THE WARATAH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 588, 17 August 1909, Page 7

THE WARATAH.

PESSIMISM OF THE UNDERWRITERS.

OWNERS CONFIDENT. INSTANCES OP PREVIOUS DRIFTS. (By Telecraph.-Preas Aißociatlon.-Oooyrl*t>t.l •' (Rec. August 10, 10.30 p.m.) London, August 16. The owners of the Waratah arc quite sanguine as to the safety of the steamer. They pmphasiso that other vessels, upwards of a fortnight overdue, owing to some mishap, hav.o nevertheless reached their destinations. They consider that the Waratah is drifting in. tho ocean, probably towards Australia.

In its "Marine Insurance Market Notes" "The Times" states:—"Ninety-three guineas was paid on Saturday as re-icHiranco on the Waratah. The- deal was really a covering operation, and the fact that any rate was quoted is due to tho possibility of what the captan of the Insizwa believes ho saw being explainable by tho wreck of a small oraft. It is probably as well to state that experienced underwriters, who. are best qualified to express an opinion, have become thoroughly pessimistic." .1 TAccording to yesterday's cablegrams, it is bolioved that tho objecte which tho captain' of the Insizwa thought were floating corpses wore tho bodies of dettd fish resembling those of human beings.] ■ ' DANGERS OF SOUTH AFRICAN COAST. AN INQUIRY. ■ . Cape Town, August 15. Tho Capo Government is appointing a commission' to inquire into the arrangements dealing with, shipping casualties' on tho coast, with a view to providing reasonable facilities for saving life and property. The Admiralty is. being approached with the object of securing the services of an experienced naval officer to assist the commissioners. .' •