DECREASING HOPE FOR SAFETY.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14347, 6 May 1912, Page 7

DECREASING HOPE FOR SAFETY.

' The r.'ixicty rognnlinc the dree 30 ' .".nil her crew oi twe<:ty--1 five, ; T dsily. It is now thirty j day* since the Marvlsester bt'.ar.'id out jof Wrilii>:?t.on Harbour bound to iSydi ney. and several itean'.ers have crossed and vecroisoil the T«s:ua:i St>a during that tirre without eoiinp any ot the overdue dredaer. 11.M.5. C!ia!alter sj>en:l.n'i several days tA'j.z?.}'gj.nx across the Tasnian Cva in scnri-ii <>1" tiu , Ma-jß'hestvr. h:is tvturnx-tl l;> Sydney 11.M. f-lnV"s EncountiT an;! Pioneer, which left .V"!i!->n;! early Insi \vc--k 10 .'.f,>i.- - . i:i tho search, i.re fti'.l at sea. and up to i! , . , * j'resent- no wireless lv-jinris; luivc bren received from them. A number <;■ r.e;ifaring people, while sharing the genera; anxiety, p.re c-.-ir.fidont that the ves-i 1 i.s st'H alloal.'' They point o\it tlift -.vc.'ither if: th»< Tasnian f^ea has b't-n e.\ci'i>tionally Had during t'lo past, threo or »u:ir v.eek>-, j:ml consider I that the ve-s.-vl, unable to steam lin tliA liojivy .sens, 1-Jt.s been lxv.\«-fo nnd I ha-s drifted far awny to tho northward. It is nlso pcss;!:!e that the viwel'.s <r:;----ehinery has 'neon an I , that fh« has \.:h:u driitinc: helplessly ho.'nrc t?io SOHlli-.riy Kaie^. E;;q:;u\<\s ga to shov. - (hat no expense ! \v:ih f.))!ireu t-n equip t'i>> ManchcMcr with »'VT,vtlmi'; that iovf.-s\;ihl cculd s'lSiiPFt to render her thoroughly ivorthy for the pa.-.sag<> to i<y«ln«\v. Mr Christie, engineCr to t!:e Sydney Tlnr--1 hour Trust, v,-l>o took delivery'of the i dredge at J.yttelton, and who superin- ■ tended the work of tiitiTi" the vcn.se 1 1 out for her inn. was particularly cnve- ; fiii 1 , iin<l y.-tve the lvMtev and the. chief ' engineer r, free hand in orderinc what- ; over t:.'ey thought nceessjjry for tho . pa'fety of the vessel. J It is rrenerally admitted by seafaring ■ men that the nnvii'ation of dredgers is ;i nioro risky business than that of 1 tho ordinary merchant steamer. Their j peculiar cor.f-tructton, ;>n:l tlioir im- ; wield : tend to mnke them more "tricky" t-.i lnndlo in heavy weather thfin the average steamer, nnd they re- ; q-iire careful v.-atrhinc. When :>!io left I Lyttclion, the Manchester was con- ; sidered to bo onito seaworthy. Sho i was in good trim, though deep, but . wia not by any ir.eans fully loaded, and she was pas-w] by tho New Zealand Government .Surveyor and Lloyd's stiri veyor. who bit-h frantod certificates of ! yon worthiness. The ?JnTichestt>r car- ! vied a supply cf ecnl arrplo to last for j threo M-eelfs, nnd fufneient i>rovisions j for several weeks.