A BELATED STEAMER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13454, 5 April 1907, Page 5

A BELATED STEAMER.

PASSENGER'S UNPLEASANT

EXPERIENCE

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Christchurch, Thursday. It will be a long time before the ufi> pleasant memories of their cold, dreary, all-night wait in Lyttelron are effaced from the minds of the 200 people who had hooked their passages to Wellington by the Rotomahana last night. The Tvotomahana left Wellington at a quarter past one p.m. on Wednesday, and was advertised to sail again that evening at half-past ten. It was, of course, quite impossible for her to do so, as she could not reach Lyttelton until the early hours of this (Thursday) morning. The Union Company arranged for the departure of a special train from Christchurch to Lyttelton at one o'clock in the morning to take the passengers for the steamer. No public announcement of the arrangement, however, was made, and only those wio called at the company's office were made aware of it. The majority of the passengers booked for the Rotomahana fully expected that the steamer would sail, on the arrival of the half-past tea p.m. train, and made their arrangements accordingly. A number who had booked earlier thought that the steamer would sail on the arrival of the twenty-five minutes past five p.m. train, and went to Lyttelton by that train. All received a great shock when they reached Lyttelton and were told that (he vessel would not be in until after one o'clock in the morning. Expressions of surprise and anger were to be heard on all sides, and there was much distress among a large number of ladies, many of whom had young children with them. By the time the half-past ten p.m. train arrived from Christchurch there were at least 200 passengers with all their baggage in Lyttelton waiting the arrival of the steamer.

The railway station and the yard was very much like a refuge camp. The two wailing rooms, the platform, mid the seats were crowded, and many people were wandering about the deserted streets. The night was line, but there was a keen wind blowing. At last, about ten minutes to two, the Rotomahana came into sight, and 300 passengers, most of whom had been waiting in Lytteltou for four or five hours, boarded the vessel- The Rotomahana sailed again at a-qnarter-past three a.m. for Wellington.