STEAMER DAMAGED

Northern Advocate, 19 August 1935, Page 7

STEAMER DAMAGED

SEAS SMASH VESSEL. A ROUGH EXPERIENCE. [Special to "Northern Advocate/’Z AUCKLAND, This Day. A severe westerly storm on Saturday struck the Shaw Savill and Albion steamer Fordsdale, when she was approaching New Zealand. The vessel, which arrived from Liverpool yesterday afternoon, was severely damaged by high seas which swept over her. A horse-box which was lashed on the after deck, and contained a valuable pedigree Clydesdale stallion, was smashed, and the horse narrowly escaped injury. The sailors had a dangerous and difficult task covering the broken woodwork of the box with tarpaulins to give the animal as much protection as was possible from the flying spray and heavy rain. Owing to the steamer rolling heavily in the high seas, it was impossible to remove the horse to any other part of the vessel, as the animal was shod, and could not have walked along the sloping iron deck without falling. Two steel ventilators leading to the engine room were broken off, and the cowls from some of the forward ventilators were torn adrift. The glass port in the boatswain’s cabin was smashed, and the cabin flooded when the sea penetrated the open porthole. As the vessel rolled, an exceptionally high wave struck the boat deck, and lifted two heavy lifeboats out of the chpcks on the starboard side of the deck, which is about 40 feet above the waterline. About 6 o’clock on Saturday evening, another heavy sea smashed the horse box, and the vessel’s course had to be altered to make the starboard side the lee side, while the sailors were relashing and covering the horse's shelter.