TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 205, 30 August 1910, Page 7

TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGE.

(Bj; Telegraph.—Press Association.) WANGANUI, Monday. The little coastal steameT Hu-ia, which arrived at one o'clock yesterday from Wellington, had a tempestuous and, at times, thrilling passage. Had weather was experienced throughout, but matters came to a head about 10 o'clock on Sunday morning, when the vessel was about 15 miles from CastlecHff. A frightful thunderstorm enveloped the steamer, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning, which lit up the darkness. Two Hashes struck the davits, with reports like pistol ahots, and played round the ironwork of the ship in a most terrifying manner. Little balls of fire fell through the air, but the culminating point of the disturbance was reached when five waterspouts passed over the ship's bows towards the south-east. Captain Dowell says that in all his 32 years' experience of New Zealand coastal waters, he has never seen or heard of such sights. He describes the disturbance as appalling, and this view is shared by the mate and man at the wheel, both of whom had a nerve-trying time. The Huia stood the weather" well, being only five hours longer on the trip than usual.