OVERDUE CLAN MACPHERSON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 652, 1 November 1909, Page 9

OVERDUE CLAN MACPHERSON.

. , H.M.S. CHALLIINGEE TO SEAECH. 1-■ •' v I • ; *.■ • 11 LEAVES TO-DAY. t -°n Saturday Captain Horbert C. C. da Costa, ■fit.-. Hiil.fa. Challenger, received a cable directing him to prowed to the Kermadeo Islands to ssarch for foe missing .ship .Clan Maepherson. It was originally intended that the Challenger' would; proceed trtim here to Lyttelton on ftiday next, but these arrangements ' have now been-.cancelled, and she will sail for the Kermadeo .Islands at 6 o'clock this; ereninir If -nothing is seen of the' Clan Macpherson, fie Challonger mil probably look in at AiioklaVl in aboufc ten days' time. •; ; %r. The, Glp . Macphcrson; is an iron , ship of 15M tens,; built at Port GlAsgow in 18S5 ; by Messrs. Eussell fcnd,C6.', ind owned by Messrs T. Dunlop and Sorts,of Glasgow. She brought a cargo of general;,inftehantiise 1 from Glasgow for Sydney and Newcastle, and arrived at the latter , port at !tho .end of May. Upon completion of discharging operations at Newcastle sho loadod a:catfgo ol 2485 tons of coal from the Caledonian, Company's colliery, .■ in addition to 12 tons for ship's'use, and sailed for Valparaiso' on Juno 24.. v Whdti the overdue ship was 90 days out'.'grave fears, for her safety were felt and oh': September 21 _ a cable from London stated she: had bisen reinsured at a premium of 89 guineas./. She ; is .now .129 days out. Several other long passages from Newcastle to the West Coast of South America are' An record. Tho BeechOlm some years ago occupied 108 : days on the run to Callr.o, and among other prolonged 70yago3 wore those of the Earl :Cadogan, 99 days to/Valparaiso, the Ednrfed, 99 days to Salaverry, and the Philippo Denegri. 97 days to Junin. •' ■

• It,is not lenown whether or not the authoritifcs at Sydney have received any news of the missing -vessel, but it is possible that tho Chair lenger is dispatched on the. chance of there be- . i^g. castaways en the ■ islands, irhith' are • al-' .most in the track of.vessels going from Newcastle to South America. The group lies about 805 miles to' tho north of: Auckland. There are two depots of provisions and clothing for castaways' on the group—on> of the south-east-ward of tho northern point of liacauley Island, and, tho othor on the north-west of : Curtis Island. The depots consist of small iron shods. .with a spouting; and tank to catoh water, ana each contains a Supply of clothing, biscuits, modicine, and tools.