ABANDONED AT SEA.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15931, 19 June 1917, Page 6

ABANDONED AT SEA.

UNION STEAM SHIP WAITOTARA. RELIEF STEAMER SENT. (ritESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.) AUCKLAND, Juno 18. Tho Union Steam Ship Company's Waitotara which was. oil fire was abandoned by the crew. Sho was loaded with a cargo from Ibo Pacific Coast of America. A relief steamer is being sent. DL;NEDL\, Juno 18. Tho captain decided to abandon tho steamer owing to a fire in her cargo of copra and oils, ' representing in value over £250,000. ' (SPECIA-j TO "TUB PRESS.")

DUXEDIN, Juno 18. The Waitotara was abandoned when sho was over 200 miles from land. Apparently tho crew remained on board as long as they dared, for wireless messages from tho stricken ship were received at different times at 6everal distant stations.

She carried a very valuable cargo of inflammable material and oils. Tho value of her cargo alono may bo set down as an amount well over a quarter of a millica pounds. The Waitotara, formerly named the Dalmoro, was engagod in an important bianch of the Pacific trado, and had a full cargo. It is not permissible for "State reasons to name the locality of her destruction by fire, or to discuss the routo of her service, or tho ports whence steamers speed to the relief of the crew. It may bo said, however, that already thero is a steamer on (lie way to the rescue. The lost steamer was well equipped with boats and provisions. and no great anxiety need bo felt. n resourceful crow, given fnvourai v. a I her and a k'ndly sea, should, unaided, make land inside three davs. Tho cro w numbered 40.

Captain D. Ritchie, formerly master of the Tarawera for a long time, and well known in the West Coast passenger steamer servico, was in command, and had the following officers: — — Darcv, chief officer; H. C. Milne, second officer; I>. G. Davies, third officer.

The Waitotnra wns a fine type of cargo-carrier, of 4717 tons gross, and 3036 tons net register. She was built by Scott's Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd., at Greenock, in 1907, for tho Alliancd Shipping Co.-, Ltd. The vessel is of the following dimensions: Length 390 ft Sin, breadth o2ft Sin, an l depth 26ft 4in. Her engines are of 471 nominal horsepower. The Waitotara paid a visit to New Zealand about two years ago, when she was known as the Dalmore. She was then under tho command of Captain D. H. Parry, and just as she was about to leavo Wellington for a southern port to continue discharging and loading, she was commandeered by tho Government for use as a horec transport. The vessel was later chaTterod bv the Union Company, who eventually purchased her.