THE TARAWERA IN A GALE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 144, 20 June 1899, Page 5

THE TARAWERA IN A GALE.

BOATS CARRIED AWA3:

OTHER DAMAGE DONE

The steamer Tarawera arrived from Sydney at an eaiiy hour this morning-, after a long passage, caused by heavy weather. The vessel left Sydney on Wednesday evening last, and on clearing the Heads encountered a strong south-west gale, accompanied by a

heavy sea

The wind and sea were on the steamer's beam, and a number of .small seas were .shipped, but no damage was clone until about: six o'clock on Thursday morning when a tremendous sea broke on board. The sea- struck the vessel amidships, abreast of the funnel, and fell on the upper deck, on which the bouts were. The large lifeboats on the weather side were knocked inwards off the skids, and badly stove in, while the lifeboats on the lee side were carried clean overboard, the davits and falls swinging out over the side. The enormous weight of the sea bent in the deck alongside the house', several of the planks being broken and forced out of position. The moveables on the top deck, which is fully fifteen feet above the water-line, 'were washed overboard as was the cowl of one of the ventilators, some six feet above the deck.

Shortly before this sea broke on board a smaller one fell on the same deck, moving one of the lifeboats off its skids. The mate sent the watch on deck into an alleyway to get lashings with which to secure the boat, and the men had just got into shelter when the sea came aboard. .It was fortunate that the men had been sent into the alleyway, as if they 'had been on the deck when the sea broke aboard they must inevitably have been washed overboard and drowned. It was immediately noticed that the boats had been carried away, but of course no attempt was made to pick them up. The boats are kept on patent skids, • from wfliieh they can be launched in a moment, but these do not hold them very securely. Had the sea been a few minutes later it would have been all right, as by then she would have been put stern on to the sea, in order that the boat w'hleh shifted first might be lashed, and she would then have ridden on the top of it.

One of the .lifeboats was so badly knocked about that it had to be broken lip on arrivel 'here, while the other was repaired, it being necessary to almost re-plank her.

The weather continued rough on Thursday, and the Tarawera was put before the wind, running so far to the northward that Lord Howe Island was sighted on Friday afternoon. The gale then moderated and the vessel came on to port, but she had gone so far out of her usual course that she was a good deal later in arriving here than was expected.