LOSS OF NIAGARA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 21 June 1940, Page 3

LOSS OF NIAGARA

RELIEF FOR CREW AND PASSENGERS

SEVERAL ORGANISATIONS HELP MARINE INQUIRY TO OPEN TO-DAY j [United Press Association) AUCKLAND. 20th June. Most of the passengers of the Niagara, sunk as a result of striking a mine off the New Zealand coast, spent to-day in getting their bearings again after their trying experience and attending to immediate needs, such as buying clothes and suitcases and j arranging money matters. Some of those for whom hotel accommodation had been provided took their departure in the course of the day, but it was not known whether they had gone to their homes or to stay with friends. The Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Limited, intimated to all passengers who joined at Auckland that it was prepared to refund their passage money in full. Through pas- ] sengers were informed that, if they j so wished, they might recover passage ; money for the balance of the journeys , for which they had booked. This ar- ( rangement will make it possible for ] passengers, if they desire, to continue , their voyage by the Matson liner Mon- ( terey, which leaves Auckland*on Mon- ( day for island ports and San Fran- , cisco. The Auckland agents for the Matson Line, Henderson and Macfarlane, Limited, received between 40 and 50 inquiries to-day. but it is not possible yet to say how many will travel by the liner. Fiji residents, who were homeward bound in the Niagara, are very likely to be among the number. ; since for them no change of route is involved as in the case of people booked for Vancouver and points beyond. All. of course, have the option of waiting and going on by a British ves- 1 sel. DESTITUTE PASSENGERS Great assistance in supplying the immediate needs of destitute passengers and crew of the Niagara was given by the National Service Movement in Auckland. Large numbers of men and women were provided with clothes, footwear and other necessities, which *. had been made available to the organisation by various business firms. As substantial grants are to be made to the crew by the shipping company and other organisations, the National Service Movement stopped issuing supplies to seamen during the afternoon, except in urgent cases. The issue to passengers, however, is being continued. To most of the 200 officers and men of the Niagara the lost liner was their home, and the vessel carried all the worldly possessions of many. Though they landed in Auckland with only a minimum of their belongings, every provision is being made for their welfare. RELIEF FOR CREW The Niagara’s crew, signed on in Sydney, were under Australian articles, which provide for payment of their wages till the owners have returned them to their home port. Seamen are entitled to receive £2O each to replace lost effects, and the Union Steam Ship Company, Auckland agents for the lost vessel, have already advanced them £lO for their immediate wants. The providoring staff have also received a similar amount, though no provision is made in their award for the sum. On th<? recommendation of Captain Dillner, Marine Department superintendent at Auckland, the Shiwreck Relief Society's headquarters at Dunedin authorised the issue of orders equivalent to £5 to each member of the crew. The men will remain at the Hotel j Auckland and the Seamen’s Home at no cost to themselves till they are sent j | back to Australia next week. Most of j the officers and engineers will remain! in New Zealand, Where they will report to other ships. When the explosion occurred those members of the ship’s complement not! on duty immediately went to stations and to render assistance to passengers.l The result was that, though many of j the crew managed to salvage a few be-! longings for the passengers, they had little for themselves to bring ashore. Included in the complement’s property was valuable equipment kept by the sporting committee. This included j four sets of cricket material and boxing and wrestling equipment, donated by j Sir Julien Cahn in 1938. One of the! crew's most prized possessions was a i silver cup presented for boxing by the j late Sir James Murdoch, Sydney. The 1 ship defeated other vessels’ companies j from Australia, New Zealand and i Canada over a period of 12 years in de- j fence of the cup. The distress suffered by passengers j of the liner Niagara came within the; scope of the Sick. Wounded and Dis-‘ tress Fund, said the honorary treasurer of the joint council of the New Zealand Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, Mr J. Abel, last night. Arrangements had been made through the Auckland branch to give the neces- j sary assistance; in fact, clothing had been supplied the prevflfcus night, said I Mr Abel.

INQUIRY TO OPEN The stiverintendent of mercantile marine at Auckland, Captain H. A. Dillner, stated that a preliminary inquiry into the loss of the Niagara will be opened before him to-morrow. It is j understood that the inquiry will be of purely a formal nature.