TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGE THE ARIZONA.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 87, 14 April 1887, Page 5

TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGE THE ARIZONA.

Two Liverpool Sailors Killed,

Tiik " I\e\v York Herald'1 of the 3rd inst. fives the following account of the last out. ward voyagt; of the (Juion steamer Arizona, during which she encountered a succession of violent ira'.'S and shipped a tremendous sea, killing two Liverpool seamen and badly injuring others : — Tho steamer Arizona, of the Onion line, had her ensign Hying nt hiilf-inaxtwhen she arrived at her pier fit tho foot of King-street, North River, yesterday. The" reason was the death of two of tho pailors, William Roberta and William 'Hny.cn, who had been upon the steamer for years. They were killed by a tremendous wave which struck tho vessel on January 25 and nearly overwhelmed her. The Arizona, the second fastest steamer of the (Jnino line left Liverpool on the 22nd January, with 72 cabin passengers and I">'2 steerage. She touched at Queenstown on the 23rd, and then steamed out to sea. The passage promised to bo fair afc first, but Coptain Brook, with an eye to chances, took .ill the usual precautions. On the 24th, the winds increased to a moderate gale, and on the 23th, the day of tho accident, the seas were unusually high. . The steamer kept on her way. running'at a moderate speed, and Captain Brooks was up most of the time attendin'.;- to all necessary details. The decks were constantly wet and Slippery, but the sailors managed to get about with caution. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and the vessel in latitude SO dog. 40 mm. and longitude '2.1 deg. 10 mm., when a regular wall of water swept over her. The two seamen were right in the trade of the billow, and were hurled by it violently against one of the deckhouses. Edward Thomas, the boatswain's mate, was also hurled by the angry waters some distance, andwas picked up unconscious. He afterwards recovered. Roberts expired almost immediately, and Hazen lived b"t a short time. The men were well liked by their mates, and their deaths cast a doom over the entire ship's company. Roberts was married and had lived in Liverpool. Ho had bidden his family farewell before leaving on the voyage. Hazen had also lived in Liverpool, but was a single man. The bodies of the unfortunate seamen were consigned to their ocean graves on the day after their deaths. It was an impressive scene. The wind' was little short of a gale at the time, and those who attended the funerals could hardly keep their feet while the short burial service was read. The bodies were swallowed in an instant by the frothing waters. Gales continued to succeed one another with unabated fury. On Monday last some of-the sailors, were securing a lifeboat which had been loosened by the heavy seas, A hujre wave struck the vessel and seven of the sailors were thrownagainst/ the bulwarks. One of the m&\\ was badly hurt but the others escaped with slight bruise?. The Arizona's decks looked an though they had been sand-papered yesterday °so clean had the waves washed them. Captain Brooks is quoted as saying that t,hi» voyage was one of the most severe he had experienced for some time,but through it all the Arizona proved herself an able sea vessel and not a joint was .started or any material damage done her.