SIR CHARLES SKERRETT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 5

SIR CHARLES SKERRETT.

HIS LAST ILLNESS,

AV ELLINGTON, February 27. Further information regarding the circumstances connected with the death of Sir Charles Skerrett at sea was supplied by the officers of the New Zealand Ship ping Company’s steamer Ruahine on her arrival at Wellington to-day from South ampton via the Pana-'a canal. At 6.45 p.m. on February 12, when the ship was about 2200 miles from Balboa, and about 4280 miles from Wellington, Captain Urquhart received a radio message from the C. and D. liner Port Denison, bound from V\ ellington to London, stating that Sir Charles Skerrett was ill, and requesting that the Ruahine should meet her so that he might be transferred for return to New Zealand; Both ships then altered their course to approach each other, but at 11 p.m. a second radio message from the Port Denison stated that Sir Charles Skerrett was much worse, and that his condition was too bad to allow of his being moved to the Ruahine. Early in the morning of Wednesday, February 13, a radio message from the Port Denison flashed to ‘■he Ruahine the sad news that Sir Charles Skerrett was dead. This information was received with the deepest regret on board the New Zealand-bound ship. At 7.30 p.m. the ships passed each other, the Port Denison being hull down from the Ruahine. As there was nothing further to be done the ships kept on their respective ways. At the time the Ruahine was well out of wireless range , with New Zealand, and there were no ships through which the sad news could be sent to New Zealand. At the earliest opportunity Captain Urquhart sent a radio message, which was relayed through the Chatham Islands station to Wellington.