MISSING VESSEL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23088, 13 July 1938, Page 13

MISSING VESSEL

ADMIEAL KARPFANGEE A SEARCH ORDERED GERMAN STEAMER'S TASK ICEBERG DISASTER THEORY By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright SYDNEY, July 12 The German steamer Leuna has been ordered to proceed to Europe from Port Adelaide via Cape Horn and search for the missing German wheat ship Admiral Karpfanger, en route. The Admiral Karpfanger, a sailing vessel manned by cadets, was last reported on March 1, 240 milea east of the Auckland Islands. The Federal Line motor-ship Durham, which left Wellington on March 18 for London via Cape Horn, and has arrived at Sydney, reports sighting huge icebergs during that voyage. The crew believe that the Admiral Karpfanger may have struck an iceberg and foundered. ISLAND CONDITIONS

BLEAK MUNTY GROUP NO VEGETATION OR WATER ANTIPODES WELL SUPPLIED BY TEI.EGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] INVERCARGILL. Tuesday The opinion that the crew of the sailing ship Admiral Karpfanger would have little prospect of surviving if wrecked on the Bounty Islands was expressed by Mr. Jules Tapper, of Invercargill. in an interview to-night. He considered, however, that if the crew reached the Antipodes group they would fare much better, as those island were more hospitable and well supplied. A cache of food and clothing was maintained there for shipwrecked sailors.

Mr. Tapper paid a visit to the southern islands in a Government steamer about 15 years ago, and is well acquainted with the conditions on the groups. The Bounty cluster, he said, were bare and desolate rocks without vegetation of any description and without fresh water, but on the Antipodes fresh water was obtainable and the cache of supplies would provide everything required. The stocks of food, clothing, matches, fishing lines and firearms were renewed periodically by the Government steamer. Formerly supplies were maintained on both groups, but in recent years the number of sailing vessels traversing the southern route between Australia and Cape Horn had so greatly diminished that visits to the groups to renew foodstuffs and search for victims of shipwrecks have been less frequent. The depot on the Bounty Islands had been abandoned. "Penguins and seals are numerous on the islands in southern waters," Mr. Tapper said, "but in winter time sailors would find it difficult to subsist on the Bounty cluster, where there is no timber for fires. They might find a certain amount of driftwood, but the climate would be extremely bleak at this time of year." On the Antipodes Islands cattle had been released many years ago, and some probably still existed.

DOUBT AS TO POSITION LAST WIRELESS REPORTS MESSAGES TO AWARUA STATION [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] IXVERCARGILL, Tuesday A doubt whether the Admiral Karpfanger sot as far as Cape Horn, as reported from Hamburg on June 24, was raised to-day b.v tlie Invercargill agents of the Hamburg-Amerika Line, H. L. Tapley and Company. They stated that the ship spoke to the Awarua wireless station on February 28 giving her position as 49.42 degrees south and 165.18 degrees east. This point is to the west of the Antipodes and about due south of the Snares. The Admiral Karpfanger called Awarua on March 1 and again on March 2. and that was the last heard from her. She must therefore have been a long way west of Cape Horn at the time she was thought to have reported there. It is understood that, if the Government steamer Matai is unable to proceed to the Islands to make a search for the missing crew. Captain I{. J. Hamilton, of Bluff, will b e prepared to take the 1a ma tea down. However, it may not be necessary for either vessel to make the trip, in view of the fact | that the German steamer Leuna is to proceed from Adelaide to Europe, via Cape Horn, and to search lor the missing ship.

REINSURANCE RATE ADVANCE OF Jj!o PER CENT LOXDON, July 7 I'he reinsurance rate on the missing German barque Admiral Karpfanger has now been advanced to 80 per cent. Fifteen per cent has been paid for instil a nee of the I'innish steel barque Wintorhude (1980 tons), which left for Falmouth from Port Germein (South Australia) on March 5, and has not vet reported. This high rate is due *to anxiety regarding the Admiral Karnfanger. The reinsurance rate on the vessel advanced to 70 per cent on July 4 and then to 75 per cent shortly before the close of the market. The Admiral Karpfanger, which is used as a training ship by the Ham-burg-Amerika Line, was on a voyage from Port Germein to the United Kingdom with 3300 tons of wheat. She s now 149 days out from Port Germein. j Endeavours have been made by the Auckland agents of the Hamburg\monka Line, Messrs. Henderson and waclarlane, Limited, to obtain a vessel n Auckland to search for the missing Vdmiral Karpfanger. All types of craft lave been considered but difficulty has icon found in obtaining that considered nost suitable, a small vessel with a urge bunker capacity to carry it over i long voyage.