LATE SHIPPING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16510, 22 August 1921, Page 8

LATE SHIPPING.

STEAMER’S PERILOUS VOYAGE Buffeted and swept by heavy seas, the Patrick Steamship Company’s steamer Indium, of 689 ton 5 displacement, carrying general cargo from .Newcastle, arrived at Melbourne at seven o’clock on Saturdaymorning, August C. The master of the steamer, Captain A. R. Itoakc, told a fitirneg story. He said: Our trip was a most unenviable experience, and we consider ourselves lucky to j be here at all. The weather was the worst : I have seen during my experience on the 1 Australian coast. We left Newcastle at four o’clock on Wednesday afternoon, July 27, in good weather, and two days out struck gales and high seas. We got iu touch with the Green Cape signal station and received, the reply that there was no i weather report- . We/ continued tho voyage, ! and on Saturday the fury of the storm in- ’ creased. Strong galo3 and heavy seas impeded our uogress, which became very slow. The ship was awash fore and ait, and iu twenty-tour hours, with engines at • full steam ahead,’ v/e registered only eighteen miies. It was a. hard time for tho men, who behaved splendidly. Everything on deck had to be lashed down. On Saturday afternoon we ran into mountainous seas, which continued all through Sunday and Monday. Additional anxiety was caused on Sunday by damage to the steering gear and the destruction of the steam pipe casing j in the forward deck, caused by the heavy I seas. However, by dint of hard work and \ a severe wetting, temoorary repairs were j effected. I had decided to make for shelter j at Sealer’s Cove, and on Monday reached • it without further mishap. Here the op- | portunity was taken of making repairs to the steerintr gear and of replenishing our almoß depleted supply of fresh water. Five I barrels of water were taken on, and, although the w:*°r v,aa not very clean, it was urgently needed. Provisions were very short, ami since Wednesday we have had only one meal a. day, consisting chiefly of tinned meat. An attempt to continue our voyago to Melbourne was made on Wednesday, but as wo shinped a sea which almost sent us to the bottom, we made, an hastily as we could, for Refuge Bay. On the following day another attempt was rrmde to sail, but again the high seas forced us back to Shelter. At half-past five o’cloc-c on Friday we were more fortunate, for, though we shipped heavy seas and rolled perilously, we were able to reach Melbourne at seven o’clock on Saturdav morning.” " The Induna will leave Melbourne for Adelaide with the remainder of her cargo, then return to Sydney, passing through Melbourne again, and go to dry dock for repairs. It is not yet known whether the cargo is damaged. | The Port Bowen expected to leave Wellington to-night for Lyttelton. SHIPPING TELEGRAMS.

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND. August 22. Arrived —Dorset (11 a.m.), from Liverpool. OVERSEAS SHIPPING. By Telec'raph—Press Aasociaticn-7-Copyrlght. Ac.etr34ia.ri and N.Z. AssociationNEWCASTLE. August 2L 6&£l<*d— , “3£«if'U*aa, for New Zealand. (Received August 02. 1.20 p-m.) SYDNEY, August 31. Arrived —Merama and Uiimaroa, from Wellington. NEWCASTLE, August 21. Arrived—Waimarino. ADELAIDE. August 21. Arrived—West Us son. from Nor* Zealand.