WHERE WINDS BLOW HURRICANE FORCE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6544, 28 February 1928, Page 8

WHERE WINDS BLOW HURRICANE FORCE

Surprise IslandMarvel of Nature COEAL KEEP, PALM TKBES AND GUANO (“Times’* Special.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. A taste of hurricane .weather in the Pacific was experienced by the crew of the Union Company’s steamer Kanna whi6h arrived at Auckland on Saturday morning with a cargo of guano from Surprise and AValpolo Islands. Tho Kanna left Auckland on January 21 and after calling at Noumea to land case oil and livestock continued her voyage to Surprise Island to commence loading for New Zealand. She reached the Island on February 2. Surprise Island deserves its name. Tho officers of the Kanna declare it is merely a coral reef on which bird droppings have accumulated until tho centre of tho island is about 15 foot above sea level. But for the few palm trees growing on it, the Island would bo invisible even at quite close range. To load her cargo the Kanna was made fast to permanent moorings some distance off. shore and the guano was brought out in lighters whence the Kanaka labourers carried it in small baskets to pour it into the hold. All the work is done by recruited labour, the only white people on the island being the overseer and his wife. By February 8 a considerable amount of cargo had been loaded by this primitive means hut operations were interrupted by a fierce hurricane at four o’clock in tho afternoon. Tho wind began to increase in force and all the indications pointed to a severe blow. Tho anchorage is too near the shore to be safe in stormy weather so the Kanna quickly unshackled her moorings and stood out to sea.. Tho ship was well out before tho full fury of the storm caught her and with plenty of sea room, she was able to heave to and wait for the weather to moderaty. For five days she lay head to -sea quite safe but most uncomfortable. With tho return of fine weather she returned to the island and the officers were astonished to find that the coastline had been quite altered by tho fury of the waves which had beaten at it Of the 50 acres which comprises the whole area of the island quite a piece had been washed away, the foreshore having retreated some fourteen feet. No other damage was done although the island is so low that it is conceivable that during tho height of the storm the spray and spume would fly right over it. i Back at the moorings the Kanna ; continued to fill up rapidly as the | cargo was poured into her and on Febj ruary 15 she left tho lonely little speck | for.the larger island of Walpole. The I sea was still running high' as a result 1 of the storm but tho remainder of the voyage was uneventful. After complct- ■ ing her cargo at Walpole Island the; Kanna sailed on February 19 for Aucki land calling at Noumea for a few hours | on the 20th.