A STORMY PASSAGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21221, 30 December 1930, Page 8

A STORMY PASSAGE.

THE NIAGARA BUFFETED. (Special to Daily Tuxes.) _ AUCKLAND, December 29, Exceptionally stormy weather was experienced during the voyage of the royal juail liner Niagara, which arived at Aucltland from Vancouver at mid-day. The vessel left Vancouver on December 10, and the same evening she encountered a south-east gale, which increased to a whole gale the next day. For tour days the Niagara was buffeted by stormy conditions and high head seas, which repeatedly broke aboard forward, and damaged some of the deck fittings and broke ports forward. The wind also carried away the wireless aerial. After the storm subsided the wind changed to northeast, which was in the vessel’s favour. Honolulu was reached on schedule time on December 17, and the Niagara resumed her voyage the same evening. Fresh to light winds '-and continuous heavy rain prevailed until the Niagara was south of the equator on December -A when the barometer began to fall, and conditions became threatening. The same night the wind increased to a hard northerly gale, which was accompanied by heavy rain and high following seas. The toiiowing day the wind had increased to a full, gale from_ the north-east, and it blew in fierce rain squalls. The cyclone was travelling between the Samoan and the 1 iji graups, and the course the Niagara was steering to Suva was taking her away from the centre of the cyclone, which was estimated to have passed close astern of the vessel. The vessel continued running before the wind with high seas following on her port quarter, and waves frequently broke on board. One particularly heavy sea carried away the telegraph casing, which contained the wires connecting the telephones and the engine room telegraphs. At mid-day on December 23 the speed was reduced to ease the strain on the vessel, and the same evening the speed was further reduced and the Niagara was practically hove r to, owing to the wind having reached hurricane force. On Christmas Day the storm continued until Die conditions then moderated sufficiently to allow the vessel to resume her course and speed. The weather couVo D o ™n to lmpl i ove c duiin K the remaining oim miles run to Suva. . D le Niagara’s behaviour during the trying conditions was excellent, and her buoyancy as she ran before the tempest Mas remarkable according to the passengeis._ In spite of the exceptional amoiint weath ? r experienced, the liner i eached Suva at 6 o clock last Friday morning, her schedule time. y • weather conditions prevailed during the passage from Suva to Auckland which was covered in three davs the speed at times reaching 17 knots. Accordreport.a received by the Niagara when the cyclone was at its height the storm travelled toward Niue Island, which it reached m moderate strength. A wirefrom re t P h rt p VnS pi £ ked up hy the Niagara trom the Government motor ship Maui Pomare, which reported that sh e had to rcuLli o^' 1 r S m Samoa, owing to rough, seas and a high swell, caused by a sHong north-east wind. The Maui Pomare afterwards stood away to the■ north-east of Samoa, out of the track of the storm and on Friday she could be heard on the wireless reporting that she was all ri^ht