PORT KEMBLA DISASTER

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 37

PORT KEMBLA DISASTER

THE CAPTAIN'S STORY. CREW OF VETERAN SAILORS. . KELSON, September 20. The crew of the Port Kembla left for Wellington this morning, when they were given a public send-off and conveyed to the wharf by cars. Most of the crew have had submarine experiences, ono man having been torpedoed no fewer than six times. Captain Jack, who has been suffering from the effects of his lengthy immersion, was about yesterday afternoon. In a general conversation regarding the loss of the Port Kembla) Captain Jack said he had just left the bridge and gone into his cabin when the explosion occurred. He emerged from the cabin, and was met by strong umes along the passage. Meeting the second officer, he remarked: "It seems like a bomb," the officer replying i " Yes, it looks like it." The captain at once gave orders for the engines to stop and 'or the boats to be got ready. He also instructed the wireless operator to send a message, but the explosion had wrecked the wireless gear, making it impossible to forward any communication. The vessel had a list, but not sufficient to interfere with the launching of the boats. Captain Jack and two of the officers remained on the steamer till the very last. Then they dived overboard and swam round the ship to eee that everyone was away. The lights lasted almost to the last, and the Port Kembla went down with her whistle blowing. The behaviour of the crew, Captain Jack states, was excellent, there being no trouble at all. The men accepted the position in the best of spirits. The officers, Captain Jack added, saved very little. He secured some papers and placed them in the pocket of his overcoat, but in the water had to discard the overcoat, and lost his papers after all. One or two of the officers managed to get their papers, but the rest lost everything. Captain Jack specially asked a reporter tj thank the Mayor and citizens of Nelson for the kindness extended to the officers and crew. They could not speak too highly of the treatment they had received; in tact, thev were being treated so well thev scarcely wanted to go away. DETAILS OF THE MAILS. WELLINGTON, September 20. A statement regarding- the mails lost of the steamer Port Kembla was made in the House of Representatives to-day by the Postmaster-general (Sir Joseph Ward). " Most of the mails lost when the steamer was blown up," said Sir Joseph Ward, "had come from Australia. There had been no English malls aboard the boat. The total quantity had been 220 bags of mails and 45 parcel receptacles. ,It was the largest mail ever lost gn route to New Zealand." Sir Joseph Ward gave particulars of the lost mails as follow:—The Post and Telegraph Department has received advice from Melbourne that the Port Kembla carried the following mails:— Melbourne to Palmerston North, 2 bags; Napier, 3 bags; New Plymouth, 4 bags; Gisborne, 2 bags; Nelson, 2 hags; Auckland, 22 bags and 7 parcel receptacles; Greymouth, 2 bags; Invercargill, 4 bags and 2 parcel receptaoles; Wellington, 37 bags and 28 parcel receptacles; Dunedin, :17 bags; Ohristchurch, 16 bags. Sydney to Palmerston North. 2 bags; Napier, 2 bags; New Plymouth, 2 bags; Gisborne, 1 bag; Nelson, 1 bag; Auckland, 8 bags; Greymouth, 1 bag; Invercargill, 2 bags; Wellington, 9 bags ; Dunedin, 4 bags; Ohristchurch, 5 bags: Lyttelton, 1 bag: Wanganui. 2 bags; Rarotonga, 2 bags; Tahiti, 6 bags. Brisbane to Dunedin, 1 bag; Auckland, 1 bag; Ohristohurch, 1 bag; Wellington, 1 bag. New Zealand (Miscellaneous). —Perth to Bluff. 1 bag j Inveroafgill, 4- bags. Fremantle to Wellington. 1 bag. Adelaide to Dunedin, 2 bags; Christchurch, 2 bags; Wellington, 4 bags; Auckland, 3 hags. Hobart to Dunedin, 2 bags; Christchurch. 2 bags; Wellington, 5 bags and .4 parcel receptacles; Auckland. 2 bags. Launceston to Wellington, 2 bags. Calcutta to Bluff. 3 bags and 1 parcel receptacle; Invercargill, 4 bags and 1 parcel receptacle; Wellington, 4 bags; Auckand, 3 bags. Aden to Bluff, 1 bag and 3 parcel receptacles; Invercargill. 1 bag; Wellington, 1 bag; Auckland, 1 bag and 2 parcel receptacles. A transport to New Zealand, 1 bag. Capetown to Wei-' Ungton, 1 bag. THE OFFICIAL INQUIRY WELLINGTON, September 20. It is understood that the inquiry into the Port Kcmbla_ disaster will bo held in camera., it being deemed unwise to public certain circumstances. PRECAUTIONS REGARDING CREW. WELLINGTON, September 21. Very special precautions were taken when the Port Keinbla's orc-w arrived last night cowards midnight. No one from the shore was allowed access to the orew, and press interviews were forbidden. A cordon of police and detectives kept watch over the Pateena, and the crew were detained on board all night, though passengers were allowed to land. Nothing further will be allowed to be made public till after the official inquiry. A telegram from. Farewell Spit states that wreckage is coming ashore some miles from the lighthouse. MEN ACCOMMODATED IN BARRACKS. WELLINGTON, September 21. Tho Port Kembla's crew came ashore from the Pateena this morning, and were taken to tho Central Police Station, then to the Military Barracks, where they were accommodated by tho Government. They will remain under police supervision. The inquiry will bo opened as soon as possible.

CARGO VALUED AT £500,000. WELLINGTON, September 19. The Port Kembla's cargo was valued at about £500.000. The ship herself was probably worth at least £150,000 at the present high values of merchant vessels. This is the fourth of the "Port" line of steamers to bo lost during the war. The others were the Marcre and Port Adelaide (submarined), and the Port Nicholson (mined), all in the neighbourhood of the English Channel. MELBOURNE, September 21. Amongst the Port Kembla's cargo were 6000 cases of Christmas comforts for soldiers at the front, sent by the Lord "Mayoress and the Patriotic League. Practically the

. —________ , __^ wholo of the general merchandise aboard was shipped for the Imperial Government. The Government is further tightening: the precautions to safeguard departing vessels. PARTICULARS OF THE VESSEL, The Port Kembla was a steel screw 6teamer of 4700 tons gross register and 8200 tons dead weight. Sho was built in 1910 by Messrs Hawthorn, Leslie, anjd Co., and was owned by the Commonwealth Dominion Line, which prefixes the wora Pox-t to the names of all its vessels. The Port Kembla was one of the units of th& original Port line, which went out of existence with the formation of the Commonwealth and Dominion line, and always bore that name. Her principal dimensions were as follow : —Length, 300 ft oin; breadth, 52ft 7in; depth, 26ft 2in. The Commonwealth and Dominion Line has its headquarters in London, as well as offices in Sydney and Wellington, and agencies in all the chief centres. The majority of Its vesisels are cargo carriers, a»d trade between the United Kingdom, Australia, *nd New Zealand. So far as can be learned the Port Kembla has never visited this port. . MEASURES FOR RELIEF OF THE CREW. During the afternoon Mr E. S. Wilsou (secretary of the Shipwreck Relief Society Of New Zealand), sent the following telegram to the Collector of Customs at Nelson in reply to a message asking for relief:— " Draw on the society to the extent of £3 per man in the meantime} advise if anything further is needed,' supplying de tails." Subsequently a telegram was received from Mr Snoclgrass (Mayor of Nelson), stating that 59 members of the crew of the Port Kembla had arrived there destitute, and there was a great shortage of clothing. He was supplying first "aid and an outfit in the meantime, but more than £3 per man would be required. The reply sent by Mr Wilson was as follows:—"Draw on us for a further £2 per man if necessary and report further.