IN A CYCLONE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3531, 20 July 1920, Page 6

IN A CYCLONE.

The steamer South Africa, which has been engaged in the South African Australian trade for several vears, encountered a terrific gale on her last voyage to the Cape. When the ship was 11 days out from Fremantle, and not far off Mauritius, the barometer fell steadily and the ! sea rose. It was not long after these warnings that the gale descended in ■ all its tropical fury. The waters swept over the decks. They seemed to come from all sides, washed into the quarters of the officers and engineers, and tore off the tarpaulins • cov- j orino- the hatches. Windows which had withstood many a strong gale were blown in. As one of the officers put' it: "the ship was completely out of control. God knows what would have happened, to her and us if the skipper had not kept cool." .

< Of the 60 or so horses on board 25 were killed outright, and eight died subsequently. The decks became shambles. The Lascar members of the crew thought the end of the world had come, and "retired from active service" pro tein. The European members had to do everything. The South Africa, however, came through the terrific .struggle struggle, and arrived at Capetown on May 6.