SEAMEN AS STOWAWAYS

Evening Star, Issue 17923, 20 March 1922, Page 7

SEAMEN AS STOWAWAYS

SEVEN FOUND ON WAIHEMO. HIDDEN IN COAL BUNKERS. Seven stowaways were found on tho Union Company's cargo stoarner Waihemo immediately after clearing San Pedro for Auckland tho middle of last month. This steamer arrived at the Californian port on February 13, and berthed the same day at 4 p.m. Sho was in port for only one day, and sailed on tho evening of the 14th, but during that short time these men all found their way on board, and hid themselves away below decks. Late at night when tho steamer was well under way and about forty miles at sea one of the mates who was on watch up on tho bridge saw a stranger run along the deck from amidships. He called tho chief officer, who, with the aid of a small electric switch torch, began a search of tho ship. Ho eventually found tho stranger inside tho locker for stowing deck stores. A further search was thou, made, to discover whether there were any more on board, and six were found below decks, where the bunkej coal was stored and on tho barrels of oil in oue of tho holds arajdships. They had evidently got down tho bunker hatchway, t which is generally left open except in rough weather to let a free passage of air below, to the firemen and stokers,

When all tho men were mustered on deck tho wireless operator sent a message back to port for a police patrol boat, and tho Waihemo returned to the harbor. In tho meantime one of ,tho stowaways broko away, and was not found again until an hour afterwards, when tho first mate discovered him on the oil ban-els. He was then handcuffed to tho ladder leading to the bridge, and was kopt there until handed over to tho police at San Pedro. Tho steamer's voyngo was resumed at 2.30 a.m. the following day, after a delay of about six hours. All of the mon wore middle-ngod, and some of them had seamen's discharges, but were iinablo to obtain employment in America.

At San Pedro there wore evident signs of hunger among tho people out of employment, and somo of them came down to tho ship while aho was at tho wharf to ask for food.