ARAFURA ARRIVES

Northern Advocate, 5 March 1929, Page 5

ARAFURA ARRIVES

BATTLE WITH CYCLONE.

AWESOME EXPERIENCES,

WAVES LOOKED LIKE ALPS,

(Australian Press Association.) (Received 12.20 pan.) BRISBANE, March 4. The Arafura, towed by the tug Forceful, arrived in port yesterday. Thrilling stories of- the Arafura's experiences in the cyclone are told by passengers, who paid a tribute to the wonderful work of the ship's officers and crew. Miss Ellison said that the waves looked just like the AlJjs, and she was unable to see the horizon for the giant walls of water. [ Although the passengers were calm, 1 none expected to see land again. She added: “We did not take our clothes off for 36 hours." According to Mr F. Taylor, the Arafura first developed trouble in the I China Sea, where the vessel struck a submerged object and lost a propeller blade. Another blade was lost near Townsville. ..The cyclone brought down the wireless aerial, and although the wind reached a velocity of 70 miles an hour the Chinese sailors, climbed the mast and repaired the damage under indescribable difficulties. During Thursday night the tug Doringa’s steering gear fouled and she cut the towline. Huge breakers raked the tug Forceful, which took *the disabled vessel in tow on Friday morning. Commander Gordon, of the Arafura, emphasised that it should be compulsory for ev.ery ship to toe provided with a direction-finder, so that vessels in similar plight would be able to find their exact position. The Arafura is to bo towed to Sydney for permanent repairs. The cargo steamer Baralba, which also struck the full force of the cyclone, reached Brisbane on Saturday.