MONOWAI IN CYCLONE

Evening Star, Issue 21638, 6 February 1934, Page 9

MONOWAI IN CYCLONE

SEAS BREAK RIGHT OVER SHIP MINOR DAMAGE OH DECK Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. WELLINGTON, February 6. Leaving Sydney Heads at 8 p.m. on Friday, the Monowai, with 313 passengers, ran into a cyclone. Her departure had already been delayed on account of a cyclone raging along the coast, and the centre of the disturbance was passing to the north when she left. Outside the Heads a full gale from south-south-west was blowing, with tremendous seas and a very heavy swell, so that tho passengers had to spend most of the time below decks. For the following twenty-four hours they had an unenviable experience, and" at the peak of the storm in the early hours of the morning the seas were breaking right over the ship from the starboard side. One smashed the windows of two berths on deck and three windows of the first-class smoking room. The occupants of tho berths were rudely awakened to find everything soaked, and 2ft of water on the floors. Other slight damage was done, and speed was reduced till the ship ran out of the bad weather at midnight on Saturday. Even with these delays the Monowai bad to reduce speed so as not to arrive before 7 this morning. Had she not been delayed at the beginning of the voyage, she would have got here yesterday afternoon.