EXCITING VOYAGE

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 129, 3 June 1920, Page 5

EXCITING VOYAGE

; ■■■■;;- '■-■• ■ ■;■ .■• • STEERINGi .GEA^-''lXAMA;dEa^'';. ■-.••-..: fPREBS ASSOaUTTON.I . ■!. • -■-GHRiSTCHURCHjJune 3. The Union Company's cargo steamer Waitomo had an exciting voyage from .Geelong to Lyttelton.. The vessel left.- ; Getilong on Mondayj'P^Ea:y 24th, and had fine weather. unt>il. Wednesday,/' when it .'Commenced to blow, and on Thursday increased to a fierce gale from; the south and south-west, accompanied by heavy seas, v • .-■:■ ■ - '•' •• '••'-,-. •

Early on Friday morning the steering chain broke', and all hands were ordered aft to assist in securing and down the rudder quadrant, which,was idonerifter considerable difficulty, land an attempt was njade to ship handsteering gearv ;; 'i • - , \

■While this : ofjer«ation Avas' in progress the quadrant 'carried ' aAvay, and the ;connecting-shaft to the handsteering gear also broke. The only course 'leftl was*'to 'repair' the ibroken chain, and for three hours in' the pitch darkness several., deck aoid engineer officers struggled; to splice the chain with, a steel .hawser, all/the time the vessel rolling ""heavily- and shipping^ tremeii.dgus seas. -The men avere, working Avajst T deep in-.water. On Saturday morning No. 2 hatch burst open, and one "of the battens Avas hurled eight ■' feet in the air, landing on two derricks, and iit Avas some time before it AV-as'found; The weather eased on Surtday, and Monday Avas fine. • :