WANT OF STABILITY.

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1910, Page 5

WANT OF STABILITY.

WHAT WHERE THE BODIES?

Professor Bragg, of Leeds, who was a passenger on the Waratah's maiden voyage, said he had the impression that the metacentre was slightly below the centre of gravity within the vessel when upright. The Waratah's list was a continual subject cf conversation. The captain was asked if he could do anything. Something was done, and the ship came upright; then she fell on the other side. Witness became alarmed, but the chief engineer reassured him. . He asked the captain if he had stability appliances, bi.t found they were not on board. The junior engineer informed him that the vessel was the tenderest he had ever known. Captain Bruce, of the Harlow,.recounted seeing the flashes. He concluded that the Waratah blew up. Mr Crossly, of Melbourne, detailed a conversation with the chief officer., who was dissatisfied owing to the vessel's peculiar habit of getting on one side without righting immediately. She fell rather than rolled. Captain Cox, of the Tottenham, said that he put back owing to an officer reporting bodies, but found they were sunfish. Stewart, second engineer of the Tottenham, declared that he and another engineer saw what they believed to be bodies, also a ship's bed; but the captain said that the fish rumour had circulated in the ship, and it was better not to say what they had seen.