RACE FOR A PASSPORT.

Auckland Star, Issue 291, 9 December 1925, Page 6

RACE FOR A PASSPORT.

DOCUMENT ARRIVES IN TlM|v/ BUT IS BLOWN OVERBOAE». LAUNCH CHASES THE UASxk&. l (By Telegraph.— Special to "Star.")" WELLINGTON, this day ' The sailing of the Makura for st» ' Francisco was associated with a liv«E experience, and full of anxiety for f? r passenger, but ending happily wT " ' Dominion" states that a youngW:*! woman, whose husband resides at Port land, Oregon, Lad been on a visit to her - b^;:Ma^ ndßay ' andhad^; . • Shortly after embarking the lady Hi. • covered tliat she had left her paeS • papers and necessary photograph at Ut ■ ■ relation's home. The ship's sailin<» : timl was drawing near. Unless the lady CI her passport she would be detained'at ■• San Francisco by the United Stales authorities until her documents and * photograph arrived, which would mean at least a fortnight's detention. tAn appeal was made to the TJnioa Company's officials to detain' th* Makura a few minutes, if necessary till ' the papers could be brought from Island Bay. A brother of the passenger raced to a tram, and arrived back in good time, with the forgotten passport and photo- '' graph. The passenger happily waved adieui from the upper deck, but there wae a. cry of dismay when a sudden gust o t wind blew the passport and identifies- " tion papers overboard. " a -' A launch endeavoured to rescue the ' paper(;, but the {Makura was' under ' weigh. A stern chase ensued, the launch doing 10 knocks and the liner 14 knots. It was hoped, by cutting corners, to catch up, but the Makura wae almost out of sight at the harbour /._ entrance. Then, to the delight of the ,r launch the liner swung around, again, and the launch reached her, the-, papers being handed to the chief officer, who waited on a lowered gangvay for , what he thought would be a belated passenger. . •-' ■-. The explanation of the liner's. cob«. fvenient return was that a wireless met* sage had been dispatched from Wellington Tadh). ;: • 'X .