AN UNLUCKY STEAMER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40041, 19 December 1929, Page 4

AN UNLUCKY STEAMER.

SUPERSTITIOUS SAILORS. GREW WALK OFF THE SHIP. Sydney, December 5. The Commonwealth and Dominion liner Port Nicholson, which arrived in Sydney this week had a sequence of had luck than can only he’ regarded as extremely unusual. The first unusual event occurred ■when the Port Nicholson was ten days out from London on her way 'to Australia. The weather had been hot in the Mediterranean, but not unusually so, according to hardened travellers. Anyhow, one of the firemen, maddened by the oppressiveness, ended his life by leaping overboard. The ship was stopped, 'but .no tx-ace could be found of the unfortunate man. It was stated that m'any shatrks had been seen cruising around the ship, and one seaman declared that he had been torn to pieces by hungry sharks.

Then engine trouble set in, and the .vessel was delayed for some time at Port Said, much to the disgust of the crew, who, it seems, .dislike Port Said more than any other port in the .world. With that trouble ' .fixed the Poi’t Nicholson proceeded once fhore on her way, but no sooner had she put to sea when a fire developed in her bunkers. Lucidly the vessel was not far from Perim, and she immediately put into that port when it \vas seen that the fire was selrious. She Avas there for three days discharging the affected coal and'taking on new coal. The usual stay in that port was three hours, quite enough, too, for any member of the ei’eAv. Bht the sequence of bad hick had not efiased. While unloading cargo from No. 1 hold in Sydney one of the men was badly injured and had to be taken to hospital. Throughout the A'oyage murmurs of discontent had been heard from the crew, and when the ship reached Toivnsville they all walked off and refused to go back. However, after two days and a night in gaol, they reboarded the vessel and brought it to Sydney, fearing all the time, so they say, that the Port Nicholson would be piled up some-AV-here on the Queensland coast. Inquiries are being held into the action of the crew. It. seems that most of the trouble among the crew was due to the superstition.