TAINUI BUFFETED.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1930, Page 7

TAINUI BUFFETED.

TERRIFIC GALE IN CHANNEL. WELLINGTON, January 13. .Meeting the lull force of the ten tie gates which caused so much havoc to shipping off the coast of England early in .Bee-ember, the Shaw Savi.ll, and Albion Company’s liner Tainui, which arrived at Wellington to-day from Southhampton, received a severe buffeting m the Channel, and for a period of live days, during which she was frequently forced to heave to she averaged only eight knots. Huge seas crashed on to the vessel’s hows, damaging some of her deck fittings forward of the bridge, and the wind sometimes reached it velocity of 105 miles an hour. The Tainui weathered tint storm splendidly, and with the exception of a twist in her main steam pipe, she suffered practically no structural damage.

Captain* W. P. Clifton Mogg, R.N.R., commodore of the Shaw Sitviil, and Albion Company’s fleet, who has command of the Tainui, said the gale eiieoutered on the night of December (ith.j the day on whch tne vessel left Southhampton, was the worst he ever remembered. Hail and rain storms made it impossible to see outside the ship, and the seas were terrific. On the following morning the vessel was hove to, but in the afternoon the weather moderated a little Howling gales followed by depressions continued for several days, and on December 9th, when 21 ships were posted at Lloyd’s as being in distress, he received the following radio message from the owners: “Fully appreciate terrible trials you have ail suffered owing to abnormal gales. Convey our sympathy to officers, engineers crew, and passengers. Hope you are now in better weather, and that you have no casualties to report to personnel of ship.” Gradually the’intensity of the gales decreased, and the .Atlantic was crossed without further incident.

Although the Tainui is twenty-one years of age she is still capable of a good turn of speed, averaging 13.75 knots from Panama to Wellington, the fastest time she has ever made on that trip. Good weather was experienced across the Pacific. The pleasure of the latter part of the voyage was marred by the death which occurred three days ago of one of the cabin passengers, Air R. King, of Auckland Mr King who was accompanied by his son and daughter, had been in illhealth for some time, and his death was not unexpected. He was buried at sea.