Monique's Lifebelt - Five Years After
p. 105 · Read in the full issue
Towards the end of October, a man walking along the bench at Thio, on the East Coast of New Caledonia, found a lifebelt very much the worse for wear, but still bearing the name MONIQUE. It is believed that it is from the ill-fated, 300 tons vessel of that name which disappeared over five years ago, while on a voyage from Mare Island to Noumea. With her went 126 persons— including a score of Europeans and 21 children.
Save for a few articles found several days after the ship was missing, nothing has ever turned up to help solve the mystery of her disappearance.
Although an official inquiry was held into this disaster, the findings were never made public. . , The company which operated MONIQUE, and a sister ship ROSALIE, later went into liquidation. ... , Several theories were advanced as to what fate had overtaken the vessel —and the most general one was that she had turned over in heavy weather during darkness, filled up and sank.