PORT AT LAST

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 51, 4 March 1929, Page 10

PORT AT LAST

ARAFURA ARRIVES

THRILLING EXPERIENCES

i United Press Association—By Electric Telr erapb—Copyright. < , (Received 4th March, '2 p.m.)

BRISBANE, This Day.

The disabled steamer Arafura, in tow of the tug Forceful, reached Brisbane yesterday.

Thrilling stories of the Arafura's experiences in a cyclone were told by passengers, who paid a tribute to the wonderful work of the ship's officers and crew. Miss Ellison said that the •waves looked just like Alps, and she ■was unable to see the horizon for the giant walls of water. Although the passengers were calm, none expected to see land again. "Wo did not take our clothes off for thirty-six hours," she said.

According to F. Taylor, the Arafura first doveloped troublo in the China Sea, where the vessel struck a submerged object and lost a propeller blade. Another blade was lost near Townsville. The cyclone brought down the wireless aerial, and although the wind reached a velocity of seventy miles an hour, the Chinese 'sailors climbed the mast and repaired the damage under indescribable difficulties. During Thursday night the Corihga's steering gear failed, and she cut the towline. Huge breakqrs raked the tug Forceful, which took the disabled vessel in tow on Friday morning. Commander Gordon, of - tho Arafura, emphasised that it should be compulsory for every ship to be provided with « direction finder, so that vessels iv a fiuiilar plight would be ablo to find their exact position. The Arafura will bo towed to Sydney for permanent repairs. The cargo steamer Baralba, which also struck the full force of the cyclone, reached Brisbane on Saturday.