AN EVENTFL PASSAGE.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 56, 7 March 1901, Page 3

AN EVENTFL PASSAGE.

FIVE LIVES LOST. THE VENTURA IN A GALE. THE CAPTAIN’S TESTIMONIAL. [By Telegraph—Press Association.] Auckland, last night. Five men met a horrible death on the R.M.S. Ventura during the voyage for Philadelphia to San Francisco. At 6.15 o'clock on the evening of January 23rd, while tho steamer was about 700 miles orth of Valparaiso, a terrific roar startled everybody on board, and immediately afterwards steam issued in dense volumes from the engine-room. As quickly as was possible, the Chief Engineer (Mr Haynes) and others made their way below, where they- found the bodies of fivemen, who had been killed by the bursting of the main steam pipe of the port boilers. The victims were :

George W. Robb, junior engineer, agef 20, a resident of Charleston, S.G.

William Farren, fireman, aged 89, a native of Ireland.

.T. Desmond, aged 26. Paul Loire, coal passer, aged 26, a native of Germany. Felix Glass, aged 19, a stowaway from Philadelphia. Glass was employed as a coal passer. No cries were hoard immediately following the explosion, and judging from the appearance of the five unfortunates, all of them were nlmost instantly killed by the heat and tho force of steam.

The bodies presented n horrible sight. With becoming ceremony, directed by Captain Hayward, the five bodies were buried at sea the day after the accident. Four other men were badly scalded at the time the steam pipe burst, but have since recovered, and are now at work on the vessel. They were —P. McConnell, A. Petersen, J. Gaughan, and J. Kelly. Up to the time of the accident the Ventura was making good time towards San Francisco, and under ordinary circumstances would have surpassed the record of the Sonoma, the sister ship, on the trip from Philadelphia. The bursting of thopipc rendered useless the four port boilers, and the starboard boilers were thereafter used. Still, the Ventura arrived only fourteen hours behind tho Sonoina’s time. The trip was made in 88 days, 211 hours, and 110 minutes. Some rough weather was experienced, particularly at the beginning of the voyage. When two days out from Philadelphia a gale swept seas entirely over the steamer, carrying away part of tho starboard railing, breaking the gangway, and staving in one of the boats. Captain Hayward reports the Ventura to be a fine sea vessel, the violent weather having afforded a very fair test of her qualities.