CAUGHT IN A CYCLONE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8476, 1 July 1907, Page 5

CAUGHT IN A CYCLONE.

By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 29. The Navua, which returned to port to-day, encountered a cyclone at noon on Wednesday, and had a very rough experience till late the same night. On Thursday morning it was .discovered that the packing of the propellors had became loose. The water flooded the propellor tunnel and came into the engine-room. Captain fMcLean then put about and returned to Auckland to repair the leak. The Navua behaved splendidly during the storm. Captain McLean reports that the Navua left Auckland on Tuesday at 4 p.m. At 8 p.m. on June 26th the barometer commencedJ;o fall, and the wind increased to a heavy gale. The ship was put with her head to sea. The barometer fell rapidly, to 28.90, but the.storm lasted till 11 p.m., when the ship was again put on her course for Nukualofa. At 11 p.m. on Thursday the course was changed for Auckland owing to the accident to the stern tubes. The vessel was then 293 miles from Auckland, and the return trip was made in steadily improving weather. Passengers by the Navua said they had a fearfully rough experience, but there was never any alarm, even when the captain put the steamer about and ran back to Auckland. Before the Navua had been many hours out of this port she dived into the gale, which continued to increase in violence. By Thursday morning it w r as really {terrible. Mountainous seas deluged the vessel, and knocked her about as though she was a straw. To add to the difficulties,JJthe packing about the shaft became loosened, causing the stern tubes to leak, and the pumps had to be worked.