RAN INTO STORM

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 57, 8 March 1932, Page 9

RAN INTO STORM

AORAXGI HOVE-TO

PASSENGERS DAY LATE

NOTABLE ARRIVALS

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day

The Eoyal Mail liner Aorangi, which was to have arrived from Sydney at 6 a.m. yesterday, ran into a severe cyclonic gale 80 miles from port, and did not drop anchor in the harbour until shortly before 11 p.m., 17 hours late. She was obliged owing to stormy weather and bad visibility to heave-to for about ten hours when she was 20 miles north of Mokohmau Island.

She suffered no structural damage, but the passengers, numbering 230, had an unpleasant experience. Owing to her late arrival the liner was not granted pratique till to-day, and the passengers remained on board for the night. A number who had intended joining the expresses for Wellington were obliged to postpone their departure until this evening. The Aorangi brought' rfany notable passengers, including Mr. O. H. Fagge, vice-president of the Eoyal College of Surgeons, England, and senior surgeon at Guy's Hospital, London, who is to be the principal visiting delegate to the annual conference of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association. He will officially represent headquarters at the conference. Owing to the late arrival of the liner,he was unable to attend the welcome to delegates by the Mayor last evening. Another delegate to the Medical Conference who missed the initial proceedings was Dr. J. A. Doctor, of Wellington, who returned by the liner from Sydney. He is to deliver a paper to the opthalmology section of the conference.

Other passengers landing at Auckland are the Hon. J. P. Jones, Minister of Public Works in the Victorian Cabinet, Mr. T. Lodge, representative of Great Britain on the Pacific Phosphate Commission, Mr. A. F. Ellis, New Zealand representative on the Commission, and Mr. J. C. Blair, a director of the Vacuum Oil Company.