A GLOOMY VOYAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 148, 17 November 1914, Page 8

A GLOOMY VOYAGE.

FIVE DEATHS ABOARD THE TUItAKINA. PASSENGERS GLAD TO LEAVE THE VESSEL, By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Wellington. Last Night. It was a thankful crowd of passengers that landed from the New Zealand Shipping Company's Turakina from London this evening, thankful that a voyage, extraordinary for itsg loomincss was at an end. No less than five deaths, including one of suicide, ocurred on board in the short space of 22 days, between the vessel laving London on October 2, and passing Capetown on October 24. Two of the deaths were, of passengers and three of members of the crew, including the ship's surgeon. Tiie first death occurred on Octnber three days after the vessel left England, when a steward, named Frederick VViackworth, a native of Bath,.England, succumbed to an attack of pnuenionin. The sadness which this death occasioned still hung over the ship's company, when four days later, on October !), a trimmed, named John Lewis, aged 23 years, a native so far as is known of London, committed suicide by jumping overboard. The. attempt to rescue Lewis was an exciting event. The sea was choppy at the time. Lewis jumped overboard in full view of the officers and seamen- of the watch at i o'clock in the morning. The alarm was given immediately, and the ship was put astern. Two boats were quickly manned and lowered, but the attempted rescue \vas most difficult, as the night was pitch black. A thorough search was made in the vicinity, and life buoys were thrown in all directions, but no trace of the unfortunate man was discovered. One of the crew stated last night that Lewis had been brooding all the way from London over the war news, and was continually talking about the German atrocities -until he worked himself into a pitiable state of frenzy. Other than this no reason is assigned for taking life.

The next blow to those on board came when it became known that Dr Llewellyn Thomas, the ship's surgeon, was seriously ill from the effects of a chill caught on the voyage. He rapidly sank and died on October 15. The doctor, who was 41 years of age, was very popular on board. He had been a special favourite with the women and children, and his death was deeply regretted. Needless to say by this time the passengers' nerves were in a state of prostration at the sad events coming so closely on top of each other, and a gloom settled oyer the ship which soeinl functions, music concerts and guinea absolutely failed to clear away. The steamer did not make the cua--1 ternary call at Capetown, and this added monotony and depression. On October 20, another death occurred, and the passengers began to think that the ship was possessed of an evil influence. After a short attack of double pnuemonia, a popular third-class passenger, a motor car driver, named Denis Walsh, succumbed. Walsh had been foremost in trying to cheer up his fellow travellers, and his death was a great blow. He was an Irishman, having been born at Brosna, and was only 2D years of age. Four days later, enteric fever and town of Rishton, in Lancashire. Maudsley, a farmer, who was returning to New Zealand after a visit to his native town of Rishton, in Lancashire. Maudsley was well-known in the South Canterbury district. He held a farm near n annate for four years, and was much respected. He was <lO years of a-v There were thus four burials at sea within a very short space of time, and it was only reasonable to expect that the passengers who arrived were glad that their long sad journey was at an