LOSS OF THE SUMATRA.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1923, Page 4

LOSS OF THE SUMATRA.

ISLAND STEAMER'S TKACH' FATE. SYDNEY. July .I. Just at the moment when everybody was marvelling at the wonderful escape from death of the majority of the Tre-va-sn’s complement came the tragi news of the mysterious loss of the New Guinea Administration's steamer Sumatra on the north coast of New South Wales.

The Sumatra, a (■•■l'lnan-linilt steamer about 35 year., of age. which tta- engaged i lithe German I’aeil'n* archipelago lie fore the war and was -eized by tli.* Australian forces niton the islands

were c apt itied. had been In Sydney for repair- and left a week la.-t Monday on her return in Rahaul. She ha*l on

hoard Captain licit and bis lumber, live oilier white person- and a • .domed crew of :is. bate on Monday night the Pennant Hill wireless station in Sydney received a wireless message front her that all was well, and that i- the las! that was heard from her. As tne night wore on the ten ibie storm wh: :h swept the const for more than twelve hours, came up, increasing in violence until the wind howled at 70 miles tin hour. All shipping hastened to shelter, and the next day cili'/.ens heaved n sigh of relief when no seriiiis occurrence was reported. Nobody seemed to have remembered the little six-hundred ton Sumatra ploughing her way northward; or if they did it was thought that she bad put out from the const, and was therefore not reported by none ol the stations, and had not thought it worth while to wireless. Three days passed, and then came o report, that the ho.lv of a mail had been washed up on the north roast of the State, with a i'fo belt immd it. Still nobody tliot.' l 1! of the Sumatra. Next day came I lie news that' the name of Few troll had been found on the chillies of the dead ill'll, ivliitli had been made at ti Sydney tailor's. That led to the discovery lint Mr Sydney hew troll was the so; oik! oilioer of the Sumatra. Immediately \ ireless messages searched tl.e lace ot the now calm sea, but there was no response from the Sumatra. Shipping wa;. interrogated, but. none bad '•ecu the Sumatra. Then another body was found, and immediately identified as Captain Hell. Odd bit- cf wreckage followed, leaving no doubt that ibe little vested hud broil swallowed up by the mountainous waves,- and every s.ml aboard had pen’died. Hut how was she lost. On that point sill is surmise. The most probable theory is that when the storm was at its height in the dark hours of Monday morning Mr Fewtrell. who was on the bridge, bad taken the wheel from the native who would ordinarily hold it and sent him below with all the others, and had calk'd the captain from bis bunk. So much is deduced from the fact that the captain's clothe.- had evidently been hastily donned over his pyiamas. These two alone, it is surmised, stood battling with the vast seas, mid while all the oiliers were in their cabins u>■ees<iv*> seas struck the vessel and overwhelmed her. all but the two on the bridge going to the bottom, without even the ehame of making their way again-t the elements. H is acknowledged that the steamer was never intended lor deep sea work, hut whether there is any basis for sensational allegations that she was unsenvorthy. which have been made in certain quarters, will remain to be elicited by the Court of Enquiry which the federal Government has decided to institute. Captain Bell's widow* resides in Sydney. II" was IV.i years of age ami was second mate of the Orsova prior to entering the service o*' the New Guinea Administration. One o! the mam* sad stories associated with the disaster is that of the second engineer. Mr 0. d. Kirkpatrick. After win* service ns n in the British Navy, lie found the trade so dull in England that he came to Svdnev. Me was a widower, and when signing on as second engineer of the Sumatra he said to the ollieial of the New Guinea Trade Agency. "1 took this position beeaitse engineering i* very dull in Sydney now. 1 hate only my two hots, and I am trying t*i gate them the best start in life that 1 can. They ■i>" at the Camden Grammar School. It will take all T can get. but I will make the best of it.”