AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3586, 13 August 1890, Page 2

AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

Melbourne, August The ship Loch Eyanj .whioh recently arrived at .'Melbourne from Glasgow, had an eventful passago, While the vessel was being towed down the Clyde, a seaman named Muir fell overboard and was drowned, despite the efforts of another of-the'' " '- 4 orew named Munro to save liim; The meridian of the Cape of Good Hope ' was crossed on the 28th. June, and next day some extraordinary weather - \ was encountered. The glass, which ; ' was steady at 80-10, gave no forewarning that mischief, was brewing, aud the wind all day had been light and variable. The night set in as black aa pitch, and one of tho heaviest thunderstorms ever met with burst oyer the ship, The lightning was something awful and the thunder ' terrific. The wind kept flying about in all directions in . puffs arid squalls, and there were frequent showers of hail. At 4 o'elook next morning a shower of hail,, or rather pieces of ice fell, and for the space of five minutes while it lasted no one could appear on deck, Some of tho. pieces are alleged to have been theJ> size of a small tumbler or a duck'^ r egg, aad the olatter-they made in descent was like the sound of a smart fire of a mitrailleuse. The seaat the time was calm. At 4.30 .a.m. the main royal pole and truck were struck by lightning and broken in pieces, When tho cyclone had expended its fury the wind set in from the north, shifting round to N.W., and inoreasiog to a heavy gale, which brought up a high sea. This lasted for 45 hours, aud tho ship rau under het top-sails and foresail,—Pod.-