MARAMA'S STORMY TRIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17984, 9 January 1922, Page 4

MARAMA'S STORMY TRIP

BUFFETED IN TASMAN SEA. VESSEL'S SEVERE ORDEAL. STARTLING EXPERIENCES. The stormy voyage experienced in the Taßman Sea by the steamer Marama, which arrived at Wellington from Sydney early on Friday morning, was as severe as her commander, Captain B. M. Aldwell can remember having gone through in the past 29 years. The voyage occupied six days and 11 hours as against the usual period of slightly under four days. The Marama left Sydney at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 30, and ran into a fresh gale when about sii hours out. A high head sea came up, which caused the vessel to labour heavily and ship water fore and aft. On the following day the wind continuously increased in violence, and by night it was blowing a strong gale. On Sunday morning the wind had attained hurricane force, with a high, confused sea, and the steamer was nove to. At about 2.30 a.m. a heavy sea leapt aboard on the starboard side, which shattered four big square ports towards the after-end, and flooded out four first saloon cabins.

Seas Shipped In Kid-night Hurricane. One lady passenger waa practically washed out of her berth, but was uninjured. The door of her cabin, which is right inside the ship, was badly smashed by the water that came in through the port. Another sea ripped portions of the wooden casing that guards the electric wiring overhead on the starboard outer deck. Two life-boat covers were torn away, a number of wind screens _ were blown to pieces, and part of the wireless telegraphy gear was carried away. A tremendous sea smashed a window in one of the cabins on the main deck, breaking the pane, tearing away the woodwork, and shattering a mirror in the cabin door. Several heavy squalta struck the vessel, and a very high confused sea was running. By 8 p.m. the gale was exceptionally fierce, and was accompanied by torrents of blinding rain and mountainous seas. By midnight a hurricane was raging and the vessel shipped water fore and aft. During the night several ports in the starboard alleyway were smashed, and some of the passenger accommodation was flooded. The passengers in the flooded cabins were removed to the music room above. Steamex In Direct Path of Storm. On January 2, during the day, the gale moderated somewhat, but it rased through the night with fierce squalls, heavy rain, and high seas. About noon on the following day came the worst part of the voyage, when the ship appeared to be in the centre of a cyclonic disturbance and heavy cross seas made navigation difficult. The indications were that the ship had been in the direct path of the storm, with the centre slowly overtaking ber. The same night there was a dangerous cross-sea, but the gale was moderating steadily. By Wednesday afternoon the wind had taken of! considerably, and the weather cleared gradually until on Thursday night beautifully fine conditions prevailed and continued till Wellington was reached.

On Wednesday morning the ship's storekeeper, M. T. Cronan, was thrown down on the saloon deck through the tossing of the vessel and received a cut on the nose and 3 bruised back. A steward named Houßegow was also thrown down and received a cut on one of his lega.

Gratefiil Passengers Present Address Apart from these personal injuries very little material damage was done beyond the flattening of odd ventilators, the breaking of a few ports, and the .flooding of cabins. '

During the gale Captain Aldwell frequently went among all classes of the passengers allaying the alarm' of some and seeing that they were not suffering any discomfort. The stewards' department had a strenuous time working at all hours, mopping up the water that rushed along the alkyffays, which was nearly knee-deep in some cf tie cabins. The gratitude of the passengers for the manner in which all sections of the ship's company, from the master downwards, worked under most trying cimimstances, was expressed in an address presented to Captain AldwelL In expressing thanks Captain Aldwell said that it was the most continuous and hardest gale he had experienced in his 29 years' service. The Ulimaroa, which also arrived at Wellington on Friday, though leaving Sydney one day later than the Marama, exptriencec' bad weather, though she missed the full force of the storm.