SUNK AT SEA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17113, 19 September 1917, Page 4

SUNK AT SEA.

FATE OF THE PORT KEMBLA. EXPLOSION IN THE FOItEHOLD. VESSEL SINKS IN TWENTY MINUTES. INFERNAL MACHINE SUSPECTED. NO LOSS OF LIFE. (Peb United Peess Association.) NELSON, September 18. Great excitement was caused hi Nelson about noon to-day when it became known that the Anchor Line steamer Regulus, which left last night for Westport, had passed tho Farewell Spit light, returning to Nelson, with two boats in tow and 60 shipwrecked persons on board. At the lightkeeper's request the name of the wrecked vessel was disregarded.

Crowds assembled at the port to witness tho arrival of tho Regulus shortly after 4. Conjectures were set at rest by the announcement that tho rescued party was the complete crew of the Port Kembla, a Commonwealth and Dominion liner of 4700 tons, bound from Melbourne to London, and intending to call at Wellington for coal and also to land a large Australian and overseas mail. About 1 o'clock in tho morning, when 20 miles from Farewell Spit, a tremendous explosion tooki place in the forehold, opening the starboard side of the vessel, which rapidly began to fill, and sank within- 20 minutes. Thero was only time to get out two of the boats. Tho explosion damaged the wireless installation, which was rendered useless. >

Strong fumes caused nausea among some of the men, and indicated that the explosion was due to an infernal machine!

Captain Jack, the first officer (Mr Fletcher), and the third officer (Mr Sams) stayed on the ship, and were in tho water for about half an hour after tho ship sank before they were picked up by the cruising boats. About half-past 6, when seeking a landing place on tho coast, the boats were sighted by the Regulus, and the occupants wero taken on board

Not knowing what might be the condition of tho shipwrecked party, the Mayor of Nelson had a committee formed, and arranged for their accommodation, etc. On tho arrival of the Regulus the whole ship's companv quickly placed in quarters and their immediate wants provided for. A great cheer was given when the announcement was made that no lives had been lost

The Port Kembla had a full cargo of foodstuffs, and carried parcels sent through the Lady Mayoress of Melbourne and a number of Red Cross parcels for soldiers. The crow will leave for Wellington by the Pateena on Thursday.

REFERENCES IN THE HOUSE.

NOTHING SAVED FROM THE VESSEL. ' 465 BAGS OF MAILS LOST. (Froh Ock Own ComtEsroNDENT.) WELLINGTON, September 18. "I regret to have to announce," eaid tho Hon. Mr Russell in the House of Representatives to-night, "that a very serious marine disaster has happened close to our shores. A few days ago a large steamer of the C. and D. Line, called tho Port Kembla, loft Australia for Home, laden with provisions for the Motherland. I understand that she was loaded by free labour. The cause of tho disaster, I rogret to say, was an internal explosion, which acted so speedily that there was no time to eave anything oxcopt till© lives of all tho officers and crow. Not' oven the ship's papers were rescued, and 465 bags of mails liave gone to the bottom of tho sea. Further information may bo received, but this is all Mhat is available at present. I regret to have to make this announcement, .but, as rumours may get abotrt, I think i(i advisable to give members all the facts." i The Hon. A. M. Myers also made a statement. "My friend tho Minister of Marine has said," he stated, "that the vessel was on her way to New Zealand to talco in coal. That statement is quite correct. I would like to mention to hon. members that, as Minister in Charge of Supplies, when the agent applied to me for coal 'my answer was that it was impossible to let him havo it, owing to the complicated state of affairs in Australia and the scarcity of coal here. I thought, Mr Speaker, it was only right to mention that phase of it, which had not come under the notice of my. Hon. friend tho.Minister of Marine."

Sir J. Ward made a statement regarding the mails on board the steamer. Tho great bulk of the.mails, ho said, were for New Zealand. "I have an _ impression," he added, "but I am not quite sure, that portion of these bags was of English mails."Mr Russell: That is so. Sir J. Ward: The English mails would come via Suez. Mr Hudson: Any Indian mails? Sir_ Joseph Ward: Thero would almost certainly bo Indian mails on board, in addition to the others. PARTICULARS OF THE VESSEL. Tho Port Kembla was a steel screw steamer of 4700 tons gross register and 8200 tons dead weight. She was built in 1910 by Messrs Hawthorn, Leslie, an,d Co., and was owned by the Commonwealth and Dominion Line, which prefixes the word Port to the names of all its vessels. Tho Port Kembla was one of the units of the original Port line, which went out of existence with the formation of tho Commonwealth and Dominion line, and always bore that name. Her principal dimensions were as follow: —Length, 400 ft sin; breadth, 52ft 7in; depth, 26ft 2in. The Commonwealth and Dominion Line has its headquarters in London, as well as offices in Sydney and Wellington, and agencies in all the chief centres. .The majority of its vessels are cargo carriers, and trade between the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. So far as can be learned tho Port Kembla has never visited this port. MEASURES FOR RELIEF OF THE CREW. During the afternoon Mr E. S. Wilson (secretary of the Shipwreck Relief Society of New Zealand), sent the following telegram to the Collector of Customs at Nelson in reply to a message asking for relief:— '" Draw on the society to tho extent of £2 per man in the meantime; advise if anything further is needed, supplying de tails."

Subsequently a telegram was received from Mr Snodgrass (Mayor of Nelson), stating that 59 members of tho crew of tho Port Kembla had arrived there deetituto, and thcro was a great shortage of clothing, lie was supplying first aid and an outfit in tho meantime, but more than £2 per man would be required. Tho reply sent by Mr Wilson was as.follows: —"Draw on us for a further £2 per man if necessary and report further."