MINES NEAR NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23053, 22 June 1940, Page 1 (Supplement)

MINES NEAR NEW ZEALAND

Niagara Sinks Near Auckland / The liner Niagara struck a mine ; 'oS _ * Wednesday a few hours after leaving Auck-,; : land, and sank. There were 146 passengers * and 203 members of the crew aboard, and all were saved. . „ ; The Niagara was a 13,415 ton liner used on the line between Canada and Australia and, New Zealand, and was built on the Clyde, /. Scotland, in 1913. > * The passengers, all of whom were awak- - ened by the explosion, assembled rapidly* at, % boat stations, and the doomed ship, gradu-t ally sinking by the head, was abandoned without a trace of panic. Clad in night" i attire, men, women, and infants took their -, places in the boats. As darkness gave wky \.- to a misty dawn, the 18 lifeboats, scattered - ■*. over an area of about a square mile, awaited rescue ships which steamed at full speed inanswer to the sinking ship’s call for help. - Within a few minutes of the explosion distress signals were sent by radio, and rockets and flares rose into the sky. * Help was immediate. A large liner nearby was diverted at high speed to the scene. By a triumph of seamanship on the part of the commander and crew of the Niagara, and swift rescue organisation, all on board were safely in port at Auckland on Wednesday night. , Since the sinking of the Niagara two more mines have been swept up in the localitytof the explosion. Every precaution is being taken to guard against further losses. ■ .; New French Cabinet A new Cabinet has been formed in Franc® this week. Marshal Petain, a hero of thf

last war, is the new Premier, and General " Weygand is Minister for Defence.