BLOW FROM SOUTH

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 265, 5 August 1931, Page 8

BLOW FROM SOUTH

Ulimaroa in Storm VESSEL DAMAGED Other Ships Delayed An exceptionally rough trip from Sydney was experienced by the HuddartParker steamer Ulimaroa, which arrived at Wellington shortly before noon yesterday. The vessel ran Into a heavy south.westerly gale as soon as she cleared Sydney .Heads last Friday afternoon, and conditions remained bad until she reached Wellington yesterday, some Eve hours later than usual.

About 9 o’clock on Monday night a particularly heavy beam sea caught the vessel and bent about fifteen feet of her starboard bulwarks inwards and twisted the iron stanchions out of alignment. Several members of the crew received minor injuries during the trip across, but no serious damage was done to the ship, although the passage was one of the worst that Captain Wyllie, master of the vessel, has met with in his many years’ experience of Tasman Sea crossings. Much of the Ulimaroa’s exceptionally large consignment of Australian fruit was stacked on the deck of the after portion of the vessel just above where the damage occurred, but very little of the fruit was damaged. There were just over 100 passengers on board. Heavy Weather on the Coast. Very heavy weather has been experienced all round the New Zealand coastline since last Friday, and many vessels have been delayed. The Opihi has been unable to leave New Plymouth since Saturday owing to the weather, while several vessels have been held up at Wanganui. At Westport the Komata, Kaimiro, and Kaponga have been bar-bound since Saturday owing to the strong south-westerly gale. The Gabriella, from Auckland, and Kaimai, from Wellington, both bound for Greymouth, were sheltering yesterday, while the Poolta, which left Wellington last Saturday for Dunedin, had not arrived there yesterday afternoon. She was due there under normal weather conditions on Monday morning. The Union Company’s Walnui, bound from Melbourne to Bluff, is 36 hours late. She was due there on Monday morning, but a wireless message received from the vessel yesterday stated that she had been delayed by a heavy south-westerly gale, and expected to reach Bluff at midnight last night. Tho New Zealand Shipping Company’s motor-liner Rangitane, en route from London and Southampton to Auckland, has also been delayed. She reported by wireless last Friday that she expected to reach Auckland this evening. Yesterday she again reported that she then expected to reach Auckland at 7 a.m. to-morrow. Her time of arrival, however, was not definite. as she was being delayed by heavy weather. BAY OF PLENTY STORM Coastal Vessels Buffeted ENGLISH LINER LATE Dominion Special Service. Auckland, August 4. Stormy weather in the Bay of Plenty on Sunday and yesterday caused the Union Company’s steamer Waimea to make the most prolonged trip of the four years she has been engaged in the,East Const cargo trade. The little vessel left Napier on Saturday evening, and did not reach Auckland until this morning. Although she was severely buffeted the ship was not damaged. Despite the stormy weather the Waimea was able to keep plugging into the gale, although at times she was logging little more than three knots. The time occupied by the Waimea in her battle against the storm was 56 hours. Under average weather conditions the steamer makes the trip in 49 hours. The Wingatui, which arrived from Wellington late last night, also encountered the storm, and her arrival was delayed by about twelve hours. A prolonged trip is being made by the Kamona, which left Wellington on Thursday evening. The vessel was passed by the Wingatui early on Sunday afternoon. The Knmona at that time had put about and was apparently running for shelter at Hicks Bay. Apparently stormy conditions are not confined to the coast, for the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Rangitane. which is bringing passengers, mails and cargo from London, also has been delayed. The vessel reported last week, that she would arrive to-morrow evening, but early this afternoon she advised that she was encountering adverse conditions, and that she could not make port before 7 a.m. on Thursday at the earliest. Cargo services on the west coast are still disorganised. A report from the signalman at Manukau Heads this morning said that the wind was still blowing hard from the west, and there was little likelihood that the bar would be workable. POOLTA DELAYED Voyage to Dunedin By Telegraph—Press Association Dunedin, August 5. The master of the Poolta, .which left Wellington on Saturday afternoon for Dunedin, sent a radio message stating that the vessel was being delayed by a heavy southerly gale. There was no sign of the Poolta early this evening. MANAWATU’S GALE ’ Conditions Improve Again Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North. August 4. The heavy gale that swept the Mnnawatu district yesterday continued this morning, nt times reaching a velocity of from 40 to 50 miles an hour. No damage except of a minor nature has teen reported. Aft<r noon the wind died down and the weather in the afternoon was calm and warmer. The month of July has been characterised as the worst on record for five yea rs. The barometer has been exceedingly unsteady and the rain and wind has been practically continuous. Rain fell in measurable quantities on twenty-three days during the mouth, recording a total fall of 4.37 in. The average temperature for the month was 43 10-31 degrees.