THE ILL-FATED WARATAH

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 14003, 11 September 1909, Page 5

THE ILL-FATED WARATAH

THE SABINE'S SEARCH. iPress Asfiwciation-By Telegraph-Copyright LONDON, Sept. !J. Jho Sabine sails 5 this week on a throe months'., search for -the Waratah. COMPLETE ARRANGEMENTS. Received 9.35 p.m. > Sept. 10th. LONDON, Sept. 10. Tlio Sabinn will carry a powerful searchlight for night work. " . TJie Admiralty Jiydrographer assisted in the selection of the area of search, which is based on the Waikalo's experience- It is proposed that tho Sabine shall steam eight to ten knots per hour. > Tin; Union Castfc Lino ■ rendered great assistance in the arrangeinnts. < \< /:

- The " Cape Times " of August lit li contains over a column interview' with'." .Mr C. G. Sawyer, who had booked Jiis passage by the Waratah from Australia to London, but loi't her at Dilibail, and took to another boat because; ho ".was not satisfied with the way the ship' behaved.". He made up his mind .to leave her ten days before arrival at Durban. Catechised by the reporter of the "Times" as to what caused his dissatisfaction with • the ship, Mr Sawyer said, "When sho pitched; or rolled, she was so ' dead anything but lively. She' recovered very slowly. Going against a'big, swell on a'fine calm day, she her nose into a: big roller and remained there, apparently without any life in • her." He spoke to others about tho behaviour of the vessel, some of them old sea-faring men. One of them, an ex-officer of experience; said ho had never seen a ship' do that. I several times told other passengers I wished I was off her," said Mr Sawyer. Several times during, the *oyagc lie studied the list of passengers as distributed among the boats in case of emergency. For the on sou stated, lie- changed boats at Durban.. .. and tried to persuade several other passengers to do .the. same. Ai> Adt.- - laide lie weut ashore, and then s<iw the vessel from : the - Outside, , .ind: i.t struck him that she was remarkably high out of the water, and also. - that her bow seemed: to be deenier than her stern. One morning on the voyage she rolled a good deal, and she went over she remained a !on>; time before rising again. ~"I; sptik" to one of the officers about .tli.iff* and, ■"ked. him what angle He said he did not know-, .whereuoon 1 asked him if he had an jnsti'.UKient on the bridge, to which* he '\nswered that lie had not, but "the builder had. . seen to this, and he supposed It v.as all right." Mr Salver said he beV. iievcd her machinery was of rhe l.t-fl, and he. did not think there wis ary ■ chancfc of mishap in that department: v He had no theory of her disappear* ance. "but behaviour made me uncasv. and I thought it \vat, U"'er

•to-..clear out; .that was . ctiotigh . for lllC." . v ■ ....... ■ Air- S. Brown, . chief - .officer., of Ihp steamer Madura,.-now., 1 ;it ; Bunb'iry.

South Australia, has. a theory rcL-nrd-nig the whereabouts of the • *.»i})»3j'ng W.T<it'»h. The Matllira left .lulv -2» for Bunbury. eallmc at-, lagoa. Bar on Jul v.-27, : tins; beiiig about the. time, when- v ,the .Waratali-' put out .from..Port, Natal. For. the nrst time. in. his experience Mr Brow. 1 ) said he noticed a peculmr irregularity about the currents eastward of Cupo Colonv. He went iiito details to show that t.hevlmd at.wS.at time a ■ lniicli more southerly, ect than usual, and assuming.; that the Waratnh was dis- ■ allied in anv. way, she would be prob- y si I>l v carried - far south. Having tliirt theory, and. in. tluv absence, of an.v kind* of wreckage: he is-'convinced tlm* she is still afloat, and ma„r bo found, as. in the-ciise of'tliP'Nairn«hiro some tiiw* arro, bv one of the sailing ships running downllcV'casting. , v