BATTERED STEAMER

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1929, Page 2

BATTERED STEAMER

PANIC-ST Vi ICKRN AEAB FIREMEN. AUCKLAND, Jan. 16. When the greatest hurricane on record swept tlmough the West Indies last September ffew vessels that were in its path survived. One of the lucky ones was the sjbeamer Kilcredane (captain F. W. K irk) which arrived at Auckland this morning with a cargo of phosphate fixim Morocco. When the 15 ilcredane encountered the hurricane ;die was on route from Makatea to Helsingfors. A hurricane threatened shorfihv after the vessel left Colon, and by tine time Key West was reached most of' the vessels in those seas were already making for shelter. About thirty st<?n.mers of all nations were huddled in I Cry West harbour, but Captain Kirk decided to carry on. On Sunday, Si 'ptember 16th. in Florida Strait, tin; Kilcredane was struck by one of tin ' most terrific winds ever recorded. The hurricane, then travelling on a we*t north-west course, had already devast.a ted Costa Rica and the neighbouring isi: mds, without losing any of its force, 'fl’he wind blew upon the labouring veso'f from every point of the compass, raising a confused sea that lifted verticeflly as high as the masthead and then dropped upon the deck hundreds of Eons of water. Two lifeboats were sm;ashed and one was washed away, and v entilators and deck fittings followed it over the side. The panic-stricken Arab firemen rushed up on deck,, and there kneeling neck deep in the swirling water prayed to Allah to save tlvem, until the exasperated mate, fearitng that they would be washed over jus# at the time when they were needed, drove them all below. Owing to the corfihinued rolling and pitching of the vessel the phosphate cargo shifted, givineg her a list of 15 degrees. Even in Ehe best of trim it would have lieen folf.lv to remain in the path of the hurricane', so Captain Kirk headed this vessel Isouthard and ran. As it was the centre of the hurricane passed only thirty miles away, and at that distance the Kilcredane’s barometer fell to 28.36 inches, while the velocity of the wind was 138 miles per hour. At ten o’clock on jSundav night Captain Kirk put his vessel once more on her original course. The storm was still raging, but having avoided the centre he hoped that he would soon reach better weather. On the following day, however, he found the hurricane once more aheaicL After sweeping up the Florida coast, damaging Miami and Palm Beach am its way, it had swerved eastward. Again the Kilcroilane was beset by a terrific gale, but by this time everything moveable hiad disappeared, and no more damage rwifs done. All Monday night the vesisel lay buried under mountainous seas, hove to until the hurricane should pass. At 2 a.m. on Tuesday the centre of the hurricane was ahead two hundred miles away and Captain Kirk announced to his exhausted company that the worst was over. Even then winds of gale force with high seas were experienced all the way to Norfolk, Virginia. The Kilcredane’s course took her close to the devastated coast, and the still violent seas bore all sorts of litter significant of tragedy. Although now owned by the Limerick Steamship Company, the Kilcredane was originally built by Armstrong Whitworth in 1911 for the Russians, and under the name MogifefF was for many years a unit of the volunteer service carrying troops and immigrants. She is 6180 tons gross.