : '. Later, when'the'seas began to do; dim-;:¥S\ age' .to 'the skylight and.threatened. lji , .■•i-.:;; break the doors,,it waS'docided that som6;'.v:i.|'K,' thing.must bo done■ to prov6ut ; the ilood-',.';''/ ing of the.cabin.v■■ Early, yesterday;uidrni.;,i"^'. , ing .Thomas,': Mattson, ; . and Murray,. wero.':.' s>: set at iWorlt.viith tho:uiato;(Mr.,liconard) : : in putting a--BhbltorVoverVtko.:'aiterlsky-'.v:;'iV.V; light, ""Doforo the men had completed thel'.v.V,i task ; the three of -them'.were' struck ,by .n: ;;'..■ giant-sea, and washed;from' their;posi-; :: '-' ; ;'■'- tion into;various parts;of' thft, decK. : , }: ! .'.;:' "The only-marvel is,"/! eaysi aU;'eye-'\.; .;, ■' witness, "that the whole crowd did" not go : ; ":^!■;.- bvcrboardi",';\,;' "■' - ; / V..-,'-:';'':';; vi,-.,;j'i'x :.• -The-men wore all. injured■ more or.less,' , ;■.'■,,;;-,■ Wken.'tho water first eomnionced to.make',';V;. , Its'wayi below sbino ,of the.rcrow, were -sot .V'J-'V; .loJtfork bailing, .but thb-.'iyater.pourediin-,';.:;■•) through'the broken, skylights, ventilators',' i t ; . and doorway^ , until :thoinoui had to, give )■• >; Up. Tho result was' that the main ;cabiri : :".,,' l; ;':'; Was flooded,!Mid;tho".lazaretto-was,; illlcd'■:-'■.:■;'';•' Wth-ivater.. !Tho .oSicc'rs!cabiriß'.,w , 6re;'ttlso':: -i.;;.;; flooded, and,all their clothes,eofckfld.y;At {V>i'-5 : Una stage the water. ;w'as krteerdeop jn the. 'k>.\> captain's and;')hhin : cabins.'. : ; (";It's the worst .d'ye evet been through/' '■'■',•; \" said onb of,' the- crow,- and 'I "doii' t vtmt,' '■ ■ '.• .another such,exporienco.". ,; : t '■; \ ['.''..'pr:'■■!■ '■'■;■■, /.■Wken.tie .nien.wero'cxamiued, at ,tht.Vft." ; , 'hospital it-.wns-.ifpulid';that nbno ofi them , ''-,£'.■'■, were dang'orously ; injurod.vV^Mytrdy.: , had,'-:f.vi; two ijbs .bfoken,/and'.received ■ some!.ia-,-V,'/ 'i juries 7abbut tho Head.l ■' i• '■ ■ ■:' 4 >. :• '.:■,'..;.; ; ; ',': >, Thomas -: injured- his rig'ht" fo6t "rather :y ' V Worst,- fc'aturo.Vof'tho',iuj«ry;'"|,;';/ ,boing. a-.bad ".cut, across the, instep. ; : ' ,: , ,^: j'Mattsori' (or'; MathersonJ'rccoived'.ah, ih- ;vS ,- jury to.his' right'shoulder.'and Favijy.ter \t' : -v. coiv6d", au'.iiijury'to';hie ■■. loft :sh6uldor, ,■'.;' J.i'.