BATTERED BY GALE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12521, 5 April 1935, Page 7

BATTERED BY GALE

ON HURUNTJI, IIJSsN DAYS IN ATLANTIC HURRICANE; enormous SEAS SWEEP LINER (Press ilßsnera<J«vi« \ AUCKLAND, April 4. %• 10 dal's’ during' 'her' voyage fs the Atlantic en route from Liverpool to New Zealand the cargo steamer Jturuuui was battered by a fierce hurricane. The vessel arrived at Auckland yesterday morning, anchoring °fi Motuihi to discharge explosives. Although it is over a month since the storm was experienced, the Huru•jiui still bears traces of the damage caused by the pounding of the mountainous spas. In the same storm the small British steamer Blairgowrie, which was about 100' miles to the eastward of the Ilurunu', was lost with all hands. “I never hope to experience another storm like it,” said one of the officers on, the Tlur.unui. f ‘Seas actually swept over the bridge, which is normally 45ft above water. The bows of the ship would rise to an immense green-grey barrier. of 'water and for seconds it would appear that she would slip hack. Suddenly slio would slide forward' and then bury her -lidso deep into the next huge wave. IVu lm<l 10 days of that practically, without . a let up, making at the most about SO or 90 miles a day It was a genuine relief to get into calm weather again.’ ’ When the storm was at its height for two or three days -the ship's speed was only from two to four knots. One sea crashing ever the. starboard bow stove in and carried away the wooden apron on the starboard side of the bridge deck. Later two .of the ship’s lifeboats, on the starboard side had their woodwork smashed by another gigantic wave. Some idea of the fury of the storm ”cun be gained from the. fact, that both dike lxmtdeck and bridge deck are over 3Qffc above the waterline. The crew V quarters aft were rendered uninhabitable through being' flooded. Seamen and firemen had to seek other accommodation, some of thorn sleeping in the engine room. Officers and men were kept, almost continuously at work attending to items of minor damage and keeping the decks clear as much as possible. It was no uncommon thing for the seas to break over the bridge deck. Oil one occasion the fourth officer who wa.s on watch, was thrown off his feet by a torrent of water sweeping over the bridge rail. He was not seriously hurt. Others on beard suffered minor injuries during the storm. On February- 26 S.O.g. signals from tho' Blairgowie were picked', up by wireless. ■• It was learned that tiie German liner Europe and' other vessehyjiearor the Blairgowie were ensdistress signals, but the llurunui was about. 100 miles away and in such weather was powerless to render any assistance. The Blairgowie which was bound from Swansea to Boston was lost with her entire crew, numbering 26.