Early in the morning of March l6th, while proceeding down the Mississippi River outbound from New Orleans for New Zealand, the Farrell Line steamer, AFRICAN STAR, a C3 built in 1946, collided with a tug pushing two fuel barges. There was an immediate explosion as the gas tanks of the barges split wide open and spilled their lethal load across the decks of the AFRICAN STAR which was immediately engulfed in flames from stem to stern. Many of the crewmen jumped into the icy waters of the Mississippi and were picked up by rescue boats. The loss of life stood at eleven known and others missing or unaccounted for. Your editor took a photograph on September 11th, 1964, of the vessel coming in the Western Gap and also leaving Toronto the following day on her way up the Lakes.

When ships that have been up the Lakes and have run into difficulties in other parts of the world, your editor would like to hear about such incidents.

Captain Irvine's reluctant departure from Toronto to command the M/S PIPAT SUMAT, a vessel registered in Bangkok, of the Thai Mercantile Marine Company. This ship has been adopted by your Executive, to which Captain Irvine readily agreed and he will act as our roving correspondent in such far off ports as Saigon, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, Pusan, Hong Kong, etc.

For his kind assistance in our efforts, we are sure we shall receive your endorsement in making Captain Irvine an Honorary Member, as well as Mr. A. Howard, Curator of the Marine Museum of Upper Canada.

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