BUFFETED BY WAVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20255, 15 May 1929, Page 12

BUFFETED BY WAVES.

- TOFUA'S ROUGH VOYAGE. HEAVY SEAS CAUSE DAMAGE. WATER SWEEPS ACROSS DECKS. After battling with a fierce cyclone for three days the Union Company's steamer Tofua arrived from the Islands yesterday, 24; hours behind her schedule. So bad was the weather that the vessel was hove-to for over 24 hours, from Sunday night until late on Monday night. Huge seas which swept over her carried away two after companionways, smashed on after lifeboat up on the boat deck and created other damage. The Tofua left Suva at two o'clock on Thursday afternoon, and moderate weather prevailed until Saturday evening. By midnight an easterly wind had increased to hurricane force and tremendous seas buffeted the vessel. The violence of the storm increased through the night and all day Sunday, until at 5 p.m. on Sunday the vessel was hove-to. Until la'te the following night the ship was tossed by the storm, and as the weather showed signs of abating slow progress was made to Auckland. For over an hour on Sunday afternoon the Tofua was bereft of her means of wireless communication. In a particularly severe squall the wireless aerial running between the two masts carried away. Working under trying conditions the wireless staff restored it to usefulness. Wireless Carried Away. Some' idea of the force of the water which swept aboard may be gathered from the fact that about 40ft. of the wooden casing for the telegraph wires running from the bridge to the engine room was carried away. This lining runs along the roof of the first deck. The damage, fortunately, did not interfere with the effectiveness of the telegraph, although when the vessel arrived yesterday the wires' were all twisted and detached. The after companionways were wrench-ad from the lails as if they had been so much matchwood. The steps themselves are in good condition and should be replaced without great difficulty. In spite of the fact that the ship was severely tossed little damage resulted to the large number of cases of bananas carried in the after hold. A few cases were dislodged and smashed, but the actual damage is almost negligible. Other damage to the ship was the carrying away of a derrick guy and the smashing of a few portholes. Tables Thrown Over. Some firemen who were having tea in their small messroom on Sunday evening had an unenviable experience. An unusually heavy sea struck the ship and upset the tables, throwing the men against the side of the ship. Water also poured in through the portholes drenching everybody and everything. Although some of the firemen were thrown heavily none was injured. Crockery on the tables was smashed.

The 46 first and third class passengers suffered comparatively little inconvenience. Water penetrated to some of the cabins,, but the mischief done was not great. At the height of the storm the smokeroom was drenched, but it was soon dried. There were no injuries, and all spoke well of the seaworthiness of the ship.

The anxiety of the master, Captain D. McDonald, and his officers would have been lightened if they had been able to secure weather reports from other vessels. However, there were no other vessels in the vicinity. The officers of the Tofua are of opinion that tho ship was in the centre of the cyclone, which apparently caught her up.