SUBMARINE DISTURBANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22450, 20 December 1934, Page 10

SUBMARINE DISTURBANCE

AN UNCANNY EXPERIENCE MOTOR LINER RANGITATA (Peb United Press Association) > . AUCKLAND- December tff. • A submarine disturbance, thought to be connected with the earthquake in South America, violently shook the New Zealand Shipping Company's motor liner Rangitata, the day after she cleared the Panama canal enVoute froni London to Auckland. The liner arrived at Auckland to-day and the passengers described their uncanny experience. The ship, they said, quivered from stem to stern for about 15 or 30 seconds in a manner that made it seem that she was being shaken from different directions at the same time. Then she ploughe'd on steadily through the calm and untroubled sea. ', / The disturbance occurred about seven o'clock in the evening, when most of the passengers were preparing for dinner; One man said he was in the smoke room having a cocktail before dinner, and the sudden violent trembling of the ship " would have spilled drink; if he had not hastily, swallowed it."' Captain Hunter, commander of the Rangitata, said the'liner was travelling at her normal speed.' The weather was fine and the sea calm- when suddenly, without any warning and with nothingto disturb the surface of the ocean, tie ship shook convulsively. There was deep water in the vicinity and there was nothing in the peculiar motion to suggest that the ship had struck a whale or any submerged obstacle. Later reports were received by wireless stating that a severe earthquake had been experienced at San Salvador and. Guatemala. It was- thought that the disturbance experienced by the liner was almost certainly connected with this earthquake.