THE RECENT GALE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 700, 28 December 1909, Page 5

THE RECENT GALE.

, , ♦ UGLY SEAS IN THE STRAIT. THE MARARO.VS TRIP SOUTH. . ; (By: .Tolegraph.-Prosa Association.) ■ ■ Christohurch, December 27; ' Tho : ferry ; steamer Mararoa, whichwas hold up:in Wellington : harbour,.on : Saturday . night, .by 'the J monntainoussea which was running in.Cook Strait,: and; at tho harbour entrance, reached : Lyttelton at 4.3 a a.m. to-day. Sho left Wollingtim -wKarf ■■.with: aijout' 100 passengers: late, on but,-, owing: to. thei'vibient pulo and tho terrifio seas , which ' ,w;ero breaking.aoross the.Heads, Captain Man•ning/\deci<^ favourable, conditions ' obtained. The .-.Mararoa' got.. under, way about!' ;: noon yesterday, and.oleared Wellington (Heads about 12,30 p.tn, Thpj vessel ran 1 straight into a very high> sea, ' and ■ this at onco commenced; to make matters'• unpleasant for. thoso on board.. The i/eathor was so .bad in Cook.Strait that. Captain-Manning slpwed the steamer down to ten knots and,'; after that, . the vessel - - behaved bettor .and mattors wero m<Jro comfortable on board. As the vessel .got. down'/ the coast tho weather, rapidly improved, and' becamo fine"; after : ; 'she ..had passed-' Kaikoara. ... ■'~■','. - ''ALMOST: ON HER BEAM'ENDS." ; (By- Telegraph,—Spccial Correspondent.) Wanganui;;December 27.. The seyere: southerly. gale Tvhicli. raged over, this on Christmas 'Day and Sunday did; considerable damage of o minor - soft.;?. - Many / fences were blown over, .trees uprooted or broken, windows broken,' and several boats: sunk. ..-Many of the local gaidons ;are ruined,, the trees in cot a few instances being "completely stripped of fruit. • ; '.. -.. , The; steamer Kapiti,.bound from ..WestI'Port; to Patiia,' had to put; in. here for shelter last night.. "The cargo was shifted by the. mountainous sea running': 111 ; the Strait, and for some,time. was almost on her beam ends. After the coal had' with, 'great difficulty, the..veK^l.--:then ,righted ; herself/and,! the. ; yß(eaii^Vkas^.'al!le; to after eh .aniiousfj and trying' time.' _. . . ' • jj " DECK CARGO WASHED AWAY. . .(By . Telegraph.—Press Association.) ' Auckland, Docembor 27. A fifjeo gale on Sunday for a time maccd 'Vessals in . port in some , danger! i'hi. lurgoi steamer 'Invcrtay-dragged two anchors arid; drifted on u mudbank.-in Shoal- Bay;. Sho was towed off.- by- the harbour^tug,:appafently uninjured. The' steam,er Ceftid; lting,! which: left' .for : Valparaiso' on Friday/ returned, to "port last night.;., She encountered a fierce gale 800 miles: from-tho coast,'. and was swept by heavy seas,, which washed 'away' 160 tons' of coal' carried on ; the. 1 fore ; deck, V and Caused minot. damage.', .; On Saturday terrifio seas, again' broke. aboard, .but no' damago was done'.. . • '■■, • : ' . BUFFETED IN PALLISER BAY. - .Tho.oil steamer Auchendale, which ar-. riVed in the stream: on^.Sunday- evening,' berthed yesterday /morning. - Inquiry /on: board, showed; that the /vessel : had. struck. ,the ; full force of the ■ southerly" gale on „??' r ,W? . the coast 'from'. Auckland, oho loft .the ; northern port.' for Wellington Oil Wednesday'evenuig. "and. on reaching; tho; Bay ,of . Plenty• encountered strong bead', winds, y which -. caused some delay. 1. liese conditions-held 'Until th'e steamer was past East.. Cape ; on Friday afternoon. Wheii- off ; Castlepointat daylight;-- on Christmas morning a southerly; gale iviis onoountered, and the .wind roso to luirricane; force. ,; The - vessel - battled on against lieavy seas, which literally, poured down on her. decks,' damaging some of tho iron-. TOrk |and ..flooding. the 'officers':■ quarters. In twelve hours only twelve miles were recorded, although : : the, engines were kept at .half-speW- ahead. When off Capo Palliser tlio full fury. of. th« giile : was encouritored,'. and tlie vessel .could make no progress against tho.'. raging . ehmionts. •Thick, weather..andisleet accompanied by mpuntainpus, sens .'continued ■ throughout Saturday night,. and no bearings could be taken. Is the 'vessel/was in' fairly light, trim, ■ silo lifted .her propeller out. of...tlie:! water';, as she: rose' oh tho - great (WavcA,. and tho engines consequently raced, as a result'of which some damage Was'.- done, and. will have, to be repaired in Wellington. Land was sighted at .4 .o'plrick'. oh ' Sunday afternoon,' and thff vesnel .got .her beariiigs, ,and steamed into port at 11.15 on, Sunday night,'without further mishap. ' - lAT GISBORNE. I .(By; Tebgi nph.—Presa Association.) / ;; Glsbl)rn6, Docember 27. -, The.jweather for the holidays has been ■ unseasonable..,.. Friday was wet. On Christmas Evo rain poured doivn. ■ Christmas Day wag fine, though dull, but on- Sunday a gale: sprang up, and raged throughout the day. By . the; morning, it': had moderated, and tlie Monowni,' from Auck-' land, which had been unable to land passengers the night before, was able, to do so, and also to, take on"; the Gisbornp contingent for tho south.; . Boxing Day was' fine,' '. and > tho sports and other ' functions thdt had not been wore successfully oarried out.