ROUGH PASSAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 139, 15 June 1938, Page 5

ROUGH PASSAGE.

RANGATIRA DAMAGED. STRUCK BY BIG WAVE. SEAMAN UNCONSCIOUS. (Ry Ttli'LT.l[ill. — I'ivss Association.) CHRISTC HI'RCH. Tuesday. Struck by a huge sea before the vessel had cleared Wellington lfarlKiiir on J 1 Monday night. the inter-island steamer 1 Rangatira received considerable damage ' to the bridge and fitting<s. An aide sea- ' man, Mr. ]). McKenzie. of Wellington. j was rendered unconscious. i It was just as the Rangatira cleared Barrett's Reef, near Pencarrow Head. ' that she took the .sea a hoard. The ves- j sel had heen slowed down to six knots from W orser Bay. As the great wave struck her, those in the wheelhousc heard the erasli of timber and glass from the etarboanl end of the bridge, where Mr. McKenzie had been on the look-out. Investigating, the chief officer. Mr. ('. Hill, found a large gap in the front of the bridge and a heap of smashed timber, from which Mr. McKeiizie's arm protruded. j Mr. Hill at once held fast to Mr. I McKen/.ie's arm and called for further] ::-si, -t a lice. With the help of the .nmi | ■ •fliccr he then got the injured man into! the wheelhouse and found that he wasj unconscious, Mr. M -Kenzie. how ever. J recovered ronsciousne-s soon afterwards I and was ma le comfortable in a spare pas-enger cabin. i The damage to the bridge wing included the smashing of the fri'mes and glass of several of the plate-gla».s look-out windows. Some of the heavy | counter-weight* from the windows were j j afterwards found at the other end of | | the boat deck. j - A heavy iron door leading from the | foredeek was also damaged. The starj board navigation light was damaged and had to be replaced by an emergency oil lamp.