SECOND ESCAPES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23687, 20 June 1940, Page 11

SECOND ESCAPES

75-YEAR-OLD STOBEMAN TORPEDOED IN GREAT WAR STEWARD OF THE TAHITI For the second time in his 60 years at sea. Mr. Charles McLean, engineerstorekeeper of the Niagara, has been on a ship that has been sunk, and for the second time he has lost everything he possessed, but has escaped personal injury.

Seventy-five years of age and a native of Glasgow, Mr. McLean was one of the crew of the steamer Tasman, which was torpedoed about 300 miles off the coast of Ireland on September 16, 1918, when bound from London to Calcutta. After 18 hours in lifeboats, the Tasman's crew was picked up by the United States destroyer Fulton.

Before the Great War, Mr. McLean sailed with the Niagara on her maiden voyage and he has been 120 trips with her since. "Now I have seen her go," he said last night.

"I'll go away again to-morrow if there is a ship" available," Mr. McLean added. "I have got to earn my living and that is all there is to it. You must take things as they come." The lofes of the Niagara yesterday was also the secipnd experience of a sinking of a Pacific liner in the sea service of Mr. W. J. Hutt, chief steward of the vessel. Mr. Hutt was second steward of the Tahiti, which sank in the Pacific in 1930. A PASSENGER'S LOSS PLATE AND FURNITURE Losing a quantity of valuable family plate and furniture in addition to all her other belongings, Mrs. Major, widow of the late Mr. C. T. Major, founder and former headmaster of King's College, suffered particularly severely from the sinking of the Niagara. Mrs. Major had come to New Zealand in connection with the estate of her late husband, and was returning to reside in Canada. Included in the articles which she was taking with her were many to which she was particularly attached apart from their material value.