THE SOUTHERLY GALE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 95, 17 January 1924, Page 6

THE SOUTHERLY GALE

HEAVY SEAS IN COOK STRAIT SHIPPING EXPERIENCES A A ROUGH TIME Tlie southerly gale raged at 'Wellington throughout yesterday, but only a few brief showers fell in ths morning and in the early evening. Vessels which arrived at 'Wellington yesterday morning reported a mountainous sea in Cook Straits. The cargo liner Turakina, which left Lyttelton at 7.30 o’clock on Tuesday evening for Wellington, met with such heavy weather that tho vessel reported by wireless that she was hove-to eff the . coast and would not arrive at Wellington until daybreak to-day. The Ngaio, with passengers for Nelson, which was weatherbound at Wellington on the previous evening, put to sea at 5 o’clock yesterday morning. rr he small steamer Ripple, bound for the East Coast, sailed from Wellington at 6 o’clock yesterday morning, but was unable to face the dements, and put back to her berth at 8.20 a.m. She got away again at 4 p.m.. and cleared the Heads safely. The big liner Rotorua, which sailed from Wellington at 6 o’clock on Tuesday morning for Lyttelton, occupied 25 hours cn the run to the southern port. The Maori was also liehind time, reaching Lyttelton at 10.20 a.m. yesterday from 'Wellington. Near Island Bay yesterday the seas were breaking right across the road. The track along the coast to the Red Rocks was impassable, the breakers beating right up against the cliffs and the spray sweeping halfway up the hill-sides. Last night the wind had decreased in violence and the weather allowed signs of improvement. FERRY STEAMER IN THE STORM HEAVY SEAS SHIPPED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch January 16. The ferry steamer Maori, owing to the severe gale -on the trip to Lyttelton last night, had to slow down on leaving Wellington Heads, but thereafter proceeded at full steam. _ Nothing could be seen forward owing to the spray, and heavy seas were shipped all night. Minor damage was done to the lower portion of the bridge, and a door was smashed in. The vessel reached port at 10.15 a.m., and the passengers missed the first express to the South.