Christmas Dinner On Board Marine Phoenix At Sea

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 December 1947, Page 6

Christmas Dinner On Board Marine Phoenix At Sea

(P.A.) Auckland, Dec. 29. Nearly 600 passengers on the Matson steamer Marine Phoenix, which called at Auckland today, sat down to Christmas dinner last Thursday just after the ship had picked up the first light in the Fiji Islands. A former troop carrier which was making her eighth southbound voyage from San Francisco .as a passenger vessel, she brought 166 passengers for New Zealand and was joined by 130, including members of the Borovansky Ballet, before she sailed for Sydney tonight. Four days out from San Francisco a Canadian passenger, Mr. Henry W. Layland, aged 78, died of pneumonia and heart trouble. He was travelling to Sydney with his wife, two daughters and son. His body was embalmed for burial in Australia, but he was subsequently burled at sea, a service being conducted by the Rev. Leslie Blomerley. Nearly £4OO was spent by the company in providing presents and festive decorations for the ship on Christmas Day. Following a message in the vessel’s news sheet Father Christmas arrived by jeep on the wharf 30 minutes before the Marine Phoenix left Pago Pago. He distributed 100 presents to native children on the quay and then came on Standing beside a gaily lit Christmas tree in the lounge Father Christmas distributed model battleships, Indian suits, dolls, imitation monkeys, a dolls house, furniture and other toys to each of the 120 children on board. On Christmas morning all the women passengers received a gitt of candied fruit.