MARINE CASUALTIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 796, 20 April 1910, Page 5

MARINE CASUALTIES.

_—; —>_ . -. BIG LINER DAMAGED. ' PASSENGERS LANDED : SAFELY.' Ibr Telegraph—Presa Association—OoDirlaht • London, April 18. The Atlantic Transport Company's splendid liner Minnehaha, 13,143 tons gross, from New York for London, ran on the rocks at the Scilly- Islands, on tho Cornish coast, and was badly damaged. The passengers were landed safely. [Tho finest steamers of the Atlantic Transport Company (included •in tho Morgan shipping combine, the International Mercantile Marine Co.) are tho Minnehaha, Minneapolis, Minnetonka and Minnewaska, each of 13,440 tons. The Minnehaha.was built in 1900 by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, Ltd., Belfast. ; Her dimensions are: Length, 600 ft. 7in.; breadth, Gsft. sin.; depth, 39ft. sin.] STRUCK AT MIDNIGHT DURING A .;.;•■,'■ FOG. ' . : A PANIC ; : THE CREW REMAIN ON BOARD. ' ; (Rec. April 20, 0.3 a.m.)' London, April 19. ;, The -Minnehaha struck at .midnight, during a fog. The passengers rushed on deck in their'night attire, but the cap:tain' persuaded.many, of them to return to thoir cabins and dress.. . : ; : After tho captain had ascertained the depth of water in the forehold, the boats were lowered: aqd tho passengers . were. taken ashore. The crew, remained on board.. -.'". Motor-cars, ; pianos,- and machinery ■ have been jettisoned but. the .Minnehaha ;is not yet floated. - VyARATAH INQUIRY., , SHE. "BUMPED 'HER NOSE RIGHT -.-■. THROUGH/;;. OFFICER'S ALLEGED FEAR OF HER. Melbourne, April 18. . At the Australian inquiry into the condition and seaworthiness of the missing steamer- Waratah (an inquiry ' the' evidence in which is to be forwarded to the British Board of. Trado), an: ex-seaman of tho Waratah, in his evidence stated that.the vessel could not ride seas at all, but bumped her* nose right ' down into the trough .of the water.' . '

Seas,; the ■ witness added,; broke right :ovcr, the ship,, and .the. engines, shook tie vessel a great deal, and, as a result, some of the- gear of the: mizzer.mast became ' loosened. •. He assisted to repair it, but in 24 hoars.it was loose again. He heard the chief : officer say to : a .passenger, "I will be glad when this vessel reaches London again, because I don't think she will be able to stand a heavy storm." The Waratah was the worst rigged ship, in respect.to ship's apparel,, he-had ever sailed in,"and the most, unsteady boat he had ever been in.

Latimer, a shipping clerk'in Sydney, stated that the second officer had . told him in January of last year that; ho didn't like the vessel at all. and thought she. had a deck too many. He said he had got a scare when coming round in the vessel from the builder's yard to London. ■, He Hhought she was going over on. her, broadside in the heavy' weather in. the' Channel.

Mr. Richardson, Chief Mechanical Engineer to the Geelong Harbour Trust, who was a passenger •to Durban oil' the ill-fated voyage,' said he 'had commented to tho. captain'.of the vessel's slow recovery when pitching.-1 Captain'llbery had replied, that she. was a little that way; ■but that it must • be , remembered that there were-thousands of. ; tons of-; dead weight to; shift.' When the vessel got'in motion it took a.power to Btop it, and when stopped.it took a considerable force to start it in the opposite direction. .. COUNTESS OF EANFUELY .WBECK. Sydney, April 19..'Those interested in the schooner' Countess of Ranfurly,{ recently wrecked near New Caledonia,. wished to have the inquiry regarding ; the wreck held: here,' but it transpires; that, a preliminary inquiry was held, by ..the British consul at Nbnmea, capital of -New Caledonia., That .functionary,'finding that'the vessel was registered'in Auckland,' sent the result of the inquiry to that port.■-'-*'• .-".■' ■ The local Superintendent of Navigation doubts whether; he; has jurisdiction"; but is making.inquiries,tc see whether he can hold an investigation, "and 6ave' the. expense of officers and crew having to proceed to Auckland. . '.' (Eec. April 19, 8.45 p.m.) Sydney, April 19. The Superintendent of Navigation has':received a cable message from the New .Zealand Marine Department consenting to the inquiry, into .the loss of the Countess of Eanfurly being held in Sydney. THE WAKAITPU REFLOATED., . . :; .''V.Launceston, April 19. The Union Steam Ship Company's steamer Wakatipu, which went aground near the entrance to the river Tamar, through failure to answer • her helm, has been refloated. ' DAMAGE BT TELAMON FIEE. Londin, April 18. The steamer Telamoii, which was on fire, has reloaded her wool at Perim.She discharged 10,000 cases of worthless apples.