Marsina's End

In Gale Off Queensland Coast

'THE old Islands steamer Marsina, 1948 * tons, once a familiar sight in all ports from Papua westwards to New Hebrides, came to a spectacular end on March 16.

Some years ago, she was sold to the Patrick Line, and became the coastal freighter Craigend. Quite recently, she was brought by a Mr S. Yih, of Shanghai, renamed the Haiping , given an overhaul, and was despatched to China under a master and crew who came south from Shanghai, The Haiping was sent to Newcastle for a cargo of coal, which she was to dis charge at Rabaul on her way north.

She left Newcastle on March 10, and met cyclonic weather off the Queensland coast on March 15. She received a bad battering, sprang a leak and slowly filled.

The captain, two officers, and 26 men were taken off by the freighter Mildura on the 16th.