TERRIFIC SEAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22610, 29 June 1935, Page 21

TERRIFIC SEAS

BATTER NEW SOUTH WALES COAST

(From Otjr Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 20.

The New South Wales coast has been battered this week by one of the most remarkable cyclones in recent years. Experienced seamen said that the seas were higher than any they had known for many years. Most of the cyclones which do damage on the coast are accompanied by heavy rain, but this week's gale 9, lasting for three days or more, had its centre at sea, and the waves it stirred up reached coastal waters when the land was enjoying bright, although cold, days of winter sunshine.

The damage was not caused by wind, but was confined to the wrecking of small craft and seaside buildings and walls by huge waves. Many launches were wrecked or battered. Small coastal ships could not venture out of ports, and larger overseas vessels, including those crossing the Tasman from New Zealand, were from eight to 48 hours late in reaching Sydney. Some of them, including the Monowai, arrived with porthole windows smashed and other evidence of the sea's severity. The lighthouse-keeper at Norah Head, about 20 miles south of Newcastle, was the helpless and horrified spectator on Tuesday afternoon of the sinking of the auxiliary yacht Warrani, which contained two men who had failed in a desperate attempt to reach safety. The tragedy was enacted in full view of residents of the village of Noraville, who, powerless to render any assistance, watched for two hours the efforts of the yacht's crew to save their craft and their own lives.

Frank Wilson, 40, and Norman Cross, 45, of Terrigall, were the men drowned when the Warrani was wrecked. The Warrani was broken into pieces so small that the largest piece of wreckage to come ashore before dusk that evening was less than three feet long. The two men disappeared at the moment the yacht foundered, about a quarter of a mile from a wide beach. They had been engaged in a desperate fight against heavy seas since Monday morning, and the last scene of the drama was played before Noraville residents, who knew that not one of the many fishing and pleasure craft in the vicinity, if launched in an attempt at rescue, could live in the surf that was running. Wilson and Cross had been towing the Warrani from their own small motor launch when they left Terrigal for Sydney, on Monday morning. It is surmised that the launch broke down in bad weather, and that Wilson and Cross had to scramble to the larger Warrani, for tho latter was towing the motor boat when the two vessels were first sighted from Norah Head lighthouse early on Tuesday afternoon. The boats had been blown far northwards from their course, and were actually further north than when they started. The tow rope parted and the motor boat sank a few minutes later. The Warrani struggled on, dropped a kcllick, which held it stationary for a time, and then was hurried to its final disaster. Every person who watched the long struggle praised the seamanship and courage of the two men, who, apparently recognising that there was no port for miles, and that they had no chance of being rescued except by their own efforts, did not even make a sign of inviting help from shore. The lighthouse keeper at Norah Head (Mr G. R. Toovey) said: "The yacht had a small jib up when I first saw her. She was towing the motor boat and she had no steering way. A big sea picked up the motor boat and filled her with water, and the tow rope parted. The other vessel rode on top of the wave. It was wonderful to see what she did. The next wave got the small boat and turned her over, and that was the end of her. The same sea caught the big yacht, too. Terrific seas came almost over the top of her, almost filling her with water. She stood up to sea after sea, until she got Into comparatively calm water. They seemed to drop their kellick there. She stopped In one position for a fair while. At last she started to drag her anchor. That was just outside a reef, and she continued until she got inside the first breaker. I was watching her through the glasses, and a sea picked her up. 1 had to wipe the glasses; and when T put them to my eyes again she had disappeared. That sea must have broken her to smithereens. She was a wonderful sea boat. Sea after sea had struck her mountain high before the extra big one got her."