HURLED TWO MILES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4523, 28 October 1930, Page 4

HURLED TWO MILES.

SEXTANT FROM STEAMER

EXPLOSION ON THE VESSEL.

An unusual history is attached to a battered sextant in the possession of Mr. F. Eadie, of Moirningside. The instrument belonged to the lion-magnetic yacht Carnegie, which was blown up in the harbour at Apia last November. The vessel, owned by the Carnegie Institute, of Washington, was on a. scientific expedition to the Pacific and had called at Apia to load 2000 gallons of benzine. While the loading was in process, a terrific explosion occurred and Caplain J. P. Ault, in command of the vessel, and a member of the crew were killed. Practically the whole of the equipment of the lOarncgie was lost and it was only through a strange chance that the sextant was recovered.

•Just after the explosion a native boy working on a banana plantation two miles from the harbour saw something fall and become embedded in the ground near him. He reported the occurrence to Captain .). 11. Brownlee, who went to the plantation the following day to search for the object, and he found the sextant buried 2ft. in the ground. It had evidently passed through intense heat. The horizon glass, shades and handle had been fused, but the bronze portion was not so selriously damaged. On the radius arm the name of the makers, Keuffel and Esser, and the serial number, 54005, could be read.

The instrument was sent by Captain Brownlee to Mr. Eadie, who, in order to establish the identity of the instrument beyond doubt, wrote to Keuffel and Esser and was informed that the sextant number 54005 had been issued to the Carnegie. When news of its discovery was received in America, great interest was taken in the subject and Mr. Eadie considers that the most fitting- place for the instrument would be a New York museum.