A PERILOUS VOYAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 196, 19 August 1899, Page 5

A PERILOUS VOYAGE.

S.S. MAROC IN A HURRICANE. i (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ■■•••- CHRISTCHURCH,;this, day. The steamer"Maroc, with a-cargo of coal, arrived from Newcastle at Lyttelton last night in a- very, battered condition. She flies the French flag, j is commanded by a French captain, and manned chiefly by a coloured , crew. •■'■■'- ! The vessel should have arrived on i Monday or Tuesday last, but on Aug. j 13, when approaching Cook Straits, ; she met a heavy south-west gale, with high sea, which soon increased to a hurricane, raging, through August 14, 15 and 16. During this time the vessel was almost completely urider water. ' The four boats were all smashed to | matchwood", and only the keel-of one is j j now left on deck. I The deck in many places was stove 1 in. The deckhouse and all the light ; fittings were washed away. # • On August 15 large quantities oi water went into the holds, flodlled the engine-room and extinguished the fires.The vessel was then unmanageable, rolling at the mercy of tfte ; waves. A quantity of coal was thrown j overboard. j The gale moderating,- the water was ! reduced in the engine-room sufficiently , to start the fires, and the vessel came j on. She will probably . remain .here some weeks to complete 'the necessary rennirs. She has some cargo for the , Bluff. '•• .