A PERILOUS VOYAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3823, 21 June 1927, Page 68

A PERILOUS VOYAGE.

AN AWKWARD CARGO. AUCKLAND, June 15. As a result of being short of coal, the cargo steamer Pipiriki_, bound from New York to Sydney, put into Auckland last evening. Her officers reported that the vessel had- encountered stormy weather both in the Atlantic, -when on her way from Liverpool to New York, and in the Pacific. Included in the steamer’s cargo are 4000 tons of railway iron for Western Australia, which were the cause of much trouble and considerable anxiety on board. When the vessel was crossing the Atlantic, a week out from Liverpool, the steamer ran into stormy weather, and was subjected to severe buft’etting. On April 9 the wind increased to hurricane force. At the height of the gale the violent rolling of the ship caused . the iron rails in No. 1 hold to break adrift, and they were thrown about with the lurching of the steamer. The ship was at once hove to, and the work of securing the rails was begun. All the deck hands, under the direction of the, officers, toiled in the hold, it being realised that the loose rails were likely to cause serious damage if not secured, and at the end of four hours the men’s efforts were successful, the awkward cargo being made fast. The damage was not serious, being confined to a few twisted stanchions.