TERRIFIC CYCLONE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 78, 14 March 1933, Page 6

TERRIFIC CYCLONE

ON QUEENSLAND COAST TRAMP STEAMER IN DISTRESS. REPORTED TO BE SINKING Sydney, March 13. The Japanese tramp steamer Kiusen Maru was caught in a cyclone and is repored to be sinking 590 miles east of Townsville. There is 15 feet of water in the engine room. The final SOS described the plight as very dangerous and stated: “Come quickly to our rescue.’’ Several vessels received the distress signals, the nearest being the Norwegian motorship Talleyrand, which is 280 miles away. She is racing with all speed to the scene, but docs not expect to reach the Kinsen Maru until noon to-morrow. A terrific cyclone v.as been operating for a week off the Queensland coast. The vessel has a full cargo of wheat, shipped at A-lclailc, and was en route to Yokohama. She was formerly a German freighter and was seized in Australian waters at the outbreak of the War, being afterwards sold to Japan. MARAMA TEN HOUBS LATB. HEAVY WEATHER AND DENttB FOG. Auckland, March 13. Continuous heavy weather and dense fog off the coast of New Zealand delayed for 10 hours the arrival of the Marama from Sydney. Conditions were described as “dirty’’ the whole of the way over. Strong easterly head winds were encountered as soon as the steamer was outside the Sydney Heads, and they were maintained unceasingly until New Zealand was approached. A wireless message was then sent to shore intimating that the vessel’s arrival would be delayed seven hours. At about 4 p.m. on Sunday, however, the Marama ran into a thick fog and rain, which blotted out all sign of land. Every attempt to pick up the coast in the neighbourhood of Cape Maria van Diemen and the Three Kings failed, and as the fog became denser resort was made to sounding.

“It was impossible to see more than a yard in front of your nose at times,’’ said an officer. A special watch was kept from the steamer’s bow, and some of the officers had no sleep for 30 hours. The fog persisted all to-day until the vessel reached the neighbourhood of Cape Brett, adding a further throe hours to her delay.