TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13875, 8 October 1908, Page 5

TEMPESTUOUS VOYAGES.

SELWYN CRAIG IN A GALE. SWEPT BY TERRIFIC SEAS. Tire barquentino Selwyn Craig, Captain H. Smith, which arrived at Auckland shortly after one p.m. yesterday from Newcastle, met with terrible weather on the passage. The barquentino sailed from Newcastle on September 24 with a full cargo of coal for this port, and encountered -rong westerly winds and high saae for the first three days. On the following day (September 27) the wind shifts! to the northeast-, and blew with hurricane force. Huge i seas swept over the vessel, and for a irhole week her decks were completely under water. The gale, however, was at its worst cn the night of September 27, when tremendous sear broke aboard. Rain came ('nvu in torrents, and lightning and thunder prevailed for four hours. The ship had an j awful bat tie with the dements. When I daylight dawned it was discovered that i the main etaysa.il had been completely blown away, while three other head sails were more or less damaged by the wind. "It was a terrible night," said the first mate of the barquentino, in relating his experience to a Herald representative. "I have been at sea. for over 22 years, but i have never in all my life gone through such an ordeal. At times we did not know whether we were on board the barquentine or iu the sea itself, owiug to the water washing all round about us. It was pitch dark, but now and again we would get a glimpse of the vessel when a flash of lightning occurred. *' The barquentino behaved splendidly md came through the weather as well as could be expected in the circumstances. Strange to say, there was no further damage done beyond that already mentioned. The Selwyn Craig berthed, at the Railway Wharf yesterday afternoon to diecharge her cargo. DAMAGE TO THE MOERAKI. TWO MEN INJURED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PBKSS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington-, Wednesday. The Moeraki met with rough weather on Tuesday while voyaging from Sydney to Wellington. A heavy sea cam- on board and fell oil some steerage passengers, one of whom, W. G. Brown, booked to Lyttelton, was swept along the deck and squeezed partly through the railings. He was badly injured on the forehead and sustained several bruises. • A steward named Harwood was thrown along the deck and had one of his wrists broken, besides being bruised. He is confined to his bunk. About 40ft of the Moeraki's railing wae carried away.