THE SHIP WAITANGI IN A STORM.

Auckland Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3559, 5 January 1882, Page 2

THE SHIP WAITANGI IN A STORM.

Description by a Lady.

(DV TELEGRAM.—O IfS COKIIESrONDENT.)

DUNEDIN, tbis day. lIIAVK been ponuittcd to make tbo followi uf; extract from a letter by lady passeDger on board tlio Waitangi, descriptivo of the storm on tbo 7tU of September, on her voyage between Dunudin and London : — "Shortly after,tbo wind rose and blew furiously. The rolling, bumping, and tossing of tho chip wits dreadful. Seas cuine ovor tbo deck in a most alarming manner. They hail a Btrong barricade in front of tho saloon, otherwise wo should liavo bee ■■ flooded. Not one of us slept that night. Tbo captain and otlicera made liyht of the storm, so we were gradually gotting over our terror, and taking tbings as a matter of coarse, However, even then we wero made to quake with fear on the morning of the 7th. Tho captain bad been on duty all night, ani told us ho did indeed tremble for tho safoty of the ship at 3 o'clock that morning, ami he feared the worst was not yet over. He only took time to pat on dry clothes and snatch a little breakfast, and then went on to the poop again. About ten he came into tho ealoon and asked if any one would object to a young woman and child (who wcro steerage passengers) being brought into the saloon, as ho feared tho honso on the main deck would go. We were only too glad to have her in and out of danger. It was blowing so furiously at the time t"at the sailors formed a lino ou each side of her till she was safely lodged in the saloon, I ho boatswain following with the child. Neither of them wcro dressed. Sl:o wa» trembling very much. She had passed nucli a tcrrmlc night, but so had we all. Sho was in the saloon till about 11 o'clock, when sho pleaded hard to bo allowed to go and dress. Wo said tho sailors could bring over her things, bnt flirt seemed most anxious to go. It was a little calmer just then, and a"line was again formed formed tor hor to pass through, tho boatswain following with tho child as before. Sho was away about ten raiuuics when a sea came into the pantry, and carried all our lunch away. We wore in tho middle of another, when the ship cave a tremendous leap, and sent tho knives, glasses, and dishes flying in all directions. For a minute wo folt as if wo were going hoadlong into tho sob. We i wore just recovering from that, when a scene which baffles description ensued. A sea came rolling into tho saloon, striking us all dumb with terror. The captain bad sat down to cat something for tho first time that day. Mia face paled as he said ' " Good Lord." He charged us to keep our place. We wcro standing on scttocs, with the water up to our knees, holding on by wlnt we could grasp. This was followed by a noiae like thunder right overhead and another rush of water and creak- ' ing and crashing of timber. Tho piano and sideboard dashed out of their places right against the table. The fear at this stage was that wo should be crushed to death. The settees were loosening, and wo tried to get hold of tho swing trays, but could not. Just at tbis stage the order passed down, " Ladies to tho stern cabin.'1 \Vo could not have boon in greater peril than we were. Still tho words "To the stern cabin" appeared like a last resource, and indeed sounded like doom. There wore passengers in t be stern cabin, and it was filled with ekins and ferns aud a lot of precious thiuga belonging to the Captain which were allpitchfidoverboard. Aboutsixo'clock the Captain looked in on us, and said he hoped the worst was past, hut was not sanguine. Ho also told us that the young woman and child were drowuod. She went back unknown to him, and it was a dreadful surprise to him when he heard it. The creaking and crashing that we hoard in the saloon was caused by the house on the main deck. It and the front barricade to tho pantry and boys' room all went at one time. The ornamental eagles blew down, and all the I brass 'and copper door pieces were wrenched off. The Captain said that in all bis 20 years' experience ho had never seen anything equal to it."