ADRIFT IN CYCLONE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 8, 9 July 1935, Page 9

ADRIFT IN CYCLONE

STEAMER MAHENO

BEING DRIVEN TOWARDS LAND

TOW-LINE BEEAKS

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. ( (Received July 8, 10 a.m.) : SYDNEY, This Day. The steamer Maheno, which left on July 3 for Japan, to be broken up, carrying a crew of eight, is drifting helplessly in a cyclone off the Queensland coast. As her propellers have been removed the vessel is little better than a derelict. She was last reported sixty miles south-east of Sandy Cape, and was being driven towards land by terrific seas. The steamer Oonah, which is also to be broken up in Japan and left towing the Maheno, stood by all yesterday afternoon, but late last night a wireless message stated that something had gone wrong with her steering gear. The Oonah has a complement of thirty-one, and is heavily laden and difficult to manoevre. It seems that the tow-line broke early yesterday afternoon and that all attempts to pick it up failed. Shore stations and other ships are having difficulty in keeping in touch with the Oonah.. Her wireless operator is a Japanese, and atmospherics are very bad. Intensification of the cyclone is forecast by the Weather Bureau. ' In response to urgent messages from the master of the Oonah late last night, a powerful tug will leave Brisbane early this morning and will attempt to take the Maheno in tow.