SOUTHERLY GALE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10559, 9 April 1920, Page 5

SOUTHERLY GALE

SHIPPING SERIOUSLY AFFECTED mararoa held dp. TURBULENT TIMES AT SEA. One of the worst southerly gales experienced for several years hurst upon Wellington about 3 o’clock yesterday morning. It raged throughout the day and was unabated at an early hour this morning. So severe was the gale on the coast that the Union Company’s * ■ferrysteamer Mararoa did not attempt to leave Wellington last evening for Lyttelton. The few passengers who had embarked for the trip were not very disappointed when they were informed that the vessel would not go south. The Mararoa is- now timed to sail from AVollington at 7.4-5 o’clock tomorrow evening for Lyttelton. The oig 5000-ton tramp steamer City ot Agra, which attempted to leave AAellington at 7 o’clock yesterday morning for Svdncy, was compelled to put back to the' stream after she had got as far as the entrance. The small Steamer Dpawa. which left the wharf at 13.20 a.m. yesterday for Blenheim got out in Cook Strait, when she encountered the gale and headed back to Wellington, arriving alongside again at S o’clock yesterday morning. The only vessel that succeeded m putting to sea from Wellington was the inter-colonial passenger steamer Moaraki. which left the wharf at 6 p.m. ffsr Sj<3nev and Scared heads at. 7 p.m. For the first hour the vessel would have an unpleasant f dusting. % The bit; cargo liner. Port Napier, which left Picton at o'clock yestordav morning; for "Wellington to comple+c**W loading for London, did riot nut in an appearance yesterday, bo inz hove-to in Cook Strait* The master dispatched a wireless message jitaiAnp that the vessel was hove-to in a •ferctrific.gale with heavy sens and thick weather.

ANXIETY FOR KOUTUNUI. Some anxiety -was occasioned as to the safety of Richardson and Company's (Napier) small steamer Koutnnui, 171 tons, Captain Beaton, when a telephone message was received at 3 p.Tnyesterday by Captain * ■ A, Petersen, the owners' representative a* Wellington, stating that the Koutnnni was off Cape Turaiirnc, on the ■western extremity of Palhsei* Bay, just managing to hold her own off a.' lee shore against the fury of the gale and seas. It appears that the news came from the residents of Orongorongo station, hut as their telephone line was down, the message had.’to. bo .sent in by telephone from Waimn-o-mata. The ‘Koutunui left Wellington at 11 o’clock on Wednesday, night for vanoua stations on the _ East Coast wn Station stores. She is a staunch little boat and has weathered many gales, ind although she has evidently got into an awkward predicament, there is no reason to believe she will not navo contrived to hold her own.

OTHER VESSELS’ ROUGH TRIPS. The small steamer Nikau, which usually arrives at Wellington early in the morning from Nelson, did not reach port until 2.15 p.m. yesterday. Coming across Cook Strait the vessel had a , boisterous experience, and sheltered for a while behind Cape_ Terawhiti. Owing to her late arrival, and heavv rain preventine the discharge of'her cargo, the departure pi* the return tnp to Nelson has been postponed till to-morrow afternoon. . _ Other vessels which arrived at Wellington yesterday morning after rough passages,' were the Mararoa and Moernki from Lvttelton. the Calm. from Timam and the Waimea. from Ael son. The Union Company’s collier Kaitangata,! which left Westport- at 12.110 p.ra. on Wednesday for Wellington, was sheltering behind Long Island yesterday. The >Pateena left Nelson at H. 35 a.m. yesterday for Picton and Wellington, but her departure from Picton, for this port was postponed till davhreak this morning. The small steamer Wakatu. which left Wellington at 4 p.m. on Wednesday for Kaikoura, managed to reach the lafctor port at 6.15 o’clock yesterday morning. The Wahino arrived at Lyttelton at 7 o’clock yesterday morning from Wellington, and sailed on tho return trip at 8.30 o’clock last evening. . The big cargo liner Suffolk, which left Napier on Wednesday night for Lyttelton, sent a wireless message yenterday reporting that she was encountering very b»aw weather. • The Kapiti. at Wanganui, and the Hawera, at Pntea. were unnhlo to sail from those ports yesterday for Wellington, The Kennedy, which left Wellington at 11 o'clock on Wednesday morning for Fovton, and the Wai(•nntti. which followed at? 5 p.m. on Wednesday for Patca. were both evidently sheltering on the coast yesterday. „ RAIN HINDERS CARGO-WORKING. The almost continuous downpour at Wellington yesterday precluded any vessels working their cargo, and as a result the departures of several have been postponed. These include tho Mokoin. now to sail at 4 n.m. to-day for Auckland via. ports, the Paloona now to .sail at 5 p.m. to-morrow for Newcastle and Melbourne, and a number of the Union Company’s cargo steamers.

The Union Company's cargo stratnot Kbraata and the same company’.* hulk Adderley. which are berthed nt the Patent Slip Company’* wharf : n Evans Bay, were rolling heavilv against th» wharf yesterday. Although their liveliness caused some uneafline?* no damage resulted. THE HARBOUR FERRIES. The Eastbourne Borough Council's steamers Dnchess and Cobar were nn«blo to berth at the Rona Bay wharf yesterday owing to heavy seas rolling In through the port entrance. The Cobar, which left town at 10.45 o'clock last evening for Bay’s Bay, was unable to remain at Eastbourne for the night, to she returned to Wellington after disembarking her pacsengen. DAMAGE IN THE CITY. In and , around Wellington a good deal of minor damage was done by the fale. but nothing serious was reported. ,imb« of trees were torn off, and the chimney of a (tmall washhouse at the Park atreet end of Grant road was blown down.