FURTHER STORMS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1929, Page 3

FURTHER STORMS

ANOTHER STRIKES ENGLAND. MANY WRECKS. (British Official; Wireless). RUGBY, Dec 7. Another violent storm with winds of hurricane force accompanied by lightning and thunder and torrential rain struck South of England last night. It swept up the English Channel causing damage to shipping caught in the heavy seas and to life and property of coastal towns. Tlb/a ;sntaill Rotterdam) steamship, Mermie, was driven ashore near New Haven and a lifeboat went to her assistance but owing to the seas was unable to approach. A rocket apparatus was requisitioned and after some exciting icidents the crew were brought ashore by a breeches buoy. The ship was frquently obscured by seas during the operations. Shortham and Selsey lifeboats responded to signals that the Budapest steamer Konved, of over 4000 tons, was drifting towards the shore. A cable ship which was in the vicinity later reported the Honved was holding her on and that she was standing by, although it was too rough to pass a tow rope to the Honved.

The Shortham lifeboat returned after four hours, but the return of the Selsey lifeboat was further delayed by the weather. The Boulogne to Folkestone CrossChannel steamer had to be diverted to Dover and wa.s only able to make the harbour after lying outside, port for an hour. Channel services were run as usual this morning.

The steamer Largo, Law was put of control owing to a damaged steering gear off Dungeness. This morning the crew of the tug which went ashore near Dover, were rescued by rocket apparatus.

The British steamer, John Charlton, went ashore near New Haven. The crew are safe. • •

A tug this morning responded to calls of the Spanish steamer Alfonso 'Eerez, whose steering gear was damaged in the storm off Great Yarmouth. 'lhe Italian steamers, Casmon and Johnny, both off Lands End also summoned assistance owing to damaged helm, engines and pumps. SLveral shipping casualties involving trawlers and other small craft are reported. home damage was done by lightning uuring last night’s storm, but most of the havoc was wrought by the wind. One woman ■'was- killed and another injured owing to the blowing down of 'a wall in ‘Eastbourne. Many injuries were caused through pedestrians being blown against moving motor cars in London. Windows were blown in, in many parts and telephonic wires brought down. Some roads in the suburbs were flooded, notably Wembley where owing to the dentil of water in certain places, traffic was stopped. Although last night’s rain increased the volume of water in the Thames there is no imediate danger of flooding in London area.

MANY SHIPPING DISASTERS RUGBY, Dec 8. The exceptional violent gale which struck Southern England on Friday night and continued yesterday, was renewed : th severity to-day, and the forecast indicates a continuance of stormy weather. At its height, the velocity of the wind yesterday reached 108 miles hourly, which is a record for England. This figure was recorded at Scilly Islands. Off Haitland Point, on the rugged coast of North Devon, the Cardiff steamer, Radyr, 2000 tons, with a crew of 21, was lost after appealing for help which owing to the mountainous seas could not lie given. She lucn disappeared. Lifeboats from Appliedore and Clovely attempted to put to sea but the vessels could not he launched. After several unsuccessful attempts Padstow lifeboat put to sea to search for survivors but it is unlikely any could have survived. The last heard from the vessel before she settled down, was that the crew were taking to the boats. Reports of many other shipwrecks a net disasters at sea during yesterday’s gale come to hand The crew of me small French steamer Ortais, of Trouville. which went ashore at Penzance. probably owe their lives to the daring exploit of a young man named Laity. High seas and dangerous rocks prevented the lifeboat from approaching the Ortais and the hurricane randered hopeless attempts to save the crew by rocket aparatus. Laity dashed into the sea and gained the rocks froi,n which he was able to pass a rope to the Ortais. While so engaged, one of the crew was washed overboard, hut Laity rescued him. All the crew were saved. Temporary repairs to her rudder having been effected, the Blue Star liner Andalucin, hound from London to S'l.uth America with 122 passengers, was able to dispense with the assistance of an Admiralty t"g, which was despatched from Plymouth in answer to her earlier messages. The crew of the barge, Mystery of Harwich, which broke away from her moorings in Dover Harbour, and wa.s driven ashore, were saved by a bieeclies buoy. A lifeboat from New Haven succeeded in taking off the crew of, the four masted Norwegian barque, Magin KoMi. which was driven ashore near Eastbourne.

The crews of the Shortham and Selsey lifeboats had a very hard time, Spending the whole of Friday night and part of Saturday at sea in efforts to assist the Hungarian vessel Honved, which, however, was in the end able to proceed. All shipping was stormbound yesterday in M ersev River. Reports from Brest this evening stated several vessels are in imminent danger off the coast. Signals’ asking for assistance were received late in the afternoon hv several wireless stations on the south , oasts of Ireland and England from vessels which had become unmanageable in the storm, xnd several others reported themselves in temporary difficulties.

Cross-Channel services were suspended owing to the storm, hut were resumed to-day under great difficulties. All Imperial Air Ways services were /stopped. Falling trees and chimney stacks brought down by the gale accounted for the sixth death on land yesterday. STORM STILL UNABATED. LONDON. Dec. 8. * The wild gales continue in Northern Europe. They are giving the bfg liners hound for English ports the most terrific voyages that have been experienced during recent years. The velocity of the wind is sometimes as much as 108 miles an hour. Many of the Channel lifeboats arc out, and the harbours are crowded with damaged craft. The steamer “Leonardo Da Vinci,” which is bringing tbe Italian art treasures for the London Exhibition, in a wireless message says that she is quite safe, and is holding her own in the Bay of Biscay against the severe gale. She expects to reach London on Thursday afternoon. High winds have caused a rapid rise in the Thames, and considerable floods in the Maidenhead area and eisewiiere have resulted. 'I no Air Ministry predicts a continuance of the fierce weather. The Channel coasts are strewn with wreckage.. The seas are being lashed mountain high. The wind has left a trail of desolation across Southern England, trees being unrooted, including sixteen giant trees at Hampton Court that are over two hundred years old. English telephone wires have been wrecked and walls have been levelled. 'live Boulogne steamer services have been suspended since Friday last, and the Channel Islands have been cut off for four days. The wireless stations are picking up streams of messages reporting damage and distress. The steamer “Tasmanian Transporter” has reached Falmouth with her cabins flooded and her boats smashed. The steamer “Ynlacia.” bound from Antwerp to New Zealand, lias wirelessed that the ship is unmanageable, and that she has stopped until the gale moderates. Two seamen who were going home for Christmas leave, were washed off uie destroyer Walpole between Portsmouth and Chatham, and were drowned.

QUEEN OF SPAIN. PARIS, Dec. 9. Stating that she could not break a promise she had given to attend a charity fete at Madrid, the Queen of Spain insited on crossing the English Channel which she did in a special boat when tliie Dover-C'alais service was cancelled owing to the storm. FURTHER DAMAGE. LONDON, Dec. 9. The steamer “Brittanic” remained adrift yesterday off the Pembrokeshire coast, in a hurricane, which prevented the approach of a tug. French reports state that several steamers are now in imminent danger off the coast ol Britanny. The Italian cargo vessel “Chieri” sank, but six of the crew were rescued from rafts.

The Cunard Coy’s ship “Lancastrian,” while en route to New York was struck by lightning on oami'an}. Her wireless and other electrical apparatus was disabled.

'flie White Star liner “Homeric” was hove to for some hours. Her promenade deck, which is sixty feet above the waterline, was swept by ' the seas, and was damaged. The eleven-thousand tons dry do‘k “Vulcan,” which tugs were towing from Hamburg to Rotterdam, was caught in the tempest. She was hr Ivon asunder, and she sank Iwo of her crew perished. The ill-fated “Radyr” was the' only vteamer to put out from Cardiff in the teeth of Friday night’s gale. Her wireless operator, Mr Meredith, was still sending out “S.O'.S” signals when the vessel floundered. His was the only body to be washed up.