DIRTY WEATHER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3829, 12 May 1913, Page 5

DIRTY WEATHER.

HEAVY RAIN AND ROUGH SEAS

S.S. MOKOIA UNABLE TO TRANS-

FER PASSENOERS.

DECK HAND INJURED

TUA’i’EA HAS TO RETURN WITH A.DUTWARD PASSENGERS.

Rev. D. C. Bates’ forecasted "wild and stormy weather with a very cold night” duly came to hand on Saturday. The afternoon proved very cold, causing people to bring out ' their t wraps and gloves. About midnight "heavy rain set in, and lasted till about 3 o’clock yesterday morning. Yesterday was also cold} with intermittent rain squalls from west to south. The barometer yesterday morning registered 28.90, 'which is lower than lias been recorded for years, and even" lower than at the time of the last big Hood in Poverty Ray three years ago. Up to yesterday morning .10 inches of rain had fallen. The weather last night showed little signs of abatement, heavy rain squalls predominating, with a cold southerly. The work of attempting to get the outward-bound passengers on board the southern steamer was no light undertaking last night. When tiic s.s. Tuatea set out from the wharf with 50 passengers at 8o'clock, the wind was blowing great guns. The inky blackness of the night was pierced by vivid flashes of lightning, which only served to make "the gloom deeper. There was a heavy sea running in the hay, and a nasty johble in the river. The staunch little tender, skilfully handled by Captain tlawkcs. soon negotiated the channel, andrdipping her nose into the green seas was soon alongside the Mokoia. Here the difficult part of the under-

taking commenced. The rough seas kept the Tuatea bobbing about like a cork, while the big steamer was rolling with the waves. A good deal of bumping occurred, and the passengers had anything but a pleasant time. Captain Havisos stuck grimly to his work, but despite the fact that thw basket was brought- into requisition, Xeptune was master of the situation, and all attempts to tranship the passengers proved futile. A lurch by the Tuatea caused a desk hand named W. O’Connell to slip while crossing the hatchway, and he was precipitated heavily against a case, sustaining a nasty blow over the ribs. The working of the tender was greatly hampered by one of the Alokoia's boats, which is swung out amidships. Thus, with each lurch of the big boat, threatened danger to the Tuatea’s funnel. There were periods of calm when it might have been possible to have put down the gangway, but these were of short duration. The basket was got out. but the conditions became worse, and deeming the risk coo great, Mr Preston reluctantly gave instructions to the Mokoia to pass on, and the Tuatea, with her storm-tossed passengers, put back to the wharf.

“It is the first time I have ever been unable to tranship my passengers after onae getting alongside,” remarked Captain Hawke, after returning to the wharf. Seen by a "Times” reporter after the return of the Tuatea last night, Mr Preston, local manager of the Union S.S. Co., stated that the weather conditions in the bay had been fHy bad, .and the risk of transhipping the passengers too great to attempt.