STEAMER IN CYCLONE.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17412, 26 May 1928, Page 7

STEAMER IN CYCLONE.

WAVES CRASH ON DECK

GREAT DAMAGE DONE. DARKNESS ADDS TO TERROR. WELLINGTON, Friday. \ terrific cyclone was encountered bv the New Zealand Shipping Company's liner Rimutaka, on her voyage from London and Southampton to Wellington? 1 The storm lasted for fortyeight hours. Mountainous seas dashed against the sides or the vessel and over the stern doing a great deal of damage. Railings and skylights were smashed, cabins Hooded, and lifeboats torn from their lashings. ' The storm rose some days after the steamer entered the Pacific. Huge waves crashed on to the deck. The wind reached a velocity of about <5 miles an hour. Waves dashing along the full length of the vessel smashed the gangway lashed to the side rails of the promenade deck and stripped the rails like wire and matchwood, twisting 3in. pipes and stanchions, bursting the deck house vestibule door and smashing skylights on the boat deck, throwing the lifeboats about like corks and washing their equipment over the side. At the same time the main deck was stripped of all movable objects.

Not a lade'.-r from the saloon to the main deck was left in position. Deck ladders were smashed, torn from their sockets, and washed over the side. Rafts on top of the oflicers' quarters were torn from their lashings, thrown against the rails, and splintered into matchwood. The oflicers' quarters were badly strained and the alleyway and cabins filled with water. The wireless room was a confusion of damaged instruments, tangled wire and sulphuric acid and the receiving apparatus was put out of action , for three hours. The saloon and passengers' cabins were awash.

Water pouring through a smashed skylight flooded the music room vestibule and alleyway.

With the dynamos under water the ship was plunged into total darkness. The storm lasted from May 14 to May IG. The vessel was hove to for 1G hours.

The Rimutaka is a twenty-eight-ycar-old vessel and Captain Hemming, whose skill and expert knowledge of the ship were fully tested during the storm, has been in command of her for eighteen years.