SEA MYSTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 134, 8 June 1936, Page 8

SEA MYSTERY.

HATCH COVERS FOUND

ROCKETS SEEN EARLIER. FULL-RIGGED SHIP SIGHTED. ) (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A message from Forangaliau states that yesterday three hatch covers, made of hardwood and approximately nine feet in length, were discovered 011 the beach. The hatches carried iron grips.

A number of planks measuring 14ft also came ashore at Malcaramo, near Porangaliau, but it is believed that these planks are very old. A further searcn is being made on a part of the beach which is only accessible at low tide. It was in this vicinity that the Mizpali was lost several 'years ago. The postmaster at Porangaliau reported to the Marine Department last night that two settlers say they saw a full-rigged ship off the coast between May 20 and May 28. Neither settler is certain of the exact date, but both are satisfied about what they saw. The ship was moving slowly northward, and was seen opposite Cape Turnagain, and again off Cook's Tooth. Further inquiries were made among settlers further up the coast, but none had seen the ship.

The only vessel corresponding to the description given by the settlers and known to have been in New Zealand waters about those dates is the Joseph Conrad, which was sighted and identified oif Wellington Heads on May 20. When last seen the Joseph Conrad, then about 2A.miles off Pencarrow Head, had squared away to the south-east. Distress signals were reported in the neighbourhood of l'orangahau on June 1, having been seen by the Union Steam Ship Company's steamer Katigi, and also from the shore. A terrible sea was running during that period.

The captain of the Kartigi, when off Porangaliau on a voyage from Auckland to Wellington early "last week, saw what he stated were three rockets ascend at intervals of 45 seconds and 1 minute from some position inshore and slightly to the south of the mouth of the Porangahau River. He searched for two hours, but could see no sign of any vessel in distress. The postmaster at Porangaliau, in conjunction with some of the settlers of the district, proceeded to the beach, and although they saw no actual vessel, they did see what appeared to be a light, which would be approximately in the position reported by the Kartigi. There was a very heavy southwesterly wind blowing with a heavy southerly sea.

The following day the coast was searched from the shore from Cape Turnagain to the northward of Black Head, hut no trace of a vessel or wreckage was discovered. A careful search was also made the following afternoon by the Matai, while proceeding on her northern lighthouse trip, but without result. An aeroplane dispatched from Hastings to make a search of the locality from the air saw only patches of oil. Doubt whether the hatch covers picked up at Porangahau, which is 70 miles south from Napier, could have come from the Joseph Conrad was expressed in Auckland shipping circles to-day. It was pointed out that if anything had happened to the vessel more wreckage would almost certainly have been found. It was also stated that the Joseph Conrad has no hatch from which the covers found could have come. A message from Sydney last Friday stated that passengers who arrived at Sydney from Lord Howe Island stated that it had been rumoured that the Joseph Conrad had foundered and that all hands had perished. The origin of the rumour, however, could not be determined.

CYCLONE IN TASMAN. IGDRASIL'S EXPERIENCE. (Received 11 a.m.) BRISBANE, this day. Mr. and Mrs. Roger Strout, of America, arrived in the yacht Igdrasil from New Zealand. Mr. Strout said he had not sighted the Joseph Conrad since February, when he passed her off the New Zeatad coast. Hie yacht was equipped with wireless, but he had received no reports of a disaster. When between New Zealand and Norfolk Island the Igdrasil- encountered a cyclone, but Mr. Strout doubted whether the Joseph Conrad was in the vicinity at the time.