SHIPS BUFFETED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 97, 5 February 1936, Page 3

SHIPS BUFFETED

STRONG GALE ON WEST COAST. HAUTURU POOPED TWICE. (Per Pi’ess Association.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 4. Sheep were washed overboard, an ice-chest weighing half a ton was cairied away and deck quarters weie stove in when the Ronald and the Hauturu, two of the Northern Steamship Company’s motor vessels which, arrived at Oneliunga yesterday, encountered the full force of the gale during the week-end. Tire captains of both vessels, which came from Hokianga and Pieton, stated that this storm was the severest they bad over experienced on the west coast. The Hauturu left Pieton on Saturday afternoon and was off Cape Egmont early on Sunday morning when she struck a gale from the south-east, which soon increased almost to nyclonic force. Solid sheets of water were forced up into the air by the strong wind, and visibility was almost nothing at one stage. The vessel was pooped by two tremendous seas which stove in the alter quarters and the galley door, shifted the standard compass, carried away a. meat safe and an iee-ehest, weighing half a ton, and flooded the docks to a depth of three feet. Members of the crew said that another sea of similar size would have sunk the vessel. The Hauturu fought through the gale until Sunday afternoon, being forced to heave to off Manuliau Heads at 8.15 a.m. yesterday, and took the bar half an hour later. Her general cargo was undamaged. Captain Jackson Fowler did not leave the bridge for 48 hours. Four sheep were washed overboard anti 20 dietl while the Ronald was riding out the gale outside Mahulcau Heads tre.m early on Sunday morning.

PAHHATUA GRANDSTAND WRECKED. MANY HOUSES DAMAGED. PAHIATUA, Feb. 4. Pahiatua received its share of Sunday’s cyclone, which began here early in the morning and reached its'climax at .two o’clock in the afternoon, heavy rain adding to the general disorder. The entire roof of the main grandstand at the racecourse was lifted bodily and hurled in sections of 50 yards to hang in the boughs of a belt of trees. The publican’s booth fell like a house of cards. At the show ground the stand which was used for the Pahiatua Show a fortnight ago was wrecked. In the town many sheds were demolished and houses partially unroofed. A Konini resident had a narrow escape when ho was blown off his roof 20 feet to the ground, while endeavouring to batten down some iron.