Death Of Captain Trask

ANOTHER old seafarer has passed on.

Captain Trask, well known to many voyagers in the Central Pacific as the captain of the Matson liner “Mari posa,” died in the United States in April.

News of his death has just reached us through Mr. Oscar Nordman, of Tahiti, who once sailed under him on the run between San Francisco and Australia.

Captain Trask began his career in sail ing ships, and transferred to the old “Australia” and “Zealandia.” In 1907, when on a voyage between Tahiti and San Francisco, in command of the old “Mariposa,” they ran short of fuel oil, while 80 miles off the Californian coast.

After he had burnt everything that might keep up steam, Captain Trask decided to send a boat off to report their plight.

Mr. Nordman was one of the seven men chosen to row to the coast, which they reached in the Bay of Monterey. A mes sage that the “Mariposa” had then been drifting for five days was flashed to San Francisco and a tug went off and picked her up.

Captain Trask was the commander of the “Sonoma,” an Oceanic liner, on the inaugural voyage of the US mail service between San Francisco and Australia, in 1912. Later, he was captain of the “Sierra,” and when the new “Mariposa” was built he was given that command.