SHIP COMES THROUGH WEST INDIAN HURRICANE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6815, 19 January 1929, Page 7

SHIP COMES THROUGH WEST INDIAN HURRICANE

Arab Firemen Pray to Allah

KILCREDANE ARRIVES AT AUCKLAND WEDNESDAY When the greatest hurricane of all time swept through the West Indes last September, few vessels that were in its path survived. One of the lucky ones was the steamer Kilcredane (Captain F. W. Kirk) which arrived at, Auckland on Wednesday morning with a cargo' of phosphate from Morocco. When the Kilcredane encountered the hurricane she was en route from Makatea to Helsingfors. The hurricane threatened shortly after the vessel left Colon, and by the time Ivey West was reached, most of the vessels in those seas were already making for shelter. About 30 steamers of all nations were huddled in Ivey West harbour, but Captain Kirk decided to carry on. Seas as High as Mast. On Sunday, September 16, in the Florida Straits, the Kilcredane was struck by one of the most terrific winds

over recorded. The hurricane, then 'travelling on a north-west course, had already devastated Costa Rica and the neighbouring islands without losing any of its force. The wind blew upon the labouring vessel from every point of the compass, raising a confused s'es that lifted vertically as high as the masthead ,and then dropped upon the deck hundreds of tons of water. Two lifeboats were smashed and one was washed away, and ventilators and deck fittings followed it over the side.

Panic-stricken* the Arab lire men rushed up on deck, and there, kneeling nc-ck-deep in the swirling water, prayed to Allah to save them, until the exasperated mate, fearing that they would be washed over .just at a time when they were needed, drove them all below. Cargo Shifted by Stonn. Owing to the continued rolling and pitching of the vessel, the phosphate cargo shifted, giving her a list of 15 degrees. Even in the best of trim, it would have been folly to have remained in the path of the.hurricane, so Captain Kirk headed his vessel southward and ran. As it was, the centre of the hurricane passed only 30 miles away, and at that distance the Kileredane’s barometer fell to 28.3(3 inches, while the velocity of the wind was 138 miles per hour. At 10 o’clock on the Sunday night Captain Kirk put his vessel once more

on her original course. The storm was still raging, but, having avoided the centre, he hoped that he would soon reach better weather. On the following day, however, he found the hurricane once more ahead. After sweeping up the Florida coast, damaging Miami and Palm Beach on its way, it had swerved eastward.

Beset a Second Time. Again the Kilcredane .was beset by a terrific gale, but by this time everything moveable had disappeared, and no more damage was done. All Monday night the vessel lay buried under mountainous seas, hove to . until the hurricane should pass. At 2 a.m. on Tuesday the centre of the hurricane was ahead, 200 miles away, and Captain Kirk announced to his exhausted company that the worst was over. Even thou winds of gale force, with high seas, were experienced all the way to Norfolk, Virginia.

The Kilcredane’s course took her close to the devastated coast, and the still violent sea bore all sorts of litter significant of the tragedy,’; " 4; At Norfolk the Kilcredane .bunkered,' but before resting her tired crew had first to repair the damage and trim the ship. Even after leaving Norfolk (r?Te vessel found a heavy swoll running right across the Atlantic as a result of the hurricane. (■ ■:

After discharging her cargo the Kileredane went to Genoa and thence to

Casablanca to load for New Zealand. She left Casablanca on Novemtber 26, and though for a great part of the voyage she was retracing her steps, this time she had fine weather all the way. Although now owned by the Limerick Steamship Company, the Kilcredane was originally built by Arm-strong,-Whitworth in 3911 for the Russians, and under the name of Mogifefl was for many years a unit of the Volunteer Service, carrying troops and immigrants. She is 6180 tons gross.