MISSING YACHT LILIAN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 115, 17 May 1909, Page 7

MISSING YACHT LILIAN.

BODY OF ONE OF THE CREW FOUND. Bj Telegrap!).— Press Association.— Copyright. MELBOURNE, 16th May. The discovery of tho body of one ol the yacht Lilian's crew of five, who have been missing since Sunday, 25th April, confirms the worst fears as to their fate. The missing yacht, a boat about 24 feet long, 9 feet beam, and 3 feet deep, and fitted with a motor engine, left Williamstown on a fishing excursion to Altona Bay on Sunday, 25th April, with five men on board. Ihe party consisted of the owner of the yacht, Mr. James Douglas, licensee of the Royal Standard Hotel, West Melbourne, Messrs. Charles Bannister, Stephen Dunne, and Arthur Gregory, residents of West Melbourne, and Leon Mjahoney, ton of the licensee oi the Laurel Hotel, North Melbourne, who resides at the hotel. Before leaving the members of the party announced that they were going for "a day's sport, on the bay," and would be back before dark. All they took with them was some sandwiches to serve as a light luncheon. The weather became very squally on Sunday afternoon, and, provided the party met with no accident, it was thought that, recognising the danger of combating the strong wind from the north- west, they ran in somewhere ior shelter. The weather continued boisterous on Monday, and that might possibly be a sufficient reason for them not returning home on that day. Day after day went by, but no tidings came to hand of the missing boat, and j the numerous searches made of the coast and the islands failed to reveal any trace of her. Last week a statement was made which seems to throw some light on the cause of her disappearance. A young man named O'Keefe, employed by the Melbourne Steamship Company, reported that at about 8 o'clock on Sunday, 25th April, he was standing on the foreshore of the Williamstown. back beach, when suddenly, some distance out on the bay, towards Altona, there was a flare on the water, as of a boat on fire, and human figures moved to and fro amidst the fire. As the Lilian was driven by a small electric motor, it is not at all improbable that the petl'o: became ignited and set the boat atire. A white canvas shoe and other articles were found on the beach at Point Nepean, last Wednesday, and some boat spars have been washed up on the beach at Frankslon. Further searches were (o bo mads about the #pot indicated by O'Koftiftt __ J