THE ILL-FATED OMAKA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 245, 31 January 1921, Page 6

THE ILL-FATED OMAKA.

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON. Jan. 31. The name of I lie ship's hoy tost in the Omaha wreck was Cyril Thomson; aged 21, the son of Mr F. Thomson, 1 Governmonl grader at New Plymouth, lie nognu his seafaring career on tho Amoknra, PARTICULARS OF CREW.

The lute Captain Purvis (skipper of .the Omaka) was a well-known ligni'Q in the coastal trade, and was a comparatively young man. At one time he' was second ofliccr in the Union Company s,service, and later tie was Connected with .the ■ Archor Company, one of his commands being’the s.s. Kennedy, By' strange coincidence he commanded the ill-fated schooner Lily on her last voyage. It was on her run troth Wellington to Greyinonth loi a cargo ol timber for the Government Housing’ Go pgrtment, that she piled no on the rocks >lf Kapili Island. Fortunately on this occasion Captain Purvis and all the - crew escaped. It was alter the wreck ol the Lily that : Captain Purvis took .command of the Omaka.

The late Mr Weeks was* a Westport .man, and at one time had a garage in I hat city. On leaving the Coast he worked with motor linns, subsequently joining tip with the Omaka. The lather ol the deceased is Mr Itolierl Whacks, ol Westport, a well-known figure in municipal politics. The cook, the late Mr Will Marlow, was also a married man, with four children, Ids home being in Brooklyn, One of the seamen was (lie late Mr Harold Stapleton, t The deceased, who was quite’ a young man, was the son of Mr Percival Stapleton. Wellington. The late Mr Will Watson, leading hand, who is believed.to have been a single man, was a friend of the late Mr Stapleton, and resided at the latter’s homo during his stay in port.