A ROUGH VOYAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1930, Page 5

A ROUGH VOYAGE

TAIUNI IN CYCLONE.

OFFICER LOST OVERBOARD.

United Press Association.—by Electric Telegraph.—Lopy right,.]

(Received this day at 10.30 a.m.)

LONDON, August 7

A terrific three days battle with a cycione in which the steamer Tainul her nrst omcer over board, and had live or her crew injured, was revealed when the battered vessel berthed at London.

'Lap tain riogg says the vessel carried sixty-seven passengers and a cargo of butter and meat. When six days out irom Auckland, off Pitcairn Island, the ship encountered a tremendous cycione winch by the morning of July 4th had its centre astern, causing mountainous seas, many of which were shipped throughput the day. Two of the worst flooded the engineers quarters ana lifted off the refrigerator pipe. Enormous seas were shipped at 10.30 that night, and washed away the chief officer,' Mr Seddall, When it cleared off, we were able to take stock and found Seddall was missing and five injured, one with a broken arm, 'llie sea stove in No. 3 hatch, breaking the pipes and doing other damage.

it was considered too dangerous to round the ship in view of the seas then running, apart 'from the darkness. In fact Seddall by then was three miles astern.

Baker the second officer and crew repaired the damaged hatch.

Terrific seas continued tossing the vessel like driftwood, and the wind was blowing at ninety miles hourly. There were times when I thought the end had come. A terrific sea at 5.30 on the morning of 4th July smashed in the steerage door, flooding the third class, after which the weather moderated.

The missing ' officer conlmanded a mine sweeper in war time and was twice blown up. The Rotorua, which was some miles distant from the Tairiui was also damaged and three of lief crew injured.