THE WARATAH MYSTERY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 798, 22 April 1910, Page 9

THE WARATAH MYSTERY.

EVIDENCE FEOM WESTPOET. Details of the further evidence tendered at Westport in reference to the statement concerning tlie dead bodies supposed to have tome from the Waratah, and which,were seen-by Mr. Day, late second officer' of the Tottenham, have been received by the Marino Department. . Tho evidence is to the effect that th< passing of the bodies was known and talked about on tho steamer, and residents of Westport have been able to repeat information received from tho second- engineer of the vessel and an apprentice, which confirms the statement made some time back by tho second officer. The Marine Department had asked, the Collector' of Oustoms at Wostport to find out , al what ports the Tottenham had called after tho alleged passing of the bodies, and these are given as Antwerp, Newport,. La; Plata,. Fremantlc, Melbourne, and Westport. The idea of getting the names of the pons of call was so as to trace th« vessel and see if any statements had been made by members of the.crew, as it waa thought strange that the matter had beeu-. Kept quiet, so long. According to the new evidence, if is alleged that members of thecrew had said the matter had been talked about in Melbourne, and had been reported to a certain shipping firm there. The reason why no more was heard a.bou{, the matter was, one of the crew liaa said, that orders were given that nothing was to be said, aa.it might causa the ship some trouble. The second engineer of the Tottenham (Mr. Stewart) is' alleged to have made a statement to friends in Westport about the sighting of tno oodles, which fully endorses the statements made by Mr. Day. Three friend* of the second engineer depose that from what Stewart told, them all Mr. Day said* in his published statement is tnie. Tho Marine Department has now collected all the evidence available in Hew Zea- , land, and taey will"forward it.on to the Board of Trade. ■ . - .

/ OABGO FOR LOTFDON. The following cargo for London wae taken by the New Zealand Shipping Company s ohartered steamer Strathearn:— From Auckland-925 bales wool, 461 bales hemp, 6309 packages gum, 42 casks' pelts, » lo bales leather, 7 dumps tow, M cases honey, 1200 pieces timber, 224 casks tallow, •'■•■ From Gishorne—l4o bales wool. From Nabales wool, 592 casks tallow, 10 / bales sheepskins, 95 casks pelts, 12 casks casings, 30 casks prem. jus., 23 sack* hides. From Wellington-761. bales .wool.' - 510 casks tallow, 4044 bales hemp, 100 casks pelts, 3 bales sheepskins, 352 bales tow. : From Lyttelton-325 bales wool, 348 casks' tallow,' 51 bales hemp, 154 casks pelts, 51 bales sheepskins, B5 bales tow, 154 casks pelts, 39 casks caeinjs, 100 casks oleo, 100 ■ casks prem. jus,, l(w bales binder twine, • 264 sacks peas. ■ .. .../■■■

The Echunga ie bringing about 7000' tone -' or coal for New Zealand. . . - - . Tho Kaiapoi. Shipping Company's steam'! er Kairaki is expected to reach Wellineton on Sunday from Timaru and Oamaru.' She will go on to Napier and Gisborne from here. .;. • ...-., .-■-. Captain K. E. Smith, of the Monowai; and Captain D. M'Lean, of the-Hauroto ; exchanged vessels at Lyttelton on Wednesday. ■ , ■ .... . ; : Captain Harvey, of the Queen of the, South, transferred to the Himitangi yesterday in place' of Captain Hanky, who • has gone on holiday leave, Captain Brig- ■" den is acting-master of the Queen of thr OOUth.. '......-.. '.. „;■■■■ 'Captain Morley : took command of . the Kaituna yesterday in place'of Cantata - Kennedy. . ■ ■• i The Wellington Ferry Company has ap-' j pointed Captain Eeid to-the charge r of'■ the .Duchess, vice Oapt&in Jones, and Cap*' tain Durloo to the Cobar, in place of Gap- - tain Williams, whilst Oaptain Watchlin. late of the Biwaka, is to take' charge ot the.Admiral. - ; ; . . The Shaw, Savill Company steamer Tokomaru is to call at Nelson for : loading oa 1 '• May 9or May 10: :■ : . _■< . The colliers Kaituna and Kamona' areto sail for.Westnort and Greymouth re--Bpeotiyely to-day. The Kotuku -mill also. ■ sail to-day for the Grey. ! ; : .. ;. -'"'. , The.Flora, which made the last-trip to' the, coast in place.of the: Arahura, is.to leave Wellington on Tuesday for Napier, Gisbbrne,- and Auckland, calling at. East Coaat Bay en route.. . •■.... ..■-■' i The Defender is due at Wellington from " Hokitika to-day, and ia to sail for Kara-, mea on Saturday. She is due back here l again next week, and will sail about Friday for Hokitilta.. The Wairau, which has'been detained' at'Foiton, is to go on to the Patent Slip during her stay in Wellington, to have her. rudder repaired. :,• ,j ■.....•, ~i The Hinemoa has completed, her work ■ at Stephens Island, and loft there yester- . day morning in continuation of her light- ! honso calls.. - ■...• ,■' .■; ~: Two vacancies on the ' training eHp ,, Amokura have just been filled. One of the; new boys comes from , Papanui-and the other from Dunedin. ... Commenting in an editorial note'on a suggestion that tho Union Company should" irun a weekly boat to New Plymouth from.-" the South Island instead of the present', fortnightly produce service, the "Taranaki Herald" s.iys: "The ' trade of, this port and of the district it Eerves is. considerably hampered' by the irregular and in-. frequent service not only with South. Is- , ' land ports, but with: Wellington, and in- ' stead of an expansion of the area served there is a tendenoy the other way forthat very reason. With the rapid pxpan-V sion of the country Eerved by the'Strat-' ford-Whangamomona railway, • however, •• there will be a commensurate; growth of the trade, and the Union Company might well try the experiment of an additional steamer from the south." ' . : •:'■