STORMY WEATHER

Grey River Argus, 12 September 1935, Page 5

STORMY WEATHER

In Most Parts VESSELS’ ROUGH PASSAGES. (Per press Association^’. CHRISTCHURCH, September 11. Wai.owing throughout the night in fierce seas thrown up by a full southerly gale, the inler-Is. and steamer Mauri°arrived at Lyttelton three hours late, this morning, with most of , her 130 passengers showing the effect's of what, was the roughest passage the ferry has had this year. After leaving Wellington, speed was reduced to fourteen knots in Cook Strait, where tire worst seas were ®n countered, and this speed was later reduced to thirteen knots, so as to enable the seamen to cover the ven-, u ators and lash down moveable gear, which was in danger of being swept overboard. Twisted railings on the top deck showed the effect of a monster sea which, about 10 p.m. swept over the vessel from stem to stern, covering even t. e bridge. On the_ port side, deck cabins were flooded hinged gratings were torn from the deck, and two heavy seats were swept overboard, after being ripped from their fastenings. The wave which carried them away bore them the full length of ’lie deek and dashed them against the lateral railings, twisted these back to the bulwarks rails/ and then lifted the seats over board, just clear of two care which were secured on the forward deck. Had the seats struck the cars it is possible that they, too. might have bee n swept away. The same wave shifted heavy boxes of lifeboat gear secured on the boat-deck. Passengers who had fal en asleep were awakened by the crash of tons of water against their cabin doors >ome of which were violently swung back off their hooks, allowing floods up to a foot deep to invade one or two cabins. TAMAHINE DAMAGED. WELLINGTON, September 11. Sonny weather in and aoout Cook Strait has delayed the small eoastai shipping. The steamer-express Rangatira arrived on time after a rough passage. The Breeze arrived last night from Wanganui. Nothing untoward is reported except in the case of the Tamahine, which arrived at 8.15 last night from Picton. The crossing was very rough and the Tamahine struck trouble after entering the Terawhiti rip. Twelve feet of her bulwarks forward were stove in. On the starboard side, the sounding pawl was smashed and three glass ports with their iron work were also stove in. Most of the damage was done by a heavy sea shipped off Karori Rock. A passenger, H. McNab, was thrown across the smoking room and injured a thigh. He was admitted to fhe hospital on arrival at Wellington.