THE LOCH LOMOND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13869, 1 October 1908, Page 5

THE LOCH LOMOND.

QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT. STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. ENCOUNTER MAY SEARCH. [BY. TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Wednesday. In the House of Representatives this after' noon Mr. Bollard asked the- Minister for Marino without notice if the Government could send a vessel to look for the Loch Lomond, laden with coal from Newcastle, and now much overdue. The Hon. J. A. Millar said the Government had no vessel available for that purpose. Of the two yawls in the Government service one had to take provisions to the lighthouses, and the other one was engaged on cable work. The Government had taken euch steps as it could. The Union Company's steamers had all been zigzagging out of their course looking for the vessel, but without success. The Prima Minister supplemented what the previous speaker had said, and explained that the Government had done everything possibl- in this matter. It seemed probable that the only place where the vessel might possibly hare drifted ashore if dismasted would be the Auckland Islands, which were out of the track of vessels from Newcastle to the New Zealand port for which the Loch Lomond was bound. In compliance with requests he had received from relations of the unfortunate men, he had asked His Excellency the Governor that day if he could arrange for H.M.S. Encounter to visit the Auckland Isles, with a view to verifying the accuracy or otherwise of the supposition he had indicated, and thereby add to the many kindnesses in that respect which the commander of the Encounter had already conferred upon the Dominion. THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS. [BY telegraph.— CORRESPONDENT.] DCNEDIN, Wednesday. The outlying group of islands to which public interest is now being directed by the departure of the Wanaka at six o'clock this morrimg in quest of the missing barque Loch Lomond bear 553 miles south-west by south of Cape Saunders, and should be sighted by the Wanaka early on Thursday afternoon. Lifeboats have been placed by \ the New Zealand Government on Kndiirby Island, Adam.' Island, and Rose Inland, and a number of finger-posts have been erected to indicate the positions of the various food mid shelter depots, of which' there are three. One is at the south side of Erebus Cove, Port Ross, near the northern end of the inland, the second is at. the head of Norman Inlet, and the third is on the western side of Camp Cove,-"Carnley Harbour. There is a full supply of stores, clothing, and other necessaries, and if the crew of -the Loch Lomond is now castaway on these islands it will fare tolerably well until rescued by a passing vessel.