THE OVERDUE WARATAH

Evening Star, Issue 14163, 13 September 1909, Page 6

THE OVERDUE WARATAH

THE SABINE STARTS,

Press Association—< By (telegraph—Copyright.. LONDON, September 11. The Sabine- has sailed from Cape Town in search of the Waratah.

NAVAL CIRCLES HOPEFUL,

A BLUEJACKET SEABCHLTGHT CREW.

LONDON, September 12.

(Received September 13, at 9.20 a,m.)

Router's Cape Town correspondent b«vß that tlio belief is still prevalent in naval circles that the Waratah i 6 afloat.

Admiral Eggerton personally • snpeiin. tended the fitting out of the Sabino. The embarkation of a bluejacket searchlight crew has caused great satisfaction, and is Tegarded as ensuring an exhaustive night search. 1 \ LEAVING A TRACK. Many weeks have now passed since tlie s.s. Waratah disappeared from "mortal' ken'' (writes Herbert C. Kent, master mariner, to the Sydney 'Daily Telegraph'), and we have one and nil longed for newa and hoped en. As an old friend of Captain Ilbery, 1 may say with confidence that he was not only one of the beet, but also one of the bravest- of seamen. Not only this, but he was a man who was always prepared for accident or disaster, perhaps to a greater extent than any other captain afloat. In conversation with him on board the Geelong some three yeans aep, I mentioned the fact of the utter helplessness of a steam vessel in ca6e of a breakdown, and I .remember well his reply, which I now give tadly and reluctantly: "Pooh, man, isn't it easy to da-op buoys with flags, i woodwork with inscriptions, all along tie! track? Can't you flare up at night and make a big smoke by day? Wouldn't any vessel looking for you find something you loft behind, and couldn't you write on it the way you were drifting?"i I was so impressed with this view of things that since that time I have mentioned it to a great many commanders, i who have all noted it. But many have not; therefore I ask you to give publicity to the fact that one of the first acts of a! captain who found himself at tho mercy of! wind and weather would be to leave a| track behind him. As a big ship would! drift before a gale of wind seven knots,, while a buoy or beacon, would only drift, one, she would thus leave a track behind' her for searching vessels to follow. Ab\ this little matter does not seem to be known by either the "experts" who have' scattered theories broadcast, or by tho| public, who have very little technical know-' ledge, I give it here, to show for one thing: that the Admiralty knew (as they generally! do) what they were doing when they with-: drew their ships from the search. ' ■

A motor car accident prevented' Mr and; Mrs Raymond, of Tkuaru, from joining the; WarataJi at the last Australian port of call.. They aiuived at the wharf—owing to the! breakdown of the motor in which they were taking a drive into the country—to! find the ship had left. - Mr G. Brydone, one of the Christ/church 'Press' Company's engineers, who wasl among the veil's passengers from London: to Sydney on her maiden voyage, expressosi the opinion that the vessel was dccidedlyi top-heavy. Duriiiig her trip out, ho Raid', her habit of rolling was the subject of comment by many of the passengers, among , whom were six marine engineers. " Although no rough weather wa6 experienced throughout the passage," continued Mr Brydon, "the vessel rolled very badly, n.nd did not right herself readily, 'and iii view of the rough weather that was reported just after she left. Durban, I would not lie at all surprised if she has come to grief."