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Otago Daily Times, Issue 23882, 9 August 1939, Page 4

that the hatches nad to be battened down for long periods. They were opened for ventilation at every opportunity." The onions were condemned by the health authorities as unfit for human consumption. Then there was the problem of destroying them. Ordinary barges and hopper barges were considered unsuitable for the destruc-

tion of 7980 bags of onions. If they were dumped close to the coast the onions would drift to the beaches. It was questionable whether the barges would be able to get them far enough to sea. The Holland-Australia Line, owners 01 the Algenib, took no risks. Those onions had to make a long sea voyage—the longer the better. So negotiations were entered into with the ship-breaking firm of Penguin, Ltd. This firm bought five obsolete destroyers from the Royal Australian Navy in 1937. One of them, the Stalwart, was almost ready for destruction. It

was decided to destroy both ship and onions together. Wharf labourers set to work to discharge the onions from the Algenib to the old Stalwart, and soon were " working with tears in their eyes." The bags, sent over in slings, were dumped in all parts of the destroyer. There were onions in the mess deck, and onions in the ward~oom. Onions nestled around the funnels. Some of the bags had rotted, and the onions had to be shovelled into slings and dropped, a smelling shower, into the hulk of the destroyer.

On Saturday a tug took the Stalwart in tow, the crew making sure that;there was plenty of rope between the vessels. Twenty miles out from Sydney Heads, in the prescribed area , for sinking ships, a party from the I tug opened the sea cocks of the Stalwart, which plunged to the depths 'iose j first with her last strange cargo.