ORDEAL FOR ANIMALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23012, 13 April 1938, Page 16

ORDEAL FOR ANIMALS

WANGANELLA'S VOYAGE ELEPHANTS OFTEN AWASH CHIEF STEWARD'S MISFORTUNE [from our own correspondent] SYDNEY, April 8 Elephants screaming while a howling gale was raging in the Tasman caused excitement on the Huddart-Parker liner Wanganella on her trip from Auckland to Sydney this week. The elephants and many other animals belonged to Wirth's Circus, returning from a 20 weeks' tour of New Zealand. They made the Wanganella a floating Noah's Ark, for down below in the 'tween decks were a lion, a lioness, two tigers, two bears, two leopards, one chimpanzee, one orangoutang, one ape, 22 smaller monkeys, one wombat, 11 dogs, 30 horses and ponies, and a baboon. The chief steward, Mr. W. Fookes, was not so enthusiastic over elephants as he used to be. His cabin was close to the elephants. In spite of the ordeal of the gale, one of them could not resist a little mischief, and when Mr. Fookes closed his cabin door during the voyage and went about his duties satisfied that everything was shipshape, the elephants indulged ip a campaign of wrecking. A long elephant's trunk came through an open porthole. First Mr. Fookes lost an ornamental lampshade. It went with a crash as the trunk made contact. The trunk felt around the cabin and found his bed. Pillows went flying in all directions, and then the trunk discovered the bed cover. It was whipped off, hauled through the porthole and sent flying into the sea. The Wanganella ran into the gale soon after leaving Auckland. As she turned North Cape the weather moderated a little, but the gale came up again late ou Saturday and lasted all Sunday. Green seas swept over the bows and the elephants were frequently awash. Efforts were made to protect them with canvas awpings. Molly, an elephant aged 72, was seasick ail the way. She put her trunk in her mouth and tears streamed from her eyes. Princess Alice, aged 151, looked upon her with scorn. But Princess Alice is seasoned. She has toured the world twice, has travelled once to the East and back —to see her relatives —and has crossed the Tasman 18 times. , Harold, the orang-outang, was very seasick down below, and sat with arms outstretched throughout the voyage, refusing food and water and looking pathetic.