TAINUI IN STORM

Evening Star, Issue 20556, 7 August 1930, Page 10

TAINUI IN STORM

TERRIFIC BATTLE WITH CYCLONE FIRST OFFICER LOST OVERBOARD FIVE OF CEEW INJURED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, August 6. (Received August 7, at 10.20 a.m.) , A terrific three days’ ,hattlo with a cyclone, in which the steamer Tainui lost her first officer overboard and had five o£ her crew injured, was revealed when the battered vessel .berthed at London. Captain Hogg said that the vessel carried sixty-seven passengers and ' a cargo of butter and meat. When six days out from Auckland, off Pitcairn Island, the ship encountered a tremendous cyclone, which by the morning of July 4 had its centre astern, causing mountainous seas—many of which were shipped throughout the day. The two worst flooded the engineers’ quarters and lifted off a refrigerator pipe. Enormous seas ; were shipped at 10.30 that night and washed away the chief officer, Mr Seddall. “When it cleared off,” said Captain Hogg, “we were able to take stock, and found that Mr Seddall was missing and that five of the crew; were injured, one with a broken arm. The sea stoye in number three hatch, breaking pipes and doing other damage. It was considered too dangerous to round ship in view of the seas then running, apart from the darkness. In fact, Mr Seddall by then was three’miles astern. Mr Baker, the second officer, and the crew, repaired the damaged hatch. Terrific aeas continued, tossing the vessel like drift 'wood, and the wind was blowing at ninety miles an hour. There were times when I thought the end. had come. A terrific sea at 5.30 on the morning of July 5 smashed in the steerage door, flooding the thirdclass, after which the weather moderated.”

The missing officer commanded a mine sweeper in war time, and was thrice blown up., The Rotorua, which was some miles distant from the Tainui, was also damaged, and three of her crew were injured.

[The Tainui left Auckland on the morning of June 28 Tor London, carrying a quantity of general cargo. She is a steamer of 9,965 gross tons.]