VESSEL IN A GALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16624, 22 August 1917, Page 6

VESSEL IN A GALE.

EXCITING experiences.

ENGINEROOM TRIALS.

A large steamer which left New Zealand on the night the last easterly gale struck the coast of the Dominion met with an eventful experience. She encountered the full force of the gale, and was for three days buffeted about in the angry seas.

The vessel left port in the evening, and by 10 p.m. she was steaming acainst a stronc easterly gale. By ij a.m. the gale had increased to a hurricane, and a very high sea was running. During the height of the storm the sea found its way into the stokehold through the ash-ejecter, and washed a large quantity of coal and ashes under the stokehold plates. The pumps became choked, and soon the water rose above the plates and prevented the firemen from keeping up steam. Some of the fires were extinguished by the water, and the other fires became low owine to the firemen being unable to keep their feet. The steamer by this time had lost headway, and she continually fell into the trough of the sea. Fears were felt at times for the vessel's safety, as the water steadily rose in the stokehold, washing more coal and ashes into the bilges and pumps. After three days' hard work the crew and engineroom staff succeeded in clearing the pumps and petting the water out of the stokehold. After that steam was restored to full pressure, and the vessel proceeded on her voyage.