A VOYAGE OF SUSPENSE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2244, 2 September 1914, Page 6

A VOYAGE OF SUSPENSE

NIAGARA'S STEALTHY RUN ACROSS ONE EVENTFUL NIGHT •

A. voyage not altogether free from anxiety was experienced by the passengers on the TJnion Company's luxurious liner Niagara, which arrived in Auckland on Sunday from Vancouver. Commissioner Richards, head of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, was on board, returning from tho,Salvation Army International Congress, held in London, and to a Dominion reporter yesterday the Commissioner related the novel experiences which befell tho passengers while the ship slowly-felt its way across the.ocean, all the time on the look-out for possible German cruisers. Commissioner Riohards toavolled from London across Canada, and the first intimation he got that war. had broken out was when he reached Vancouver. On going aboard his' ship he was informed that the port was closed, and the sailing was cancelled for the time being. That was on August 5, and the passengers had to content themselves with waiting. i silent. Departure. : On the .night of August 7 it was decided to sail, the departure having been carefully, concealed from all but the passengers'and the port officials. All was dark aboard the- vessel as she slowly slipped out to the open sea, and not a few of the passengers sat through the night with nervous chills of apprehension. Every night from then on till 'Auckland was reached all lights on the deck were kept out at night, and cabin portholes were covered, so that not a flicker from anywhere could be, seen. Passengers soon settled down to this novelty, realising as they did that the safety of the. ship, depended on her being unseen. During the day suspense was lifted, and all the daylight hours were occupied by icager watchers looking for any smoke line on the horizon that might herald the approach of one of the enemy's warships. . At Honolulu there was an enforced delay of six days. .'The Niagara was moored in the stream, _ and the passongers'had a dreary wait, for no news of outside operations filtered through. It was feared to be unsafe to proceed at the time, but at midnight on August 19, with all lights out, the vessel quietly left the harbour, and steamed slowly into the surrounding darkness. The night passed uneventfully, and for three days the usual routine' was proceeded with. . '•"■' Wireless Warnings. , Then in tho stillness of night the engines oeasod to throb. What had happened was not known to the passengers congregated about the decks, and a trying time was experienced. After a time it became known that a wireless message had been intercepted, and it was thought that a German cruiser was in the vicinity.. For two hours the big liner drifted on the sea, while the officers waited and watched, fearing that at any moment a grim' cruiser might loom up. Nothing appeared, and it was decided to proceed. Day came in due course, ana anxiety was relioved. Nothing further happened to disturb the voyagers, but all were relioved when Auckland was reached. ■■•■■•■■ Speaking of the international Congress in London, Commissioner Rich- 1 ards said that it aroused great interest in tho doings of the Army. The native soldiers from Java, Japan, etc., were greeted with interest by everyone. The spectacular procession through London was a stirring event, and the Press estimated that fully two million persons' watched the soldiers of- the Army as they proceeded through the streets', whilst fully a million congregated round the different' speakers in Hyde Park. Other Now Zealand delegates returned yesterday by the TJlimaroa. They were Major Kirk, the trade secretary; StaffCaptain Roi, in charge of the Girls' Homo. Wellington; Staff Captain Newby, Divisional officer, Christchurch; Ad- j jutant Winter, Wellington; and Adjutant Dickson, Wellington. Brigadier Gist, Brigadier Cnrmichael, and Major Pago, who were on the German liner Roon, which sheltered in Java when hostilities broke out, have been able •to take a steamer for Svdney, and will shortly arrive in Now Zealand. Information has been received in Sydney to the effect that tho North German Lloyd liner Coblenz, which cleared Sydnoy on July 12 and Brisbano on July 14 for China and Japan, received news of war having been declared before sho arrived at Rabane. Tho speed oE the vessel was increased, and when sho reached German New Guinea all the passengers wero landed ,and immediately afterwards tho Coblenz left for a neutral port.