TO BE A HULK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19871, 20 June 1927, Page 7

TO BE A HULK

OLD STEAMER FLORA INTERESTING INCIDENTS RECALLED [ Special “ Chronicle ” Service. ] AUCKLAND, June 18. Scarred after nearly half a century’s roaming and thick with rust as a result of over two years’ idleness, the Union Company’s steamer Flora was alongside the Central Wharf to-day. She will not go to sea again unless it is to be towed outside New Zealand territorial waters ana scuttled. At the present time she is being converted into a floating oil store to hold fuel for other steamers of the Company’s fleet. An iron steamer of 1283 tons gross, the Flora was built in 1882 by Earle and Co., of Hull, and engined by Bailey and Lcetham. While under the Union Company’s flag she was engaged in a number of services, her last being that to Cook Islands. During June, 1924, the Flora became disabled off Cuvier Island as a result of a broken pin in her crankshaft, and she narrowly escaped being piled up on tho coast. A terrific northerly gale was raging at the time and few on board expected that she would ever return to port. At one time all the crew, with the exception of the engineers, were ordered to stand by the boats. Fortunately the order to man the boats was never given and the crippled vessel, whose engines were working spasmodically, eventually reached the shelter of Mercury Island.

During her 45 years roaming the Flora has had other exciting experiences but she has always weathered the storms. During April, 1916, she was disabled near Papeete and was towed to that port and thence to Auckland by the Mapourika.