THE MISSING DREDGE.

West Coast Times, 3 May 1912, Page 3

THE MISSING DREDGE.

ONE OF ORIGINAL CREW’S EX-

PERIENCE,

HE FEARS THE WORST

CHRISTCHURCH, May 1. ’The only member of tho original crow of tho old dredge. Manchester remaining in Now Zealand is Mr. D. J. Kellehcr, who came out as an engineer in her a number of years age. Speaking to a reporter, ho said that although she had been as good a sea boat as he could have wished to travel in, he was far from confident that she wat still afloat. Mr. Kclleher stated that a good many mistakes had been made regarding the career of the old dredge. She had been built in the Renfrew di edging works to tho order of tho Manchester Canal Company, practically for breaking ice in the canal. For that purpose she was fitted with four propellers, two forward and two aft. When she was needed no longer for that purpose she was moored in idleness for a long time, and when she was bought by the Lyttelton HarbourBoard she left Liverpool for Now Zealand.

Being m bad repair she put into Waterford, and the Agent-General requested the Passage. Dock Company to send a crow along to bring her to' the passage for repairs'. Then she proceeded to Gibraltar, being over twenty-one days labouring through big SC as in the Bay of Biscay. She behaved splendidly hut her engines were in a terrible had siato of repair, and he discovered that both crankshafts wore bent. She had then to go on to Malta for repairs, as there was no dry dock at Gibraltar. She. afterwards called at Colombo, Singapore, Thursday Island, and several New Zealand Ports on the way and heavy seas were encountered, and it P. was only off North Cape that it was possible to cook food in the galley for throe days, although the ship herself behaved splendidly. They put into Wellington with a hurst steampipe on the donkey engine, and got to Lyttelton after a twelve months’ trip. l: 1 am satisfied,” said Mr. Kolleher, ‘'that it was only her two air tight chambers that kept her afloat in the Bay of Biscay and off North Capo. Five dredges left England at the same tunc and she was the only one that came through the Bay of Biscay. If those two compntrmonts had been all right before she left for Sydney early in the month, she. would have hceii idioro by now. The amount of coal in the hunkers would not have made the slightest difiorence, lint as it is I fear she has gone down.”

SPER PRESS ASSOCIATION'.—COPYRIGHT.] CHRISTCHURCH, -May !2.—Although pessimism is tho prevailing note in releronce to the dredge Manchester, in shipping circles at Lyttelton it is j suggested that she may have been com- ; polled to heave to during the recent gales, and may have drifted far out of her course. CHRISTCHURCH, -May 2.—Captain Downie was for some years an officer on the Union Coy’s steamers before .joining the shore staff. M’rs Downie lives at Lyttelton. Baxter, the second mate, was a native of Aberdeen, and ca.mc out with tho Manchester from Renfrew. Ayers, th esecond engineer, is a native of Christchurch. Cromhie, the third engineer, came to Lyttelton with tho dredge. He served his apprenticeship with the builders of the dredge at Renfrew. McQueen was a native of Wick. Rodgers, another Scotish man, also came out with the dredge. Gilray belonged to Lyttelton. CHALLENGER RETURNS. SYDNEY, May 2.—H.M.S. Challenger lias returned, after an unsuccessful search for the dredge, Manchester.