PACIFIC STORM

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1932, Page 5

PACIFIC STORM

HUNTINGDON’S “DUSTING.”

LEAKING SLIGHTLY FORWARD.

Leaking slightly forward, the Federal Company’s big cargo liner Huntingdon arrived in the stream at Wellington on Saturday morning in ballast from London, and later berthed at the Glasgow wharf. The Huntingdon, which. was making her third consecutive, trip to New Zealand in ballast, ran into the heavy south-westerly gale which _ was responsible for delaying the Tainui and Otokia on May 26. Speed was reduced to seven knots, but the big liner, which was drawing only lift, forward, and had only 400 tons of ballast to steady her, pitched violently in the heavy head seas. Time and time again she was clean out of the water as far aft as the bridge, then falling with such terrific force as to make the whole ship quiver as if she had struck a rock.

The gale lasted for five days, and then dropped as swiftly as it had arisen. During the storm the Huntingdon commenced to leak slightly forward, due, it i> thought, to rivets having sprung owing to the ship’s continual pounding. The vessel’s fore peak is being cleaned out, and a thorough examination will be made, and until this is completed it will not be known whther or not the Huntingdon will dock at Wellington for repairs.

The Huntingdon, which has a gross tonnage of 10,951, is one of the biggest cargo ships trading to New Zealand, or, indeed, to any part of the world. She holds the record for the biggest cargo carried by any ship in the combined New Zealand Shipping Company and Federal Company fleets, having taken out 16,656 tons deadweight from Liverpool and Lisbon to Australia towards the end of 1929, one of the last big cargoes to Australia before the pregent depression made itself felt. It is indeed one of the biggest cargoes ever carried in one bottom.