The Richmond in a Cyclone.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 444, 8 February 1890, Page 5

The Richmond in a Cyclone.

THE STEAMER RIDES THE WAVES LIKE A DUCK. Through the courtesy of Mr Owen Latchmore we are placed in possession, via Samoa, of an account of a terrific cyclone encountered by the s.s. Richmond during the night of the 15th ult. and the morning of the lGth, whilst steaming from Auckland to Tonga. This storm was tlie worst weather it has been the Richmond’s lot to pass through since running in the Island trade. lb commenced on the Wednesday night about 10 o’clock from the south-east, and blew with such tremendous force that it was almost impossible to stand up against it. The salt spray was driven along the decks with such force that it cub like hail, and the howling of the wind and roar of the waves were such that talking was an impossibility. As the captain remarked, it was as if all the wind fiends had been let loose together. At 12 o’clock one of the steamer’s boats was blown clean out of the davits and disappeared in the black night. Shortly after this the wind chopped round to the north and blew with even increased Dower. The strong canvas coverings for the sheep, on the forward deck, were blown away like so much paper ; the W.C. was caught by the wind and hurled over the side, while the port railing was blown all over the ship, and the strong iron stanchions were bent and twisted out of all shape. At about eight the next morning there was a lull for an hour, when without a moment’s notice it recommenced from the southwest with redoubled fury, bub as everything was securely fastened no further damage was done. The chief officer, who has sailed the seas for twenty-five yeavs, states that during the whole of that time he never saw anything to approach the fierceness of this hurricane. Captain Hutton was at the wheel the whole of that awful night. The steamer behaved splendidly, and was just like a duck upon the water. All the passengers are loud in their praise of her seagoing qualities. It was fully expected that all the live stock would be lost, but such is the steadiness of the ship that five or six sheep is the extent of the loss in that department. After the wind dropped, about mid-day, the sea rose into such mountainous waves as are nob often seen in the gentle Pacific. During the storm the passengers had a very miserable time of iL as, of course, everything was battened down. The barometer was down to 28-30.