UNSOLVED MYSTERY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 31, 5 August 1933, Page 8

UNSOLVED MYSTERY

LOSS OF THE WARATAH

It is bow twenty-four years since tho continued failure of the Blue Anchor Line vessel Waratah to put in iin appearance after leaving Durban was turning hope to despair. The Waratah. was last sighted at 6 a.m." on July 27, , n909, ten. hours out from port en route irpm Sydney, to London. Since "then nothing has been seen or heard of her. She literally Vanished from the face of tho ocean, taking with heiv2Jl people to a nameless grave. : The Waratah was. a liner of 9339 tons, owned by W.rLund and Sons, and built in-1908;.for the Great BritamAustralian trade at a cost of £135,000. She was on, her . second": homeward voyage when, she left Sydney on Juno 26, 1909. She arrived at Durban ahead of schedule on. July 25, and when sho left next day sho had 92 passengers on boaTd, including three Kew Zealanders. At 6 a.m, .on July 27 sho was sighted by the Clan Macintyre, which had left port a few hours before her. Following the usual' courtesy of tho sea, tho vessels exchanged greetings. The Clan Macintyre signalled: 'f What ship are yon?" and the-answer -camet"Tho',Waratah, for-London." The Clan Macintyre replied: "I am the Clan Maeintyre, for London. What weather had you from Australia?" Back came the signal: "Strong south-west and southerly winds' across." The' Clan Macihtyro signalled: "Thanks. Goodbye. A pleasant passage." Then.came the final mesage from the Waratah: "Thanks. Tho same to you. Goodbye." At 9.30 a.m. she passed out of sight. Shortly after a gale blew up and raged with unabated fury for about 15 hours. For a long time the Waratah's owncr^ refused to believe that sho had boon lost, and were of the opinion that she >vas. drifting, Many; vessels joined

in the search, but nothing further was heard of her. Soon after the Waratah's disappearance tho Shaw, Savill Company's Maori was wrecked near Capo Town and considerable confusion was caused when remains of-this vessel came ashore. In the intervening.years there have been several occasions on which deroliets, believed to be the Waratah, have been reported off the South Afrieau coast. The most recent of those was-on June li of this year, when, an aeroplane reported seeing a' long , dark object off the Uncababa River, Natal. The authorities ridiculed the suggestion, however, as the Waratah was last spoken to. 150 miles, southward. ; ~ .. Tho Waratah was, built by ( Barclay, Curie/ and Co., -Ltd., Glasgow, and her principal dimensions ' wore: ' Length, 460 ft; breadth, 57.2 ft; depth, 35.1 ft. ,