RUAHINE DELAYED AT PANAMA

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27463, 24 September 1954, Page 16

RUAHINE DELAYED AT PANAMA

FIVE-DAY STOP FOR ENGINE REPAIRS

POSSIBLE EFFECT ON BEEF CARGO

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, September 23. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s 17,850-ton liner Ruahine is making a slow trip to Southampton, after a severe engine breakdown had compelled her to remain at Panama for five days for repairs. In a letter to her parents, Miss Patricia Roberts, of Hamilton, a Fulbright scholar travelling aboard the Ruahine, said that on the evening of September 7, shortly before the liner reached Panama, “a most terrific crashing” was heard below decks. Shortly afterwards the lights failed and the ship stopped. “At dinner that night it was explained that the two-ton piston of the starboard engine had come out of its casing,” continued Miss Roberts. ‘Just before that happened there had been an internal explosion in the engine which had blown a piece of outer casing into one of the gener- ,? rhic " was partly the cause of the lights failing. If the outer casing had not gone into the generator, it may have gone through the side—the side plates are bent out with it, anyway—or gone through the roof into the C deck cabins. • “With the piston running riot the other starboard generator was put out of commission, and pieces of machinery were thrown all round the engineroom, damaging the other engine. We are at the moment, running on the port engine alone and making five knots, whereas before we were making 17 knots.”

Miss Roberts added that the liner’s cargo of chilled beef was causing a 10t frouble. She said it would j a have to be frozen, as the 40-day tune limit between killing in New . J Z , ealand and sal e in Englanc would have run out by the time she reaohed Southampton. _ „ Company’s Comment In Wellington last night, Mr T. S Marchington, assistant general manag€J 1 • company in New Zealand said: It is true that the Ruahine did have an engine breakdown, but it was not as serious as the letter suggests She was held up in Panama for about “ ve days, and will not now reach Southampton until October 2 (The Ruahine was originally due there on Friday). There was no damage to her cargo, and she is now running on both engines. It is hoped that she will be able to adhere to her scheduled time of departure—Navember 29—on her next voyage to New Zealand.”