SENSATIONS AT SEA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1198, 22 January 1914, Page 3

SENSATIONS AT SEA.

GREAT WAVE STRIKES LINER BRIDGE DECK DAMAGED. LIFEBOATS SMASHED.

All exciting adventure held the 10,000 ton coastal passenger liner Indarra on Christinas morning. She was struck by a huge sea, which thundering over the starboard side seriously damaged the vessel. The incident occurred at about 8 o’clock whilst the liner was encountering a strong southwesterly gale. She was at the time about sixty miles west of Cape Nelson, and bound for Melbourne from Fremantle, via Adelaide, with a large number of passengers. The sea which struck her with such force rose to an enormous height; seomin giy as high as the navigating bridge. Then, as apparently she rolled to meet it, the immense billow burst down upon her with a roar that could be hoard throughout the ship. The effect was as startling as it was sudden. For a distance ot about 6011 along the bridge deck the iron rail was either carried away or so badly bent and broken as to oiler no protection to those on board, it being found necessary subsequently to restrict passengers from using this part of the ship. Several of the ports ot the deck cabins near the damaged rail were also broken and the apartments flooded, but luckily no one was injured. Chairs and other articles were swept about the decks by the sea, whilst a lady passenger and a child are said to have experienced a narrow escape from injury. This deck, which is, roughly speaking, 50tt above the water, is greatly favoured by the passengers, but fortunately few were within the danger zone at the moment. Further evidence of the destructiveness of the sea- was afforded on the boat-deck, which is approximately 10ft higher than the bridge deck. To this great height the sea had also reached, smashing two of the lifeboats so badly as to render them unseaworthy until they can be repaired. The boats were not dislodged from their fastenings, but great cracks along their bottoms and sides are eloquent of the severe' strain put upon them. A passenger gangway ullixed to tho side of the vessel suffered severely. One of the iron stanchions, 2iu in diameter, by which tho gangway was secured, was snapped asunder us if it had been a carrot, whilst tho woodwork was broken. The incident caused a good deal of excitement among the passengers, although no alarm appears to have been felt.