THE CANASTOTA

Otago Witness, Issue 3513, 12 July 1921, Page 24

THE CANASTOTA

NO SIGN OF THE MISSING VESSEL. WELLINGTON, June 26. Tile Union Company’s Waihora is reported to have seen no sign of the Canastota, now a fortnight out. Captain Mawson stated that a vigilant watch was kept, but without success. The Waihora came across the Tasman Sea on a course to the northward of the usual route. She met westerly and south-westerly gales with seas running high throughout the passage. The conditions were unfavourable for -the Canastota to drift northward. The Canastota’s crew are Chinese with the exception of the officers and engineers. Captain Andrew Loekie joined the Canastota at New York four months ago. .Some years ago he vwts an officer in the Union Company’s employ. He belongs to Auckland, and is 38 years of age. He has a brother who is chief engineer on the Union Company's cargo steamer ICekerangu. The. chief officer of (he Canastota (Mr Lang) was also formerly an officer in the Union Company’s service. During the war he served as a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve. NO WORD YET. SYDNEY, June 25. There are still no tidings of the Canastota, which is now 13 days out on the voyage from Sydney to Wellington. H.M.S. CHATHAM’S FRUITLESS SEARCH. WELLINGTON, June 29. The Minister of Defence received advice at mid-day to-dav from Commodore Hotham that there was no trace of Canastota or her boats. The Chatham went from Wellington to Auckland arid travelled west about to search for the missing steamer. THE WORST FEARED. AUCKLAND, June 30. H.M.S Chatham left Wellington on June 23 to search for the Canastota. She proceeded westward as far as her coal supp'ics would permit, keeping a sharp lookout for the ship, boats, or wreckage, ine lookouts kept aloft throughout the day, and the searchlights were used continuously at night, but no trace of anytning was discovered to throw light on the mystery. A very hard wind had been blowing, causing a nasty eea. Official opiaion is that the Canastota is lost. The ship's boats could not have lived in it even if they had got away from the steamer intact. THE MAHENO’S FRUITLESS SEARCH. AUCKLAND, July 5. The Maheno found no trace of the Canastotu, though she went to northward of her usual course to search. The officers hold out no hope that the vessel is still afloat. A patch of discoloured water, which it .was thought might be due to oil, was sighted, but close examination revealed no trace of naphtha. The pa tch is believed to bo due to masses of rainwater lying on topi of the 6alt water. On Saturday a violent gale from the north struck the vessel amidships. She shipped many seas, and everything had to be battened down. At midnight a huge sea smashed aboard broadside, reaching the teak railing on the navigation bridge, 40ft above the water level, and bending the iron stanchions. The gale moderated on Sunday.