THE MISSING LAUNCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 152, 27 June 1914, Page 8

THE MISSING LAUNCH.

SEARCH 1!V THE TUTANEKAI. When on the voyage •from Uarotonga to .Vine, the captain of the Government steamer Tutanekai received instructions that lie was to join in the search for the launch, missing from the Bay of Islands Tiiu TutancUai sailed from Auckland tins day before the. launch put out to sea, and in.oLiitered heavy weather as soon as ■he cleared the land. The conditions p-raduulh grew worsex a gale blowing from ihe north-west, and it was found i-,eei'--;ii-v to heave-to for tliree or four hours. A groat sea was running,, and it is certain that ii" lauucli could live in ii. The I'hilnmal. which loft Auckland two .lays after the Tutanekai, met the same, •■..tie. and had to run before it. and on arrival at llttrotonga. Commander Dallard stated that so high were the seas ili.il. they washed the boats out of their dc.viis. smashing, om .. i>n ihe voyage back to New Zealand n strict lookout was kept nigh! and day, but no trace of the missing launch was found. As the drift of the'eurrent from Ihe northern coast is towards the Keriiia,lees, i; \ia- hoped that news of the laiimii would lie heard there bu* the settlers on Si.n,lay Island bad =ccii no launch, or wreckage. The Tutanekai left Sunday Island last Tuesday, and experienced a'strong triad from the sotitli, with a heavy cross-sea running. The wctithcr grew steadily corse, and it was found necessary to slow the vessel down to four toots an lmur. Occasionally a sea would hit the steamer and make licr quiver from stem in stern. The seas were not running true, there lain™ :. strong cross-action, and all aboard the steamer had reluctantly to come to the ..pinion that any launch ..ut in s.ie'u a galo had no uossihlo hope of pulling through. (apttiir. i'"-t kept a littles ot.t of his course in order to make a good search, and on Monday liw> vessel will sail again .oi an eight ih.r.s* cruise to look for the mi-sing men.' the islets south of Sunday Island will lie, searched thoroughly. In ■II j.n-biil ilin ti l-uanekii vII work iii wiih the warships iv prosecuting tile search.