THE WATERFRONT

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 115, 11 November 1918, Page 8

THE WATERFRONT

FERRY SERVICE DISLOCATED,

The epidemic on the waterfront is still serious. >Operation 3on affected steamers are suspended, and there appears to be little hope of them being resumed in the near future. The holding up of the ferry steamers has caused great inconvenience to the travelling public and a number of soldiers who have been granted leave without pay until January. These have beea held up at Wellington. There has been no passenger steamer from Wellington for Lyttelton since Thursday night. The Union Company announced to-day thai, all berths booked for Friday and Saturday nights have been cancelled, and intending passengers have had to make fresh applications for accommodation. Consequently to-day there has been an abnormal rush on the company's office, and at one +,ime would-be passengers for the South were lined three and, four deep round tihe counter. The ticket clerks worked at high pressure all the morning. In view of the large number that will be travelling this afternoon, an attempt will be made to despatch the Maori, which was held up again on Saturday night, and a special permit to carry more than her usual complement of passengers will probably.be asked for. If, however, it is found impossible to get the Maori away, the Mararoa, will take as many passengers as possible.' Should the Maori sail to-night, she will proceed direct from Lyttelton to Port Chalmers for overhaul, and tho Moana will take up her running. Those soldiers who were held up were billeted with the V.M.C.A. and the Salvation Army, at the expense of the Defence Department. It was at first thought that the Tutanekai might be despatched for the South with the soldiers, but no arrangements with the Marino Department have yet been made.

There was a death on board the cable repair steamer yesterday, one of the seamen, named Shaw, succumbing to the effects of influenza. This vessel is riow berthed at the Thorndon breastwork.

Again to-day there has been a big rush on the inhalation chambers on the waterfront. Apart from those working on and about the wharves, a large number of the general public have taken advantage of the chamber, and queues have had to be formed in order to deal with the applicants for a "spraying." "Closed, owing to influenza" states a notice posted outside Huddart-Parker's office to-day. So many of the employees are suffering from the effects of the epidemic that it has been found impossible to carry on the work. Several other shipping offices are also rather seriously hampered owing to the absence of employees. Several members of the wharf police are afc present suffering from influenza, and the staff has been reinforced from the Central Station. Aii improvement is reported to-da.y .in f.ho condition of Captain Norling and Mr. H. ii. Smith (first mate) of tlie Kaliu. Several cases of influenza were removed from vessels in port yesterday. On Saturday night sis members of the Monow*i's crew; wore taken to the hospital.

According to Saturday's. Auckland Herald, about 125 of the '.:■ Northern Steamship Company's staff are off duty suffering with influenza. Of that number 30 are seamen and firemen and 14 officers and engineers. This has caused a shortage of crews, and the company has been ■unable to man a number of it's vessels.