SOUTHERN CROSS ABANDONED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29177, 11 April 1960, Page 13

SOUTHERN CROSS ABANDONED

Hard Ashore At Guadalcanal (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) HONIARA, April 9. The Melanesian Mission’s motor yacht Southern Cross has been abandoned to the underwriters. The vessel beached herself on March 29 near Marovovo Mission School on the north-western coast of Guadalcanal, when a sudden storm blew up and she dragged her anchor and ran ashore on a sandy beach. The new ship, about two years old, was paid for by voluntary subscriptions from Solomon Islanders, New Zealand mission supporters and funds raised by subscription in the United Kingdom, The Southern Cross was built to serve both the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides, in which the Melanesian Mission maintains many mission stations. It replaced the old Southern Cross, now the m.v. Kilinailau, operating from Rabaul. When the Southern Cross drove up on to the beach at Marovovo she was not much damaged, but was lying on her side in three feet of water in very rough weather with sand silting up round her. On Thursday, a small earth tremor caused a tidal wave, which drove the vessel deeper into the sand.