ADVENTURES AT SEA
MASTER MARINER RETIRES CAPTAIN J. BENTON'S CAREER After nearly 45 years' iservice on the sea, Captain John Benton, master of the Union Steam Ship Company's intercolonial vessel JSalingo, has retired. Captain Benton first went to sea in 1889 in the schooner Olive, which was engaged in the Island trade. When at Apia the crew left the vessel to take part in the first Maleatoa war, and the schooner was delayed until the dispute was settled. After sailing in the schooner Christine, he joined the Southern Cross. When on board the three-masted schooner Jessie, Captain Benton, together with other members of the crew, was forced to abandon the vessel in a hurricane. They landed on an island, and when the hurricane had blown itself out they found that the schooner had broken her cable,. Accordingly they were forced to row to Noumea, a distance of about 300 miles. Captain Benton then joined the Indiana, which was lost on Barren Island, Banks Strait, when bound for Tasmania. After spending a week on the island, he and other members of the crew set out for Launceston in a small boat and were picked up by the barque Alastor, which was also blown to sea, and it was two weeks before the vessel reached Tasmania. In 1907 Captain Benton was appointed master of the Squall, and he was also in cotomand of the Corinna, the Alanapouri, the Hauroto and the Haupiri. He resigned in 1910 to. take command of the Inga, which was the first steamer owned by R. S. Lamb and Company, Limited, and J. J. Craig, Limited. In 1911 Captain Benton went to Eng. land to supervise the building of the lhumata for the same company. After bringing the vessel out to Australia he resigned from the company in 1914 to take up the position of harbourmaster at Gisborne. He left this position to take command of the Omana, where he remained for 14 years. He then joined the Kalingo, which was taken over by the Union Steam Ship Company in 1930, and he held this position until his retirement.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21999, 4 January 1935, Page 10
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351ADVENTURES AT SEA New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21999, 4 January 1935, Page 10
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