STORMY VOYAGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 663, 15 May 1929, Page 1

STORMY VOYAGE

UUMAROA A DAY LATE HEAVY SEAS ENCOUNTERED Twenty-four hours overdue, the Uli- I raaroa arrived in the stream at land this mornimr. On Monday, when nearing the Three i Kings, she ran into one of the worst gales encountered for many years. Blinding rain and heavy seas dashed over the vessel, but little damage was done. Two portholes were stove in and the ship was flooded. The master of the Ulimaroa, Captain | W. J. Wyllic. was* a tired man when i the vessel berthed this morning. He had had no sleep for two days, but ! treated the experience of the last two trying days very lightly. ! “I’ve been through many worse j storms.” he said as ha prepared for a ! bath upd a sleep. "We just kept ! ploughing into the storm.’ The passengers were loud in their praise of. Captain Wyllie’s handling or. the vessel, which proved herself a j splendid seaboat in the power! M seuß j which broke over her. NO RISKS TAKEN I Several times on Monday night the Ulimaroa was hove-to so that sound- | ings could be taken. The night was , pitch dark and in the heavy rain and • flying i-cud it was impossible to sight j the Three Kings. Captain Wyllie took jno chances and kept off until the | soundings were taken. j Good weather was experienced until ; Monday morning, when the ship began |to run into an easterly fresh. This j increased into a gale as the New ZeaI land coast was neared. On Monday : night the fury of the storm increased ! and on Tuesday it was still at its I height. On Monday seas were breaking over i the Ulimaxoa's decks and few of tli«* passengers were seen about. ! Some Chinese passengers on the j vessel became alarmed on Monday night and. ail wearing their lifebelts, j ran screaming on to the deck. They j were quietened by the stewards and j sent below again. r