PNEUMONIC PLAGUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24772, 24 November 1941, Page 6

PNEUMONIC PLAGUE

SLIGHT OUTBREAK AT NOUMEA CLIPPER'S SHORT STAY (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Nov. 23. Because of a slight outbreak of pneumonic plague at Noumea, the California Clipper stayed there only one hour and a-half to-day, and, although not due here until to-morrow afternoon, the Clipper arrived here at 6.30 this evening. The Clipper left Suva at 5.23 a.m. (New Zealand time) to-day, and arrived at Noumea at 10.15 a.m. She left Noumea for Auckland at mid-day. As the Pan-American Airways base at Noumea is a mile and a-half from the town, and all the employees have been isolated there since the outbreak of the epidemic, it was considered safe for the- passengers to alight at Auckland. The Clipper remained at Noumea only long enough to refuel. Dr J. A. Watson, port health officer at Auckland, said it must be only a minor outbreak, as the Health Department in New Zealand had not been informed of it. '•

What is believed to be the largest number of passengers ever to be carried by a commercial aircraft operating on. a regular schedule, about 50 in nil, will be taken by the California Clioper when she leaves Auckland at 4 o'clock on Tuesday morning for San Francisco, vn Noumea. Suva. Canton Inland and Honolulu. In addition to the passengers, the Clioper will carry a crew of 12. making a full complement of about 62 oersons.