Wimmera explosions

AUCKLAND: The majority of the survivors of the Wimmera agree that there were two distinct explosions occurring between Nos. 3 and 4 hatches on the after part of the engineroom. Fortunately noone was actually berthed over the spot. The explosion wrecked the social hall and the staircase leading to it. The shaft tunnel was shattered and the shaft broken, letting the water into the engineroom and flooding the dynamo, with the result that all the lights were extinguished. The Wimmera remained on an even keel

for 10 minutes, and then heeled to port until her funnel was lying on the water. She partly righted herself before sinking by the stern 20 minutes after the explosion. It is thought that the safety of the stewardesses is due to the fact that they were attending to passengers at the time, otherwise the explosion occurring near their room would have prevented them from going forward. The stewards, berthed further aft, were forced to climb out of the store room hatch to the deck.

submarine mine laid by the enemy. The presumption is that the minefield which was known to exist off the coast between North Cape and Cape Maria van Diemen was sown by the Wolf when that raider was in New Zealand waters.

great organisations were going to wield a vast influence in the years to come, and he also recognised that they possessed many admirable features among others that called for a measure of revision and modification.