SHIP IN A STORM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19439, 27 October 1925, Page 11

SHIP IN A STORM

HURRICANE IN NORTH PACIFIC. WEST CALERA BUFFETED. A severe buffeting by a hurricane in the North Pacific was experienced by the American steamer West Calera, which arrived at Auckland from Los Angeles on Saturday morning. The storm was of short duration and fortunately very little damage was done. Tho West Calera cleared Los Angeles on September 21 with a full cargo of lumber, case oil and general merchandise for New Zealand. Strong northeast trades prevailed until tho morning of September 27, when tho barometer began falling rapidly and the wind attained gale force; By 10 o’clock that night the gale had increased to a hurricane of exceptionally severe violence, which necessitated the ship being hove to. The wind was of such high velocity that it was dangerous to move about on dock.

The high, mountainous seas repeatedly broke on board fore and aft, and damage was done on the bridge and boat decks. Two steel boats on the starboard side were lifted out of tho chocks and flooded by the seas, but fortunately they were forced against a stack of timber and escaped serious damage. The heavy cowl on an iron ventilator leading to No. 4 hold was broken off by the seas and a very heavy wave lifted the starboard alleyway door off the hinges and washed it overboard. The wave swept through the alleyway and flooded all the cabins there besides smashing down the door on the fore epd. More damage would have been done by the hurricane but for the fact that the West Calera carried a deck cargo of 700,000 ft. of lumber. The lumber was stacked 12ft. high on the welt decks and the top of the cargo was above the level of the bridge deck.

Consequently the deck cargo acted like a breakwater and prevented the seas filling the well decks. Fortunately tne heavy lashings were equal to the strain and no timber was washed overboard. About two o’clock the following morning, when the barometer had fallen to 28.40., the wind died away for a short period and then blew with increased violence from the opposite direction. The steamer had apparently passed through the centre of the storm. Afterwards the barometer began to rise, and the wind gradually moderated. By 10 a.m. the conditions had so improved that the steamer was able to resume her course and speed. Next day all signs of the storm had vanished. Generally fair weather prevailed for the remainder of the voyage.