A SEA MYSTERY.

Northern Advocate, 10 December 1910, Page 2

A SEA MYSTERY.

NEWCASTLE, Wednesday.—A sad story of the sea is told by Captain P. Hoigh, of the Norwegian barque Lady Elizabeth, which arrived at Newcastle f.'-om the West Coast of South America r ' he Lady Elizabeth left Callao on S( ptember 26 with a crew that included several Russian Finns. Shortly after leaving the South American port one of the Finns named Granquiss, became ill, and a couple of days afterwards another man called Haparanta was stricken with the same malady. A third Russian complained that he was sick. The captain diagonised the disease as malarial fever, and he prescribed for them quinine and other remedies. It was thought that the f: esh air would aid in their recovery, and they were allowed to be about on oeck. One afternoon the discovery was made that Granquiss was missing. The conclusion was arrived at that the unfortunate fellow had fallen overboard. Needless to say, the incident had a most depressing effect ui-on the crew. When, however, about 7 o'clock the same evening it was reported to Captain Hoigh that another of the sick men, Haparanta, had disappeared there was something like a panic on board. "You can imagine," said Captain Hoigh to a representative of "The Daily Telegraph" this afternoon, "(hat this succesion of most unfortunate incidents made a deep impress sion upon all on board, including my wife, who, with two •. children, was accompanying me on the trip. I could only come to the conclusion that the malaria had rendered the men delirious, and that in their sickness they had jumped .overboard." Had there been any previous trouble on board among the men? "Not the slightest," was the reply "There were three men sick. That was all. They worked about the deck, preferring that to being couped up t-clow. I gave them medicine, and they had soup, and generally what you call soft tack." Captain Hoigh added that after two of the sick men had vanished he caused a close watch to be kept upon the other man, who had the fever in a less severe form.