THE OVERDUE WAIKATO.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 28

THE OVERDUE WAIKATO.

SEARCHING- THE SNARES; LONDON, July 21. The Waikato <has not been spoken since she touched at Teneriffe early in May. Her owners have requested the Admiralty to search the Crozet Islands. BLUFF, July 22. The steamer Awarua has sailed for the 'Snares to search for traces of the missing isteamer Waikato. WELLINGTON, July 22. The Collector of Customs here has been informed that during the passage of the Tekoa from Lyttelton to Timaru, about a fortnight ago, a box containing charcoal was thrown overboard off Banks Peninsula. This is probable the box that was picked up the other day. CHRISTCHURCH, July 20. The New Zealand Shipping Company has asked, the Premier to send the' Government steame/- to searoh the Snares in case the Waikato has been wrecked .there. The Hon. Mr Hall-Jones replied that the Tutanekai was undergoing overhaul, bub the Hinenioa will search llhe Snares when she visits the south, about three weeks hence, unless the company sends the Invercargill or some other boat before. A quantity of wreckage has been seen in some of the bays on <the Peninsula, some hatchways and a box being found in Magnet Bay. The box contained charcoal, supposed to have come from a large frozen meat steamer. [ July 21. ! Captain Willis, representing the insur- ! ance companies, inspected the wreckage at Little River to-day, but expressed no opinion as to what vessel it came from. ■ The manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company believes it is from the Elginshire, and that the Waikato is disabled between Capetown and New Zealand. The New Zealand Shipping Company has arranged for the Bluff Harbour Board's^ tug to search the Snares. i BLUFF, July 24. I The tug Awarua has returned from the Snares, where a thorough search was made for some trace of the missing steamer Waikato. There was no sign whatever of wreckage or life. The Awarua returned home by way of the south coast of Stewart Island, bub no wreckage was seen. ! The Waikato was built in 1892 by W.,Doxford and Sons, of Sunderland. She is 4767 tons gross register, and 3071 tons net, and, as far as can be ascertained, her officers are as follows: — Captain, T. S. Neston; chief officer, E. J. Tosawill; third officer, E. Moone; J. Turnbull, supernumerary officer. Captain Neston is on his second voyage to the colony as commander. Mr Posswill is a native of Akaroa, and Mr Turnbull, who was second officer when tho steamer was last here, is a native of Timaru. He resigned his position in London, and was working his passage back to the oolouy. Me AY» o*. Uhalk is chief eat

gineer, with Mr Davie second ; Mr J. Ross is chief refrigerating engineer, with Mr E. OBrown second; while Mr S. Vizard is chief steward. It is possible that_some alteration an the staff was made before the steamer left iLondon. The Waikato is 400 ft long, 48ft beam, and 21£ffc depth of hold. She is a 6par deck craft, and a sister boat to the Hawke's Bay, of the Tyser line. She is regarded as one of the slowest boats engaged in the trade, but a good sea-going craft. She carries no passengers.