THE WAITANGI IN A GALE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6508, 5 January 1882, Page 5

THE WAITANGI IN A GALE.

1.039 OF LIFE. [Br Tbxhgbaph.J [Fbom a Cobbbspondbnt.] DUNHDW, Jan. 4. 1 have been permitted to mako tho following extract from a lotter by a lady passenger on board the Waitangi, descriptive of the storm on Sept. 7 on her voyage botwoen Dunedtn and London : "Shortly after the wind rose and blew furiously. The rolling, bumping, and tossing of the ship was dreadful. Seas came over the main deck in a most alarming manner, and they bad a strong barricade in front of the saloon, otherwiso we should have been flooded. Not one of us slept that night. The captain and officers made light of the storm, so we were gradually getting over our terror, and taking things as a matter of course. However, even they, on the morning of the 7th, were made to quake with foar. The Oaptain had been on duty all night, and told us he did indeed tremble for the safety of the ship at three o'clock that morning, and he feared tho worst was not yet over. He only took time to put on dry clothes and snatch a little breakfast, and then up to the poop again. About ten o'clock he came into the saloon and asked if anyone would object to a young woman and child (who were steerage passengers) being brought into the sa'oon, as he feared the house on the main deck would go. We were only too glad to have her in and out of danger. It was blowing so furiously at the time that the sailors formed a line on each side of her till she was safely lodged in the saloon, the boatswain following with the ohild. Neither of them were dressed. She was trembling very much, she had passed suoh a terrible night; but so had we all. She was in the saloon till about one o'clock, whin she pleaded hard to be allowed to go and dress. We said the sailors could bring over her things, hut she seemed most anxious to go. It was a little calmer just then, and a line was again formed for her to pass through, the boatswain following with the child as before. She was away about ten minutes, when a sea came into the pantry and carried all our lunch away. We were in the middle of another when the ship gave a tremendous leap, and rent knives, glasses, and dishes flying in all directions. For a minute we felt as if we were going headlong into the sea. We were just recovering from that when a soene which baffles description ensued. A sea came rolling into the saloon, striking us all dumb with terror. The Captain had sat down to eat something for the first time that day. His face paled as he said,' Good Lord!' and he charged us to keep our plaws. We were standing on the settees, with the water up to our knees, holding on by what we could grasp. 'I his was followed by a hooting noise like thunder right overhead, and another rush of water and creaking and crashing of timber. The piano and sideboard dashed out of their places right against the table. The fear at this stage was that we should be crushed to death. The settees were loosening, and we tried to get hold of the swinging trays, but could not. Just at this stage the order passed down,' Ladies to the stern cabin.' We could not have been in greater peril than we were, still tho words 'to the stern cabin' appeared like a last resource, and indeed Bounded like our doom. There were no passengers in the stern cabin, and it was filled with skins and ferns, and a lot of precious things belonging to tho Captain, whioh weie all pitched overboard. About six o'clock the Captain looked in on us, and said he hoped the worst was past, but he was not sanguine. He also told us that the young woman and child were drowned. She went baok unknown to him, and it was a dreadful surprise to him when he heard -it. The creaking and crashing that we heard in the saloon waß caused by the house on the main deok. It and the front barricade, and the pantry and boys* room, all went at the same time. The ornamental eagles flew down, and all the brass and copper door pieces were wrenched off. The Captain, in all his twenty-two years' experience, said he never saw anything to equal it."