HEAVIEST SEAS IN MEMORY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14665, 20 March 1918, Page 5

HEAVIEST SEAS IN MEMORY.

SHIPPING CASUALTIES. j A big pea got up in the bay ver> quickly. The Pateena, "which reached port shortly after 2 a.m., had a good ■ run. In tie early fm-enoon when tlie pale was at its mnximum +he sens i" the bay were very high, and presented a magnificent spectacle. The departure, of the Pateena was pn* off till 2 rr.. ' in consequence/but at that hour, whictl was shortly before high water, the seas,

th™ JtT aSQd> Al^n^. the wind had then fallen and the sailing was further delayed till 10 p.m. Experienced nauan™ m^^l th ?° to 40 *ears> anoe with the. bay" say that they never before saw-suet, seas there. From the cnver end of the town the seas could Bankel mT ntlD# t aV above the Boul<^ liank level, and from the wharf or Wakefield Quay the crest of the sur4s could be seen half as hi 2 b as the lighthouse tower. The waves were not " breaking over the Boulder Bank as would have been the case in a nor'! wester, but under the nor'-easter the breakers came riritt down the bay and could b* seen mifes out to sea ' lnere was far less sea in harbovr W, Vf + l n SeeV n many o^asions, but under the combined pressure of wind and wave Mr P. Moore's fini yacht, "The Wanderer/ which waJ anchored on the Boulder' Bank Jd£ broke from her moorings, and before any assistance could be sent struck tlo mole on the harbour side and sank imniediately. +1 sc? w & df x ™« in trouble at the wharf The forepart of the vessel j got u.nder the wharf as f ar as tU fore _ mast the jibboom and rigging bein~ carried away. The tide was rising, and there was grave danger of the vessel's tilling and foundering if not freed \ very strenuous time was put in by 'a large.gang of helpers and the vekseV was finally released and made secure. Mr TVm. Stuart, telephoning yester-^ ■^ay from tje Croixelles, said that he had never before seen such a sea off the Croixelles as was then running Before evening fell the sea had gone down very much, though' still breaking teavily in the shallows. AT the height of the storm the scow Oban which was lyir^ at the wharf at North; Cape, loaded \yith coal aud read? to sail for Nelson, was struck by a heavy sea and sank at her moorings The crew got ashore safely. The owners of the scow, Messrs Tasker and Levien were unable to get farther information yesterday owing to interruption of communication.

The Gannefc. owned by Mr W. Tregidga, of the Port, winch was also lying at North Cape, sustained somewhat severe damage, her topmast and bulwarks being carried away. ~ The storm is believed to have rendered the prospect of salvaging the scow Kapua, whicb struck Bark reef on Saturday morning, and was subsequently tnwed to Tono;a Bay, more remote. The Pearl Kasper' will leave for the scene this morning, if the isea is sufficiently abated, to see what can be done. - ' .