EXCITING INCIDENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22632, 25 July 1935, Page 10

EXCITING INCIDENTS

ON BARQUE'S VOYAGE APPRENTICE LEAVES IN BATH TUB fFsoir Ocb Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, July 18. The passage of the Swedish fourmasted barque C. B. Pedersen from Melbourne to Gdthenburg, by way of Torres Strait, has been enlivened by two exciting incidents. One was the discovery three days after the vessel left Melbourne of a girl stowaway. The other occurred one night last week; when one of the cadets left the vessel on an improvised raft. : ■ "■'

A wireless message received in Melbourne from Miss Glen Mills, a passenger on the barque, stated that the stowaway is Miss Edith Wilson, of Melbourne, who was formerly employeS : at a chocolate factory at South Melbourne. An official of the factory said that the girl " just disappeared " about five weeks ago. Little is known of her by the other employees, among whom she apparently made few friends. Before Miss Wilson left her guardian died.

The apprentice who left the ship is Bertil Hjelmstrom, aged 21 years, a native of Sweden. It is believed that he constructed a crude raft from the'ship's only' bath tub, which he hoisted over the side of the ship. He took with him all his belongings. At the time the C. B. Pedersen was about 100 miles east-south-east of Thursday Island. When Hjelmstrom's disappearance was reported to the master (Captain Hjalmar Dahlstrom) a search in the vicinity of Campbell Island was made, but the cadet was not found. So in his old wooden tub, with an improvised sail as his ensign of adventure, and a rifle beside him to meet the perils of the sea, Bertil Hjelmstrom. is bobbing about somewhere in Torres Strait. Hjelmstrom quit "his ship with the intention of making for New Guinea, 50 miles off. He had been lured by tales of gold to be won, but those on board who know the lad and particularly the wooden bath fear for his safety. The ship's captain is worried also, for if Hjelmstrom lands in Australia he may be regarded as a prohibited immigrant, and the captain will have to forfeit £IOO, as well as the bath, the only one that was on board.

Neither of the incidents had been reported in previous messages from the C. B. Pedersen, because Captain Dahlstrom had asked that the news should be withheld pending an inquiry. Three weeks have passed since Miss Wilson was found. Before the C. B. Pedersen left Melbourne on June 18 the ship was searched for stowaways, but Miss Wilson was not discovered until three days after the vessel had cleared Port Phillip Heads. She was signed on as a stewardess.

At 10 a.m. last Friday the C. B. Pedersen passed through Torres Strait under full sail. The ship was assisted by a favourable wind and by a strong current setting to the westward. Master mariners in Melbourne expressed admiration of Captain Dahlstrom's seamanship, as the task of navigating a large fullrigged ship in light trim through such dangerous waters is very difficult. Under present conditions Captain Dahlstrom expects that a fast passage will be made through the Timor and Arafura Seas to the Indian Ocean, where the ship will get the benefit of.the south-east trades. In addition to a ship's company of 37, the C. B. Pedersen carries eight passengers, four of whom are women.