WARATAM INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1022, 11 January 1911, Page 5

WARATAM INQUIRY.

MORE expert evidence. By Telocraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Rec. January 10, 10.45 p.m.) London, January 9. The Board of Trade' Inquiry into the loss of the Lund liner Waratah, 9000 tons, which disappeared between Durban and Capo Town in July, 1909, with 300 persons aboard, was resumed to-day. Mr. J. Dickinson, Metropolitan Police Magistrate, presided, and had with him as assessors Admiral Davis, Commander Lyon, (of tho Naval Reserve), Professor Walch, and Mr. J. 11. Hallett. It' was stated that the deadweight of tho vessel as she left Hurban amounted to 9204 tons. This included the cargo, G350 tons, and 250 tons which was being carried on the spar deck. Sir William White, who. was Director of Naval Construction from 1885 to 1902, when ho retired on account of ill-health, and who was responsible designer of all British warships built' during that period, was called. Tho witness stated that the Waratah's stability curve was very good. The complaints that tho vessel was too high out of the water wero unwarranted. -If the cargo had been disposed according to.the evidence tho steamer could not have foundered through instability. Tho metacentric height was satisfactory. There was nothing unusual in the Waratah's superstructure and decks, and he did not think thero was tho slightest foundation for the theory that sho was so high in tho water that' sho was dangerously exposed to wind pressure. It was fallacious to deduco from a ship's inclination of two or threo degrees under a slight wind that she had no metacentric height. If ji vessel went over on its side, and then found a position of equilibrium it was not necessarily uut safe. Tho passengers who thought tho Waratah slow in rolling probably had only had experience of fast-rolling vessels. The Lnsitania and Manretnnia took twelve minutes to swing out to out.