Narrow Escape of a Steamer.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 144, 2 May 1901, Page 4

Narrow Escape of a Steamer.

Nbmok, April &'PB| The «.s. Maponrika had a "wasatlonaWiS experience shortly alter leaving ton for Nelson last evening. -,,* '?"m When just outride the beads phenomenally heavy sea or about 25 feet high struck the on the port bow, and swept over making a wreck, of everything moVeab^^g, 1 on the foredeok and amidships.; time was about 20 minutes to 6, add passengers were at tea. v "l \fir The sea striking a bulkhead sbj&errf >*;? the thick glass of. two portables- ! t through which the water poured,land ■_' completely flooded the during saloon from end to end. The tables of their contents, and several passengers were'dut by.pieeea(of gl*«a.- - r? **-*■>■'•--'SU The-women fcreamed, and one Tor "two 4 fainted. The passengers thought the t"v vessel was going to founder, and 'rforya. j£ few minutes there was intense anxiety "%$ and excitement. - /iT After the wave passed over tb*rei:»»Wi| no fui ther heavy seas, and the rest, . the journey was fairly smonth. A' deal of damage wan done about tb« JoreV!*£> deck, the ratlins bsing cut to a hdghty|l|| nearly 30ft, whilst the deek 4js§||| consisting principally of k»rojra* f ''jg|i|| completely wrecked. Several seats wttpsM, carried away and the window of tnsflp chart house was smashfd in. ;Th«r , damage aft was not *o grfa* t the assfi was merely shifting things about. One ■ of the funml guys was c »rried away. 1 > h. It is considered certain that bad doer of the smaller-steamers encuntered the/' sea it would have foundered. - \ ' i April aftV^ A preliminary '"nquiry concerning th«t, j, damage done by a hevyy wave to ibe* Mapounka was held this afteinoejaL A before Mr Heaps, Collector of Customvf; ■ The evidence of the captain, third?! ! ofßcer, steersman, chief steward, and, j Mr E. L Nathan, a passenger, was taken,The latter »aid they were at tea at 5.3ft,...,,when a heavy crash canrn, and w*t«Bj*J poured into the falcon through the ppt%J as througb a hose. Those at the waJ.n|| table suffered, some being hurt by broken^' The stewards and officers didjtr if* all tbey oould aud the passengers wertp soon reassured. On the whole, it wait? so sudden that it was hard to say whs|j|;had happened, and all was over in- a ftj*j'i minutes. * ■ 7i«li L -r m