FLOATING OIL STORE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16371, 20 June 1927, Page 7

FLOATING OIL STORE

FLORA TO BE CONVERTED

(Special to, the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day

Scarred after nearly half a century’s reaming, and (hick with rust as the result of over two years’ idleness, tho Union Co.'s steamer Flora was alongside the Central wharf to-day. She will not go to sea again, unless it is to be towed outside New Zealand territrial waters and scuttled. At present she is lining converted into a fioaing oil store to hold fuel for other steamers of the company’s fleet. An iron steamer of 1283 tons gross, the Flora was built in 1882 by Earle and Co., of Hull, and engined by Bailey and Leethnm. While under the Un ; on Co.’s flag she was engaged in a number of services, her last being that, to the Cook Islands.

During June, 1924, the Flora became disabled of Cuvier Island, as the result of a brokeji pin in her crank shaft, and she narrowly escaped being piled up on the coast. A terrific northerly gale was raging at the time, ancl few on board expected that she would ever return to port. At, one time all the crew, with the exception of the engineers, were ordered to stand by the boats. Fortunately, the order to man the boats was never given, and the crippled vessel, the engines of which were working spasmodically, eventually reached the shelter .of Mercury Island. During her 45 years’ roaming the Flora has had other exciting experiences, but she has always weathered the storms. During April. 1926, she disabled near Papeete, and was towed to that port and thence to Auckland by the Mapourika.