NO SIGN OF THE DUCO.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 94, 18 October 1909, Page 8

NO SIGN OF THE DUCO.

THE AMOKURA'S SEARCH. In the early hours of this morning the Government auxiliary training ship Amokura returned to port from her cruise in search of the missing steamer Duco. The vessel remained at anchor in the stream, and at midday berthed at. tha King's Wharf. Captain Hooper reported having seen no sign whatever of the missing vessel. After leaving Wellington on the night of the 6th inst., the Amokura steamed a distance of sixty miles in an east-south-east direction from Cape Palliser, and then, partly by steam and partly by sail, for a distance of 600 miles in an east-north-east line. Fine weather with smooth 1o moderate seas was mot with until the return journey was commenced. A strong south-east blow then made matters unpleasant for a time. The vessel rod© through well, however, and came into port in first-class order. The only objects sighted during the cruise were a few logs. it has been decided that the Amokura will remain in port for the rest of the week. THAT STRANGE SIGNAL. Any doubt that may remain as to the identity of the vessel which signalled the tramp steamer Loderer on Friday night, the Bth inst., was settled by the explanation of the incident given to a Post representative by Captain Hooper. He stated that on the night in question the lights t>f a steamer were observed some miles away. Being desirious of communicating with the passing vessel he exhiba&ed a blue light from the Amokura. The stranger responded with a similar light, but held on her way. Captain Hooper then sent up a rocket, but the other vessel kept on. At tha time the Amokura was under sail, and the order was given to set the engines going. The vessel then started oil' in pursuit of the strange steamer, but after steaming about ten miles the latter had disappeared out of sight. The incident took place at a spot 175 miles in a line almost due east from Cape Palliser. Captain Hooper, in wishing to communicate with the Loderer, desired to know whether anything suggestive of the Duco had been observed by those on board the latter vessel.