FIONA ASHORE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21972, 1 December 1934, Page 11

FIONA ASHORE

TOTAL LOSS FEARED

PORT MELBOURNE LOCALITY SEVERE VICTORIAN STORMS GENERAL FLOODS EXPECTED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December j. 1.15 a.m.) MELBOURNE. Nov. 30 With the exception of the Wimmera and Mallee areas, the whole of Victoria for the past 24 hours has been swept by the most violent storms, and serious general floods are expected. The Colonial Sugar Refining Company's freighter Fiona went aground off Port Melbourne. It is feared she may become a total loss. Shipping in Port Phillip Bay and along the coast experienced the worst buffeting for years. Crops have been levelled. Some main roads are impassable. Railway traffic is disorganised by washouts and landslides. The metropolitan area was deluged.

The Fiona is a semi-tanker, built in Dundee, Scotland, by the Caledon Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, and launched on March 22 last year. She is owned by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Limited, for which she was built, and replaced the company's old Fiona, which was a larger vessel and which was sold previously to Eastern buyers. In addition to self-trimming holds, the Fiona has tanks capable of holding 2000 tons of molasses. Her deadweight carrying capacity is 3484 tons and she is 2&3 ft. in length with a 44ft. beam. On her present voyage the Fiona was en route from Suva to Melbourne.