DAMAGED AT SEA

Evening Star, Issue 18669, 25 June 1924, Page 6

DAMAGED AT SEA

WAIHEMO RETURNS TO POST. A SEAMAN SEVERELY INJURED. The Waihomo, with a heavy list, to port, suggesting heavy weather experiences, steamed up to Fort Chalmers this morning. Her No. 2 hold was awash, and an ambulance was required to convey an injured seaman to the hospital. Last Saturday afternoon the Waihemo left Port Chalmers for Nauru Island via Newcastle. She had just come out of dry dock before sailing. In dock she had been repaired, rivets being put into ber bottom plating to take the place of bolts which had been inserted by divers when the steamer damaged her bottom by running aground at Newcastle. The temporary repairing effected by resort to bolts and nuts enabled the vessel to bring her cargo of coal to New Zealand. When it was discharged she went into dry dock for permanent repairs. On Sunday morning she struck very had weather. Moderate weather had prevailed after she left Port Chalmers the previous afternoon. She was clearing, Foveaux Strait, but had not made Puysegnr Point, when the storm struck her. Flying light as she was the gale shook her mercilessly. A heavy sea came up, and she wallowed in the trough of it. Having no cargo on board to impart stability to her towering ; structure, tho position became critical. Ineffectual attempts wore made to alter her course in order to clear the not very far distant rocky coastline against which the big waves were smashing themselves, flying ppray and churning foam. The propeller was partly out of the water because of the light draught, and was unable to exercise its driving force effectively. This put the vessel more at the mercy of the weather, and tho persistent endeavor to get. her out of the trough of tho rollers and , pat her head to it needed ranch patience I and ceaseless vigilance. | .As the hours passed slowly fhe condi-

linns did not improve. The wind changed, but it blew as fkrrcelv from the opposite direction, and the tension was relieved only temporarily. Again the wind changed its direction, lint it still blew fiercely. The sea was more confused. Late on Sunday afternoon further trouble came. A blinding flash of lighting exploded in the vicinitv of the funnel, and the (lanio of it ran along the M aerial ” of the ship’s wireless equipment. The vessel’s electric lighting system fused. • The men on deck at the time were almost blinded by tho lightning. Their eyes in some cases are still affected. Evontua'lv the, WaU'emo was headed back for Fovpanx Strait. About midday yesterday Don Broderick, a seaman from the West. Coast, fell down the hold, and was severely injured. He was convcved to the Dunedin Hospital after tho steamer’s arrival this morning. Tim Bluff was wirelessed yesterday for a tug to come out and land the injured man. As the tiwr did not appear the Waihemo kept on, and it was about 10 o’clock last night before she ran out, of the furious storm. On arrival this morning many people looked down No. 2 hold, where flooring boards were floating. The rolling and pitching of the vessel had smashed a lot, of the floating planking into dunnage wood. The reason for tho water lining in the hold was not, quite clear. Steps were immediately taken to repair the damaged bilge pnmp piping in order that the water in the hold might bo pumped nut. Tho extent and nature of the damage will be ascertained when the bold is; pumped dry.