EDEN'S FRUITLESS SEARCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15003, 27 May 1912, Page 5

EDEN'S FRUITLESS SEARCH.

FOR DREDGE MANCHESTER.

THE QUEST TO BE CONTINUED.

Afteb a fruitless search, extending over a wide area of the Tasman Sea, for the missing dredge Manchester, the steamer Eden arrived at Auckland on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of replenishing her coal supply. Tho Eden berthed at the Queen-street Wharf, where she was the object of much attention, as soon as her identity had become known, and eager inquiries were made of the officers and crew leaning over the ship's side as to the result of the search, but those interested were disappointed, as not a sign of the dredge had been seen.

A Herald representative was quickly on board, and the chief officer, Mr. J. ' Fotheringhame gave an interesting account i of the search since the ship set out from I Sydney. The Eden was chartered to make the search by the Sydney Harbour Trust, and that body has two representatives on board in the persons of Captain i Hilderbrand (marine surveyor and ship- | ping inspector to the Trust) and! Mr. E. S. Reeve, electrician. The Eden is owned by the Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Company, Limited, and is a ! taut little vessel of 693 tons. She is under the command of Captain J. Curran, who was formerly in the employ of.. the Northern Steamship Company. Mr. Fotheringhame was at one time chief officer of the R.M.S. Australia, Mr. Black is second officer, and Mr. Creer is chief engineer, while the wireless plant is in the hands of Mr. J. E. Stoyle. The vessel is fully manned, and is a most suitable class of ship for the work in which she is at present engaged. " We left Sydney," said Mr. Fotberinghame, "at eight p.m. on May 11, and have been searching in a northward direction ever since. A zig-zag course was followed. The Eden called at Norfolk Island at 8.30 a.m. on May 15, and, after a cablegram had been despatched to Syd-; ney, she left at noon the same day. Th© vessel again steamed a zig-zag course, and a glance at bar chart gives a good idea of the largo area covered. Not a sign of anything was seen, and the only ship sighted during the 14 days' search was the barque Jessie Craig, bound from Newcastle to Auckland, wliich was spoken at noon on Thursday last in latitude 31.46 south and longitude 171.23 east. She reported as having seen nothing of the missing dredge. A constant lookout was kept from th© crow's nest on the foremast, while at night rockets and detonators were set off at frequent intervals, so that if the dredge had been within reasonable distance the signals must assuredly have been seen. A powerful searchlight, with a rang© of two miles, threw. its beams of light on the ocean throughout the night. The Eden searched well to the north-east of the New Zealand coast, but met with no success. When nearing the coast on Friday afternoon a large object was passed just awash, which was at first thought to bo a ship's boat, but on the steamer being turned round, and steaming back on her course, proved to be a large patch of seaweed. The Eden is equipped with wireless telegraphy, the plant being presented by the Rev. Father Shaw, of Renwick, and sho was in constant communication with the flagship Drake, in Sydney Harbour, and also with the Sydney land station, on the Hotel Australia,' and occasionally with the Wellington land station. She spoke the cruiser Encounter off the North Cape on Friday night, the Eden reporting her unsuccessful search to the warship. The Eden covered in ail about 3000 miles in her fruitless search, and, with the exception of the short stop at Norfolk Island, her engines were going constantly, the average speed being 10 knots an hour.

When asked to express an opinion in regard to the dredge,- Captain Hilderbrand stated that the ship's company were in hope of yet effecting a rescue. As the whole of the northern portion of the Tasman Sea had now been well searched, attention would next be paid to" that portion of the ocean in the vicinity of Lord Howe Island, and tho Middleton and Elizabeth reefs, which are well known to be a dangerous patch of low-lying rocks, about 350 miles off the New South Wales coast. Captain Hilderbrand said that it is just possible that the dredge, if she did not go to the bottom in one final plunge, has drifted on to these dangerous rocks, and become a total wreck.

When the Eden reached port on Saturday instructions were awaiting the captain from Sydney to the effect that, after coaling, he was to proceed on another comprehensive search for a fortnight in a north-westerly direction, and she will accordingly pay most attention to the Middleton and Elizabeth reefs and Lord Howe Island. She will take on board about 200 tons of coal a«d a supply of fresh water to-day, and will in all probability sail this evening. Tho Manchester left Wellington on April 6 for Sydney, and is now therefore 51 days out on a passage, which, under ordinary circumstances, would be accomplished in 10 to 12 days by a vessel of her class.