S.S. LALLA ROOKH MISSING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 320, 16 October 1882, Page 2

S.S. LALLA ROOKH MISSING.

• — ■ — _ • THE GRAVEST FEARS ENTERTAINED. SIGNALS OP DISTRESS SEEN AND' NOT ATTENDED TO* CAPTAIN / >QF THE > -MACGREGOR BLAMED. [PEB UNHJIP PRESS f -ASSOCIATION.] . NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day. Considerable anxiety is felt for the safety of the, s.s. Lalla Rookh,. which left Onehunga for the Waitara on "Wednesday last, at 4 p.m. , < 3]lie s.B/- Macgregor, which left on the Thursday, duly arrived on Friday or Saturday, and it is reported in town, this .morning that about tea miles this side of the Manukau Capt. McArthur saw blue lights as if from a vessel. The s.s. Lalla Rookb, not reaching Waiiara, it was supposed she had got into Raglan, but a telegram has been received from there stating she had not been seen. ' Her non-arrival at Waitara therefore causes some anxiety, for she had several passengers — Mr. Joshu Jones being amongst them. , i - ~ „ L^TPR. No tidings have yet been heard of ; the Lalla Rookh. It is now absolutely certain that some serious mishap has befallen the steamer, as she has not appeared at either Raglan or Waitara. The Harbor Board tug, Moturoa, has been ashore on - the North Spio, Waitara, for, the last three or four days, and is not off yet. , ) AUCKLAND, This Day. General alarm is expressed here for the safety of the Lalla Rookh, which left Onehunga for Waitava on Wednes4 day last, and has not yet reached her destination. There were on board, besides three passengers, names unknown, Captain Robinson, Dempsey (mate), Lamben (engineer), Angus Beele (fireman), Howard (cook), and J. Neville (apprentice). Dempsey and Howard are married men, and their wives and families reside at Onehunga. At 10 o'.clock on Wednesday night, when a, few miles south of Manukau Heads, the mate of the Macgregor observed a signal from; a vessel, which he supposed to be ' the Lalla Rookh, about a mile' distant, "on the port quarer. She dipped her masthead'light a few times, but it ultimately seemed to have gone out, and blue lights were then burned. The mate of the Macgregor deemed it a signal of distress, and called Captain McAvthur, who upon coming, on the deck, identified the vessel as being the Lalla Rookh, and said that it was merely a .complimentary farewell signal. The sea was perfectly calm at the time, and the wind was blowing freely from the south-west. The seamen on board the Macgregor was dissatisfied with the decision of the captain in not going to see. whether assistance was required, and several of the passengers also took notice of the neglect. One of the seamen "on board the Macgregor says that there could' have .been no doubt as to'thesignakunade being those of distress, seeing that tile first lights having gone out, the blue light liad to be, adopted. The steamer, jhq ; said, appeared to be under sail, and was heeling over on, the port side. Bhe was, head-, ing down the coast. The general opinion is that she was at that time nearly full of] water, and though the wind 'was string, it was not sufficiently so to enable her to put about and return to port. It is ,not improbable that she has gone into Kawhia harbor for 3afety. She is insured for £1100 in the, South British, of which j£6oo is reinsured. , Later. - The captain of the Macgregor denieshaving Been the Lalla Rookh on her last trip, and threatens to take an action for libel against the New Zealand Herald for its strictures, on his conduct. ,-