SHIPPING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 56

SHIPPING NEWS.

NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING CO.'S

CANADIAN-NEW ZEALAND SERVICE. It will bo remembered that the arrangement between the Canadian Government and the New Zealand Shipping Company, under which a steamer belonging to the latter left Montreal monthly for New Zealand, terminated towards the close of last year. Since then, however, the Whakatane and other steamers have continued the service, and have reached this dominion with much-needed cargoes. The next, steamer to arrive will be the Pakeha, and with her dispatch from Canada it was until recently feared that, this valuable connecting link between the two dominions would bo broken. Wo are now informed by the local manager of the shipping company that arrangements have been made for further monthly sailings from Canada, which will carry the service on until November next, and that, under this arrangement, the Kaikoura will leave Montreal for New Zealand next month.

TRAGEDY OF THE SEA

A sea tragedy, involving great loss of life, occurred ofll Port San Luis, about 18 milcG south of San Francisco, on May 10. The steamer Roanoke, bound for S'outh America, was struck by a heavy sea, and foundered. There were only three survivors, and the latest report stated that 47 had perished. Tho drowned included Captain K. Dickson and his wife, first officer C. G. Green, and chief engineer J. M'lnncs.

Only a few minutes after the cargo had shifted the Roanoke plunged beneath the waves, leaving four boatloads of eurvivors floating about, miles from land, and with their own exertions at the oars the only thing that, was to save them. They had no drinking water in their boats, and they had" no compass to direct them. About the only useful thing the lifeboats contained was food —hard tack—and this the occupants did not even touch As night came on the cold increased in intensity. The men at tho oars quit rowing - in utter weariness. When darkness descended thrco boats disappeared. Daylight found only one boat aflo-it, and one after another five of their number sueeuin.bed. A few hours more, had they not been discovered, this boat would have contained eight corpses instead of five.