EVENTFUL VOYAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 March 1940, Page 3

EVENTFUL VOYAGE

SHIP ARRIVES WITH FOOD EXHAUSTED. FAILURE GF REFRIGERATOR. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 11. After exhausting the last of her emergency food stores at breakfast as she approached Auckland today, a 3000-ton Union Company cargo steamer berthed early this afternoon following an eventful 32-day return voyage from New Zealand to a Pacific Island. On the voyage the refrigerator failed. An 11-day wait off an unworkable roadstead was experienced and the vessel encountered the full force of a four-day cyclonic storm tn the Tasman when returning to Auckland. When lhe ship was three days o’ut of port bound for the Pacific loading island, the electric refrigerator containing all the perishable provisions failed, and it became necessary for all this type of foodstuff to be dumped into the sea. Tinned food became the staple article of diet for the vessel’s complement on the voyage through the Pacific and hopes for immediate replenishment of food stores at the island were deferred when it was found that the weather made it impossible to work in the roadstead. The island could not be approached by sea for about 16 days last month because of the weather and for 11 of these days the cargo steamer cruised in the vicinity awaiting an opportunity to begin loading. When cargo was being loaded meat and ice were, provided from the island end for some time the crew lived in accustomed fashion. When this supply finally became exhausted tinned food again came into general use. For four days last week the steamer was lashed by cyclonic conditions and, delayed nearly two days by weather, she entered port today with every article of food exhausted.