ROUGH TRIP.

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 90, 16 April 1923, Page 8

ROUGH TRIP.

HURRICANE AT SEA

DORSET SEVERELY BUFFETED.

The liner Dorset, which dropped anchor in the stream at Wellington at 11 o'clock last evening, from Southampton and London, via Panama, reported having experienced a violent hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, which seriously retarded the steamer's passage and did minor material damage to the ship. The Dorset sailed from Southampton on the afternoon of the 19th February with a large cargo ahd 215 third-class passengers for Wellington. After leaving the English Channel the vessel experienced exceptionally heavy weather for the next ten days, a succession •of westerly, gales,' accompanied by abnormally high seas. For several days the passengers were unable to go on deck for fear of being washed overboard. During the first twenty-four hours out a strong wind with occasional heavy squalls increased iD violence till a heavy gale was blowing, and .on. the,night of the 23rd February a violent cyclonic hurricane was encountered, which at times attained a velocity of over 100 miles an hour. The vessel laboured head-on to the hurricane, and for three days was continually being hove-to. The huge seas swept across the deck from both sides of the ship, washing away about 50 feet of side rails, and carrying away the screens on the "boat deck. Fortunately the hatches and skylights held, and the water was prevented from making its way below. When conditions were at their worst the liner had little more than steering way on, and from noon on the 23rd February to noon on the 24th February logged only 44 miles. Conditions abated somewhat on the 25th, when she steamed 123 miles, but on the 26th the storm increased again and she travelled only 55 miles, and the following day made 91 miles. On the 28th she made 137 miles, and from then the weather became more favourable.

The vessel's best run for 24 hours during the voyage was 270 miles.

Fine weather was met with after passing the Azores, and this continued during the remainder -of the 'passage to Panama Canal, which was reached on 16th March The passage through' the Panama Canal was made next day, and departure taken from Panama the same evening. The unusual sight of the entire American Fleet was witnessed lying at anchor in Panama Bay, being reviewed by the American naval authorities.

A brief stay was made at Pitcairn on Ist April to land a mail, the islanders visiting the ship and bringing off fruit and curios, which were soon disposed of amongst the passengers and crew. The remainder of the passage to Wellington was made under. average weather conditions until within a week 6f the New Zealand coast, when heavy westerly weather was encountered, which moderated a few days before arrival. TAINTJI SUCCOURS DISTRESSED CREW. The Shaw, Savill liner Tainui, which sailed from Southampton on the Bth March, and also arrived at Wellington this morning, experienced westerly winds and a rough sea in the Atlantic Ocean for a week, and then me* with fins weather for the remainder of the -royage. I Three days out from Balboa, Latitude 2.13 s., Longitude 90.32 w., the schooner Napo, of Guayaquil, Ecuador, was sighted by the Tainui, flying signals of distress. She reported that provisions had gone bad, and having on board 36' souls, : including passengers and crew of another ' small sailing vessel, wrecked on the GalaI pagos Islands, ample provisions were I sent to the schooner to enable her to complete her voyage. The Dorset brought 205, and the Tainui 196 immigrants. Their destinations i-were as follow:—Per Dorset: Auckland, : 70; New Plymouth, 14; Wanganui, 8; ! Gisborne, 2; Napier, 8; Wellington, 42; Nekon, 1; Westport, 14; Lyttelton, 25; Timaru, 1; Dunedin, 8; Bluff, 6; indefinite, 5. Per Tainui: Auckland, 60; New Plymouth, 6; Gisborne, 3; Napier, 7; Wellington, 42; Picton, .1; Nelsou, 1; Westport, 5; Greymouth, 1; Lyttelton, 26; Timaru,'2; Dunedin, 2; Bluff, 3. There were also 3? domestic*. ,