HOW THE SHIPPING FARED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1062, 27 February 1911, Page 6

HOW THE SHIPPING FARED.

•SOME ROUGH EXPERIENCES, ' "A Tegular southerly buster, and no mistake, wcro the words uttered by an old seafaring man as ho "heavy weather" of a journey down the Queen's Wharf on Saturday night against the driving rain nud -wind. Looidng out across tho harbour from the deck of the R.M.S. Corinthic, in the lato afternoon, at times tho landscape was completely obscured from view by. the drenching rain. Sympathetic expressions were uttered bv those whose duty compelled them to be out on such a. night in regard to the various vessels which.were en route to Wellington or proceeding away v frora the port, for. it was fully expected that they would conio in for some pretty rough handling. Upon arrival of tho boats at Wellington' yestorday, inquiries were mado by a Dominion reporter, and ho found that in many cases the sympathetic expressions referred to above wefo warranted. Particularly so «n regard to tho coastal steamer Himitangi. This littlo vessel cleared' Lyttelton for 'Wellington, at.9.30 p.m. on Friday, and, after a pretty rough trip up tho coast, arrived off Wellington Heads some time about dusk. In tho words of one of tho crew, it was as black as your hat, and tho steamer was pitched and tossed about liko a cork. " No lights could be mado out anywhere, Pencarrow, light ■ being completciy obscured. Tho captain (Captain Jlanley) decided "to put her head, to it," and all night long tho engines wcro kept going,, just'enough to keep the vessel"from drifting. During tho nigKt tho' Himitangi'knocked about in an alarming manner, and onp seaman told tho reporter than two men were lifted clean out of their bunks and landed on tho settee and deck respectively, but fortunately without hurt, «o great was tho motion of tho vessel. She arrived in'port.without further damage at 9.15 a.m..yesterday,

"Couldn't Look at It." ' Two other vessels, the Pateena and Mapourika, also camo in for their share.of tho weather in.tho Straits. .Both vessels left Nelson for .Wellington on Saturday morning, the former coming direct'and tho latter via Picton. . After passing Long Island, the captains came to tho conclusion that they "couldn't look at it," so decided to shelter under the !eo of tho island. "Tho hook'.' - was dropped about 7 p.m., and tho two vessels lay at anchor quito .snug until about 5 a.m. yesterday, when it was decided to continue on. tho; journey.• : Tho : Pateena reached Wellington at 10.40 a.m., and tho Mapourika from Picton five hours later. Thoso_ on board tho Pateena' state that tho wind blow with hurricane force, and ono man in describing tho scene of the troubled waters, said, that it appeared as if tho wind just lifted tho wa't'er bodily and carried it wherever it wanted." Tho whole of Cook Strait, and as far as tho eye could reach,, was "feather white." Captain M'Lenn.'of tho Mapourika, said that tho Tain came down in torrents, and that it was "so thick at times that ono could not see his hand in front of him. There was a very,heavy south-east sea and wind. However, tho vessel managed to make port after having taken nearly ?aven hours to come from Picton to Wellington.

; The two passenger steamers which arrived from Lyttclton yesterday—the Maori and Tarawera—did not experience anything like v:hat the other vessels did, for they had a following sea and the. wind in their favour. The only - discomfort suffered was tho heavy rolling of the vessels. Tho Ferry steamer Maori cut out tho distonco from Lyttclton to Wellington in tho good time of nino and threequarter hoiire. ' Tho "Tarawera,- which, left tho southern port at 11.10 on Saturday night, arrived m port at 2.25 p.m. Sunday, taking about her usual time on the trip. From tho Heads on Saturday night the report that camo to hand was nnything but favourable, and Captain Manning, of the Mararoa, decided not to' try to negotiate the entrance for the run down to Lyttclton, but to remain alongside' the wharf until daylight. ,llad the vessel gone to the Heads on Saturday night, it is the opinion of many seafaring people that sho would never havo "looked at it." Tho vessel left Wellington wharf at 5.5 a.m. yesterday, and was passed by tho Maori a few hours Jater battling against tho gale and head sea. At times tho spray was coming Tight over tho foro part of tho ship. Impossible to Work Cargo, On Saturday practically all work in connection with tho loading.and discharging of the various vessels in port had to bo postponed, for it -was impossible to work cargo in tho heavy rain. Boats of the "mosquito fleet" have been thrown out of their Tunning, and tho Kiripaka, Opawa, Blenheim, and Kennedy will in all probability get aw.ay this morning. The Homo boats havo also been delayed in their cargo operations. There were a few coastal boats due nt Wellington yesterday, but it is very likely that thoy havo been sheltering along the const, and will turn.up this morning.