PERILS OF THE SEA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 650, 29 October 1909, Page 7

PERILS OF THE SEA.

FIRE ON THE OTAKI. ' REPORTED WELL UNDER CONTROL'.. - ■ ■ . • OTHER MISHAPS. (Rcc. bctobcr 28, 9.15 p.m.') London, October 28. 'The New 1 Zealand Shipping ■ Company's stCamer Otaki has arrived in the Thames With her No. 3 hold (wheat) afire, but the fire is well "under control.' ' THE OTAKI'S CARGO, The Otaki is one of the New Zealand Shipping' Company's latest vessels./ She is a steamer of .7420, tons gross register, and. was the first cargo ( steamer in tho world to be fitted with turbines, which sho operates in conjiinctioii' with, reciprocating engines. She left Wellington on September 6, in command- of Captain Silba, and took the following cargo ; From Port Chalmors—2Bo bales wool, 267 bales sheepskins, 215 bales rabbitskins, 82 bales hemp, 43 bales tow, 1 balo hair, 562 sacks wheat, 10,418 sacks oats, 1491 sacks grass seed, 22 sacks peas, 391 casks tallow, 28, casks polts, 11 casks casings, 132.packages cordage,' 37 cases preserved', meats, C cases meat extract, 37 packages sundries, 400 cases frozen rabbit, 1/41 carcasses mutton, 455 carcasses lamb. From Oamaru—3o3 carcasses mutton, From Timaru— 1447 sacks barley, 478 sacks wheat. From Gisborne—l2s bales wool, 83 bales 6kins, 65 casks tallow, 17- sacks hair.- From Bluff—l2sß carcasses mutton, 1161 carcasses lamb, .7157 crates rabbits, 500. crates kidneys, 21,830 sacks oats, 375 bales wool, 124 casks pelts, .111 1 bales! tow, GO'bales rabbitskins, 22 casks tallow, 18 cases Casings, 13 packages sundries, 3 bales hair. From Auckland-pC47 bales wool, 1 fudge wool, 73 bales sheepskins, 3 bales hair, 227 casks talGO; casks premier jus,. 91 casks .pelts, '7 packages personal effects, . 409,. . casks corned meats, 190 sacks hides, 28 packages casings, 50 sacks horns, 12 casks oil, 6814 quarters beef, 3771 carcasses mutton, 7 carcasses tegs, 157 carcasses lamb, 1490 carcasses frozen sundries, 226 sacks-froieii .ox' tails, From Auckland—lo2 bales wool, ■ 2'.bales hair, 2833 Cases gum, 390 sacks gum,: 140. bales flax, 193 casks: tallow, 31 casks pelts, 11 bales leather, 1153 bags concentrates, 8738 tacks copra, 397 pieces timber, 600 boxes butter, 20 cases meat extract, S3 packages sundries, 31 packages bullion (valued at' .£51.050).' From Wellington-'OO bales wool, 25 casks tallow, 10 sacks peas, 2 Mies rabbitskins; 25 .bales '■ hops, 3 packages sundries, 5 pickftgos sr'Mnstoric,-1500 (juarters' beef..- •-

■ ; WAS IT THE WARATAH? • STORY OP THE VESSEL THAT BLEW UP. . .- (Rcc. October 28, 9.15 p.m.) ■, i' '. .■ ; 'r.>,.••" London, October ; 28. Lloyd's have received a del lied account I from the captain of the steamer Harlow concorning the sighting by the latter of a,steamer which exploded, and which,, it is contended, might have' been the Waratah. The incident occurred oif the Natal coast on July 27, .and the captain of the Harlow did not repost it till he had reached Manila.' i.. . ■■■•' ." > ■ ,The captain of the Harlow, states that-tho siipjlosed Waratah was sighted by tho Harlow at 7,30 on .the.evening of. July 27. She was sis miles, off,, and, wis smoking. Acridly, i'wo explosions occurred, with a few. seconds between. ■ "' '■ ; '•■ :■... 1 The captain of the Harlow only heard of the Waratah being' uiiSsing'a fevr dayß, before ha ■arrived'.' at Manila. Ho presumes that, tho Waratah, [when sighted by the Harlow,. was returning to Dil'rban. , . ; ho estimates .that .the vessel Which, exploded lies; in '.iO.'vfathonis Jif. vrater' between Cape | Hermes and 'St. John • River. .' J ;,, • '■■•:- ■ ' K THE CLAN MACINTYRE'S EVIDENCE^ WARATAH'S GOOD-BYE.' ■ 1 Tho captain of the Harlow presumes . that, the Waratah, wiieh' Sighted on July 27,' V-as returning, to Durban'.(lyhioh .port the-. Waratah had lott'tlio d&y before), owing to an outbreak of .fire. If it was' tho' WataWV then .some' such hypothesises necessary, -because: at 9.30 in the morning of July 27 tho steamer Clan Micintyro sighted the Waratah'in the" approximate' position of latitude 32.17 south;'longitude 29,17 east, a:distance about-61'miles/.ahead of the wreck reported by the Harlow. i, .. ,■ . •' Itoutcris 1 Durban correspondent has already pointed out that'the Harlow arrived at .Durban 1 on July '28,: and sta'yed"till July. 31, 'and the' ' buriiing.:6teamer. incident-was -not then taentioned to anyone. On the. other, hand, tho; captajn Of tho liarlow hiis. suggested -that' his statement be tested byrsweeping tho bottom. of tho sea ill .thO'loitylity he indicates. A .report of the-captain's story cabled la Soptembcr stated: "ThoHarlOw- Sighted, tho ; 'smoking, vessel, at .7,30 in .the evening, and the cijilosion' .occutrod at 8. o'cldcki ,Tho distance Was, too great' ..to ascertain the ship's .identity." Tho ! position of the wreck wis latittido 31.38 ; sontb, aiid. ■.longitude 29.55: 6aSt." ■ .Tho distance , was given as 180 miles from Durbah. :Sd far a\ is lenown'the last vessel'to see'the longro'verdiio •Lund :linef Waratah .wos. -itho steamei' Clan-Maclntyre, bound from Durban .to London, on route'from New."Zealand. In View of this fact, the following'extract from the lb£"of the Clan Maclntyro is of-interest:—July 27, 0 a.m.i i signalled a steamer on starboard bc^m.—What;ship?.: 'Answer! ;WMatah, "for Loiidon.-: Signalledi' Cllui Maclntyre,.for London. What weather had yoit ftoni: Australia f Answer: Strong S.W. and southerly winds across. Signalled: .Thanks. Good-bye, pleasant pSssage. - Thanks; Satflo to you. Good-byo-'(latitudo 3liS S., longitude, 29.58 E,). fi.G' a.ni:, observed Cape nermOs light, bearing I S.' 88; W.: triio, .'distance , 13} miles. - The Wwat'ah crossed from 'the .starboard -to. port bo(v, and: wont Out of sight about 9.30 a.m.. .2 points oii' tho port , bo*, distant about eight to ten miles. Moderate northerly winds, moderate Sed, cloudy and fine,;Clear,-weather. 10 .a.m., wind hauled to S.E., and freshened 'to 'strong with rough; sea;.' Position- it noon, 3131 5., : 28.52 E„ 5.13 p.mi, HoOd-Poittt abeam; bearing N;' 73, W-. true, .distalico 10i miles. Strong S.W.' gale, high head -sea, ; and' fine: clear .weather. ;Jply 28-4)uiiMj all this day : it blew.<i' heavy storm from WiS.W. I to west, with fcqUallS of hurricane force And Very heavj ! sea, : the' sea .Hsing' in . a vfttll-likq' formation, owihg' to the' current"being against it. r -- ■.

;WHAKATANE'S SALVAGE, . CLAIMS .£140,000,' AWARD. X&060. / ■ ', .- (Bee. October. 28,; 10.5 p.m.) \ , ', London, October. 28. . The collision ih-the English Channel on July \ '.between the Xew . Zealand Shipping Company's steamor.Whakawne and-thd .French steamer Circe, which.resulted in tho Whhkatnno being so badly damaged that sho regained ;Dovof with difficulty! gave rise to a series of claims for salvage by owners of vessels , who ['claimed to have assisted; the Whakatanf). " , Eight sets :of plaintiffs, sued the. New; Zealand' Shipping Cotapany, their claims totalling | '.£146,006."'. Justice Sir John Blghan awarded |'JE9OOO. >'

' EIGHT STEAMERS IN ATTENDANCE, • "IW WHak&tahe, kept afloat by continuous pumping, , whs totted to Dover and beached .The f6ll6>vltlfe lepOrt of the proceedings throws light on "the salvage claims:— ; -''As. Seen-'withlh half a mile. of Dover, thoWhakatdne presented ail extraordinary: appearance.; Snewa's very badly down by the, sterli; tho'tugs Gladiator, Warrior, aild Unterwoser were towifig her, the tug Lady Vita Was steering.her, and:the tug Lady Grundall was lashed t& her pdrtsido , with .her powerful salvage plant pumping; (it full, bbre, throwing 800 .tons Of wator an hour from the holds. i'J'ho Danish salvage steamer Vilkyrioh-was also in .attendance. < The liner had.her boats towing astern, abd in additibU .to the tugs already mentioned there was a HUH tug also assisting, and a trahip steamer WAS standing, by; l'ho whole of 'the cr'ew Were mustered in the forepart of the liner.' ■/ .. . -. ■ ■'. . "Tho Whakatane. was got safely into Dover :Hai'bOur, and by a quarter to 9' she had been beached to the east of the Prince, of Wales I'ier." . 1 ' / ' ■ '

A STEAMER WRECKED. FOURTEEN LIVES LOST-TWO BOATS ' MISSING. , .. . : Ottawa, October 27. : The British steamer Hestia, 3790-tons,. Struck a shoal in tho Bay of Fundy, n deep but dangerous part .. of the Canadittn Atlantic, whero tho rise and fall of tides is the highest in tho world. - .. . The captain,' most of tho crow, and four passengers took to :the boats. . One of tho boats, capsized, the fourteen occupants -being drowned.' Two boats,■with'-thirty persons aboard, are .missing; Six of the trow who stuck to' tho ship were -rescued by lifeboats.. ' ■ ' [The- Hestia is a steel screw steamer of 3<{)£> tons, built in 1800 by W. Doiford and Sons, of : yunaerlttMd.'f Her'dimensions' arei Length, •Gfllft-I broadtb, 44ft. 2liu dipth,' )sft, <ln; Her owners are Donaldson Bros., oi Glasgow,]