GLOOMY VOYAGE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15506, 17 November 1914, Page 7

GLOOMY VOYAGE.

OF S.S. TURAKINA. FIVE DEATHS ON THE WAY. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 1.0. It was a thankful crowd of passengers that landed from the New Zealand Shipping Company's 'J'urukinu from London last evening. Thankful that u voyage, extraordinary ior its gloominess, was at an end. No less than five deaths, including one from suicide, occurred on board in the short space of 22 days, between the vessel leaving London on October 2 and passing Cape - town on October 24. Two of tho deaths were of passengers and three of t members of the crew, including the 'ship's surgeon. The first death occurred three dny.i after the vessel loft England when u steward, named Frederick Wnich- ■ worth, a native of Bath, (succumbed to an attrick of pneumonia. Four days later, October 0, a trimmer named John Lewis, aged 23 years, a native., bo far as is known, pf London, committed suicide by jumping overboard. The attempt to rescue Lewis was an" exciting'event. The sea was choppy at the time. Lewis jumped overboard in full view of the officers and seamen of the. watch', at 4 o'clock in tho _ morning. The alarm was Riven immediately and the ship was put astern. Two boats wero quickly manned and lowered, but tho attempted rescue war, most difficult as the night was pitch black. A thorough search was made in the vicinity, and lifebuoys were thrown in all diro.e- ---' tions but no trace of tho unfortunate man was discovered. One of the orcw stated last night that Lewis had been brooding all the way from London over the war news, and was continually talking about the Gorman atrocities, until lie worked hniself into a mtiaW't tit ate of frenzy. Other than this, lie ron.«on is assigned for taking Ins live. The next blow to those on board came when it became lenown that Dr. Llewellyn Thomas. the Chip's surgeon, was seriously ill from tho effects of a chill caught on ' the vovivj:o. Tie rapidly wink and died on October l. r >th. Tlie doctor, who was 41 Y«rs '-f was vcrv popular on board lie Una been a 'special # favourite with < tho womwi ami children, find his (.cnin was decplv regretted. Needless to say by this time the passengers' nor von in ft sttito of prostration Jit the sad events coming so dnse-ly on top of each other, nnd a gloom settled over the ship, wliich social functions, music, concerto and games absolutely failed to clear away. Tho steamer did not make tho customary call nt Capetown, and this added to the monotony and depression. . On October 20 another death oocun'cd, and the passengers began to think that the ship was possessed of an evil influence. After an attack _ of double pneumonia a popular thirdclass passenger, a motor car driver, named Denis Walsh, succumbed. Walsh had been foremost in trying to cheer , up hits fellow travellers and his death was a great blow. Ho was an Irishmatt having been born at Brosna, and was only 29 years of ago. Four days later enteric JHver nnd heart failure carried off Laiwnco Mauds Coy, a farmer who was returning to New Zealand after a visit to bia native town of Rishton in Lancashire, -i Muudwloy was well known in the South Canterbury district, where ha held a farm near Waamate for four years ,and wo« much respected. He wa« 60 years of age. There were thus four burials at soil within a very short space of time aud it was only reasonable to expect that the passengers who arrived were glad ' that their bug sad journey was at au I-jumL 1