ATHENIA TRAGEDY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23486, 25 October 1939, Page 17

ATHENIA TRAGEDY

SURVIVOR'S STORY ORDEAL OF DUNEDIN WOMAN HOURS IN RUDDERLESS BOAT Relief at landing safely in New Zealand after harrowing experiences was expressed by Mrs. A. Oliphant, of Dunedin, a survivor of the ill-fated liner Athenia, when slie arrived at Auckland. She was naturally unwilling to speak much of her experiences, hoping to forget them now that she is so far from the scene of the tragedy. "I was in the library when the explosion occurred, and was therefore fully dressed, and was even wearing a coat." Mrs. Oliphant said;;> "I rushed lip on deck immediately to go to my station, but the confusion and panic among the passengers was terrible. It was getting dark at the time, and everyone was rushing to get into tho nearest lifeboat. I tried several boats before my struggles were successful. "We were in tie boat from 11 to 12 hours before we were picked up, but I do not know what ship it was that rose lied us," Mrs. Oliphant continued. "Many of the people were so helpless with sickness that they could not pull an oar. and strangely enough the men seemed to be more afFected ! than the women. I was not sick, and tried my best helping to pull an oar. hilt I was not strong enough to manage it alonp. A fair amount of water splashed into the boat, and we could ■ not steer because we had no rudder. "The boat was very full, and thero were several children among us, .but T could not see them because it was so dark," Mrs. Oliphant said. "Some of the passengers were ill in their bunks when the explosion occurred and had only time to snatch a coat to wear over their pyjamas before rushing to the deck. It was very cold, but not as cold as it has been on the voyage out to New Zealand. It was worst when it got near morning, for that always seems to be the coldest time."

Mrs. Oliphant was among the passengers landed in Scotland. The tiring exercise of helping with the oar in the

lifeboat had left her very "weak, and she said she could still feel the effects of this. She felt very nervous on the homeward journey, but she was beginning to get over it at last. She explained that she had booked her passage to return to New Zealand via Suez, and it was only when this service was_ cancelled that she decided to return via Canada, and then managed to get a passage on the Athenia.