A DUST STORM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3961, 11 February 1930, Page 7

A DUST STORM.

UNENVIABLE EXPEDIENTE. WELLINGTON, February 4. An account of a terrific dust'storm experienced outside the entrance to Port Pirie on January 9 was given to-dav bv Captain P. J. Greenhill, master of the Nitrate Producers’ Steamship Company’s new motor ship Anglo-Canadian, which arrived at Wellington on Sunday afternoon from Port Pirie. The' AngloCanadian, said Crptain Greenhill left Newcastle-on-Tyne with 7000 tons of coke, consigned to the big metal smelting works at Port Pirie. The voyage proved uneventful until the vessel' approached the eastern shoal at th" entrance at Port Pirie when, at about 7 o'clock in the morning, a terrific dust storm suddenly enveloped the ship, ' ’otting out all sight of land and rendering the visibility so poor that it was impossible to see a ship’s length outside the bridge. The anchor was dropped, and for 14 hours the vessel was swept by a hot brown dust which penetrated every crevice on the deck. The deck houses were sealed up so as to make them almost airtight, but even then the fine dust, which had been swept up from the arid country surrounding the port, had to be shovelled out when the storm as over towards 9 o’clock that night, when the conditions became less severe, and it was possible to go on deck again. ~he Anglo-Canadian, which but a few hours before was spick and span in the newness of her white paint work, presented a sorry sight. Dust adhered to her sides and deck fittings, giving her the appearance of an old, tramp steamer, and when the task of giving the deck a rough clean up had beeu accomplished it was estimated that nine tons of dust had been shovelled overboard.