WAIHORA IN CYCLONE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17700, 28 February 1923, Page 13

WAIHORA IN CYCLONE.

~*»«* ePHOBNCE

-SUB* SWEI-T BY sSffl»«« SEAS.

an d crow of tho Union * Reamer Waihora, which has #*\ Stirring talo of their nevord!* tle „ experience of a cyclone. fotg ! into a cyclone, and for «h om etom t0 Btorn ' jJ*> W t b y mountainous seas. ** jaw too Cyclone. steamer left Nauru on fl o «i, the barometer was hitf., was favourable. Tho *« 9 '? Mdi tut no importance this, since it was S »« te u the outcome of a cyclone fc*i *nkuolo*B, Tonga, on V Wth by wirolesi.. Tho swell ifciat othorwiße tho weather «&Z Sid not portend any great louring the night of FebWrfM"untoward occurred. ifl*if ?h daV broke clear, and 1 **f£iltlU about 9 a.m., when, warning, tho sky rf*A,sf oreTcaflt with great fc*"iH.A donds. a violent easlership and the billows, created with J"*?..™ Within two minutes in tho grip of the cyBWe% "a fury, waves washing over * anybody had * i rt. rimlflcanoo of tho aitua<1 t wSrt"wM in tho trough *** j&Ste she roso high T Jit of a tremendous billow, ?L lay drenching everything wa e t er pouring 'rtrtS Se after-dec* being

PdfoJM Boar of Elements, u r. fcifometw had fallea ri S ht Bl iKuld m if the bottom HE on board. This was only t&fotit. Although bad ffiftry of the cyclonic storm a?i tK passed, and at S"«hea its height. It was hear anybody apeak, and Q», orders, Dellowed through -£& from the bridge, trailed Qrihichild's feeble voice, drownSftVr the crash of bass notes of fft cathedral organ. Standing ilkgeit was impossible to bows.? Stinging ttTiHdt as fog. enveloped the &U the roar of wind and wave SbNag. In addition there was ffit thu searcely mattered, since £&fo was flooded fore and aft. pPtEe drenching spray was worse iijjj zabitorm. Steering Gear Breaks. HfOM eiroamstonees, it is not m to imagine the anxiety exEtai by Captain Harris and Us Inr&en it was learned, that the fnor was useless. One of Ma, an inch and an eighth ess, had rendering system useless. It is estimnothing less than 64 tons mid have snapped the chain, lerves to give some idea of at the Btorm. It waß also t the rudder had b,een bent ength of the waves, against hing eould stand.. /Every man was ordered to help rechaln. Meanwhile seamen with the whirling wheel, flnd'heroulesn task to hold it. ■TMnred Over them, and their iwSjL wflNflhed beyond words. wfeOT&fl'for three hours, with water up to their b, Inn4.%oeering system once t in ftMty'ttd thejrelief of those ItiUxAyhtjfeOmii scarcely be to tSsiou of the officers and full well that;, had taTmwjijsble-"to<e£feet repairs, the WMaothave stood a chance in Ipof the cooks was- severely in-K&pnttle-liip, another received mnoto on the knee,' and a third Bmadted. HP¥* (Vnn S amidships eame and, as the recatching it on Bffli|« "Washed to pieces. SevfflPSw •iafts were torn off, about the decks of a had not been lashPWfttrss, onidtly lost overboard. g|§|jWß' flooded decks was on are eeldpm called ffigffiKtilud it seemed miiaculwas loßt. since the jrater from shortly nearly 5 o'clock. In R»@i!Mf the lOf&cers, it would to nave the ship [|||£|s« oeeu encountered durCaptain Harris re* bridge throughout the period. The BBlKSffi ng Boon as possible, ETOlfflg l helng fraught; with BSBPMsager on account of the gg**Kl tho heavy cargo of ESf*Mf Hie Waihora's hold. She to rise to the gSfflw buffeting was the more Had tha BIS&Mea stowed with special ■lllwri th* fact that tha trip PtljP??'* B the hurricane eeacertainly have l^^t-?™ 11 a ventilator shaft one of the holds was but the hole was HpPSpßa-wlth a tarpaulin. J|||MtaJMr of'» Lifetimo. and the sea abatsuddenness as it Harris «onsidertte tightest corner he BEraJfW*"--! all his .nautical over a period of "*■, Had the wind remainMBfflggfcthan it did, the most and skill could E|«Eot the vessel out of the on idard owed their Hg|&|K£tage of the v/ind when HggSfM, blackest. Oil was from every pipe pj*Jgg£Tffld this served to slake Kga&P'e'TyaYea-to some extent. ataong that it seembe blown . away ■§!%?&- the vejgel been within °* shelter, an effort BpjtCT 1 made to run for it. Waihora was and Conway of which offerMP"'VtJT t 616 WM no c h»nce i^^^a»rS-? f anything, and 'Hobson's choice," to iM7^? e and he ave to. Ofby Captain courage and loyalty, the ordoal with |KS, ia ' ahilijy as a navi ..