HEAVY WEATHER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1582, 28 October 1912, Page 6

HEAVY WEATHER.

GALE. RAIN, & SNOW.

S.S, ARAHURA'S ROUGH TIME. HATCH STOVE INCOMES BACK WITH A LIST. ONE VESSEL ASHORE. When tile Union Company's steamer Arnhura left Wellington wharf a few minutes after 1 p.m. on Saturday, on her usual trip to Picton, Nelson, and West Coast ports, tboso on board hardly imagined that sho was going to experience such a close call outside Wellington Heads, as actually proved the case. Considering the state of the weather, it was, of course, naturally expected that the vessel would get "a dusting," as the gale was coming up very fresh from tho south-west, and a rather heavy sea was, hour by hour, gathering force in the Strait. When Captain Lambert left the wharf the outlook was fairly clear, and "full ahead" was rung up as soon as the steamer was well clear of everything. Almost immediately, however, the wind rose to a piping gale, and the weather became much thicker. The Arahura, nevertheless, pursued her way, but on emerging from tho entrance, at once met a very ugly, tumbling sea, which was running diagonally across the harbour mouth. Tho steamer, however, fought her way out, and for some time behaved very well, but the further she proceeded the worse weather she made. Presently she was rolling and pitching in a disquieting manner. Several fairly heavy seas were shipped, and one in particular came tumbling on board with violence, smashing tho deck fittings and'doing other damage. '"Bout Ship." It was 1 soon found that to proceed on would be dangerous, and an endeavour, was made to turn back. It was at this critical timo that most of the damage was done. Turning a vessel under tho circumstances in which the Arahura was placed on Saturday is no easy matter, and skill is required to effect the move. Captain Lambert and his officers managed to affect the manoourve succesfully, but not without mishap. Water in Stokehold. Sea .after sea came on board,-flooding everything. The forward hatch was stove in, and somo cases' of kerosene and a motor-car which were lashed on deck sustained damage. While engaged in lashing more securely the chief officer (Mr. A. Davies) received an injury to one of hi 3 legs. During, tho time of turning, and for some timo after, tho Arahura felt the full force of the sea and gale, and was tossed about like, a cork. To make matters worse, some mishap occurred in the engine-room, and ono of the set of twin-screw engines had to be eased. Then the water commenced to rise in the stokehold, and this caused threo of tho fires to go out' just when all steam was wanted. Good seamanship, howover, brought tho Arahura safely into port, and she tied up at tho Queen's Wharf again at i p.m. ' Returns to Port With Heavy List. The vessel was an object of interest to quite a number of spectators. She had a big list to starboard. The pumps had been kept going all the time, and tho stewards could be seen baling out the water in tho saloon and throwing it out through (he portholes. Captain Lambert described the little trip as one of the worst ho has experienced. ' The ' passengers were naturally well pleased when the anxious timo was over, and there was a general move shorewards as soon as tho gangway was down. . Such repairs as were necessary wero effected, and the Arahura left port again at 9.5 a.m. yesterday.

OTHER SHIPS.

THE TEMPEST IN THE HARBOUR. S.S. COBAB'S ORDEAL.

The southerly gale interrupted the ferry traHic to Day's and llona Bays on Saturday afternoon. The first sign that 6uch had been the caso was' the Hying of the red (lag from the liona Bay wharf, lato in the forenoon, this denoting that the wharf was unapproachable by the steamers. During tho afternoon tho rain came down in and those who had to come over to town were compelled to walk to Day's Bay, and there catch tho boat. Occasional feas were breaking over the Day's Bay wharf, and when the Duchess arrived it was impossible to adjust the gangway. Passengers were therefore obliged to get off as best they could. Some time later the Cobar loomed up in tho distance, and when she camo alongside most of her passengers looked as though they were suffering from the effects of a bad sea journey. As some of the ladies stepped on to the wharf they wero hoard to exclaim "Thank Goodness we are here." It was impossible to raise a gangway, and, consequently, the ladies had to be helped off the rocking steamer. When tho Oobar left for town there were five malo passengers on board her, and all took up their quarters in the lower deck cabin for'ard. The vessel had not left the Bay many minutes when they noticed that she had stopped, and presently tho captain came into the cabin and gave directions to the crow to get the hose out. Tho passengers were at a loss to know what a hose was needed for, as they remarked that there was plenty of wafer coming on board, what with the rain and sea, but, naturally enough, all felt somewhat concerned. Tho worry was soon over, however, for the vessel began to move on, and when the captain again came into the cabin, one of the passengers remarked: "Look here, I got a fright tlien, Captain," to whrch the captain redoubt jocularly—"No one was more frightened than me." Ho then explained that the bearings in the shaft had become over-heated, and it was necessary to be ready to turn the water on to tho heated part.

'After about an hour and n quarter's journey the vessel berthed at the Ferry jetty, Wellington, and hw small complement of passengers gladly jumped ashore. It was certainly a sturin-tossrd trip. At frequent intorvnls the sens canio on board with force, and a (rood deal nf water found its way into the where the passengers were.

Tho boat which took the Seatoun trip at noon on Saturday was unable to effect a landing, and consequently her passengers wore brought back to town.

S.S. HAWEKA ASHORE. '. Advice was received in Wellington on Saturday to tho effect tJiat the coastal steamer Hawora, 200 tons, commanded'by Captain Gibson, was ashore at Patea. The vessel is lying on tlio southern spit, and tho sonth-wesfoHy roll on Saturday night did considerable dnmage to her. Particulars regarding tho damage are to tlio effect thai, her stern post lias been smashed, and her sides have opened.

The TTnwcra is practically a now vessel, and is owrifcd by the South Tnranaki Shipping Company. Mr. Bennett, localnianager of * tho company, left for Patea by the Kapnni yesterday afternoon.

HOVE TO.

The steniior Hiniitangi, which arrived yesterday from the Chatham Islands, via Lyltelton, encountered the galo in its worst stag? on Saturday, whilst coming up tho const from tho latter port. Her visit to tho Islands was characterised bv fairly fine weather, and she left Lyttelton at G p.m. on- Friday. Shortly after getting outside she ran into a 'terrific southerly gale, which increased to hurricn.ne force, and nt !) a.m. on Satm-da >* she was hove to under tho leo of Capo Campbell. The voyage was continued Inter in' tho day, and the vessel was put under full steam against tho elements, but iii spite of this she began to slowlv drift towards Pnllis'-r Buy. Tho weather continued very thick, and the tremendous jsca which crsvailed made the akin roll

considerably. Among other things, this imposed tho necessity of double lashin" tho boats. At 3.30 a.m. on Sundny the galo abated, and the vessel tamo on to Wellington, arriving in port souio timo after 7 o'clock. GREASER INJURED. (By TclesraDh.-PreßS Association.} Lyttelton, October 27. Tho Karon, bound from Westport to Timaru, met tho hurricane off Hank's Peninsula on Friday night. Shortly after noon on Saturday a greaser named John Paris, in attempting to reach the forecastle, was knocked down by a heavy sea, and washed about amongst tho. timber, the deck load of which had broken adrift. Tho Karori put back to Lyttelton, and landed the injured man at'l a.m. to-dny. A doctor found bad cuts behind the left ear and neck, and also- n bruised hip. He in progressing favourably. The steamer sailed at 2 p.m. for Timaru. A LONG TRIP. (By Telegraph.—Press Aesoclation.l Lyttelton, October 27. . The Tarawera arrived at 4 p.m., after a 41-hours' passage from Wellington. She sheltered behind Cape Campbell from noon on Saturday till 1 a.m. to-day. Sho sailed from Lyttelton at 5.5 p.m. for Duuedin. MAORI IN HURRICANE. (By Telegraph—Press Associa«'on.) Christchurch, October 27. After a passage of nearly seventeen hours, the Maori arrived in port at 1 p.m., steaming up the harbour in tho teeth of fierce squalls. Captain. Aldwell informed a reporter that it had been Mowing a hurricane all tho way from Wellington Heads, and the trip was tho worst tho Maori had ever experienced in her five years' running. The sea started to mako when the Maori was ten miles to northward of Capo Campbell, and weather conditions became rapidly worse as she steamed full speed in the teeth of tho gale. No other vessel on tho coast could hnvo come through in the time taken by the Maori, her high-powered turbines giving her a big advantage over other steamers. y OTHER EXPERIENCES. Saturday's gale was one of tho worst experienced for some timo past, and shipping suffered in consequence. The Takapuna, which left Nelson on Saturday afternoon, was compelled to shelter under Long Island for some time, but arrived in port shortly after 8 o'clock yesterday morning. \ Tho Now Zealand Shipping Company's big steamer Eimutaka left the Queen's WJiarf at noon, but could not "look at it," and was compelled to return to an anchorage in the stream. The whaling steamer Zealandia also had a- try, but she also put back, but got away for tho Bluff at 7 a.m. yesterday. Tho Mararoa was to have sailed for Lyttplton at midnight on Saturday, but it was decided to keep her here until Sunday morning, when she got away at 9.30 a.m. The Nikau's departure for Nolson was similarly postponed until 6 a.m. yesterday. .

_A r essels arriving in port report having experienced a rough handling, and tho general opinion was that the weather outsido was the worst seen in 'Cook Strait for some timo past. Tho liner Arawa arrived yesterday morning, somo hours overdue, from Auckland. AA'hon off Castlepoint the vessel encountered the gale, and this of courso impeded tier progress. No damage, however, was done.