THE LOST WARATAH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 942, 8 October 1910, Page 5

THE LOST WARATAH.

: A MESSAGE FROM.THE'SEA;' ; By Telegraph—Press AisGodatJ<m--Oopyriffht. y (Rec; October 7, 6 p.m.)-; : ..''■:' 'Sydney,: October :7. ■ A forest' ranger at. Wilapn? s\ Prpmo'n-: tory, the. southernmost point .of Vic-: toria, yesterday picked up a bottle near the South Derby River;, The cork; was. much worn, and the bottle had appar-; some time in the water. It contained 'the: following! message:— ■■~ ,■ :• "At sea,; latitude: 40; degrees. south* Steamer ;Waratab. broke down on' August 23, 1909. : "Drifting :?.AJI weli,;but;anxious. /.Engineers,busy.-".:;;. ';■: The message. is signed: 7JV C. Jonesy passenger,''' • and asks' the ';'. finder "to wnte. to ''Mrsi Jones,: ■' 'Inquiriesi .hero show that noi J.r 0. Jones was a passenger.- -'No address,is. given for.Mrs.;:.Jones.\.y ; :;-Vv;;V.^-v ■ The •'WaratahV 'a twin-smew .liner' of; 9000 ; tons,;,built .by. a .first-rate.firm.;in. 1908, : and sailing under good .ownership, left .Port Natal on. July last year '.on-; an 800-mile run to-Cape Town, ano-disap-' peared .'' completely. /About;. 300 .persons were aboard: 1 The message is' obviously, a silly .hoax, as disaster must have;befallen- the. Waratah long .before -'August 23. ;';; ■'.-:/V'.';'-:/-.. ■'■ On July 27 th« -'VVaratah. was last, seen; hull ■-' down by, the' steamer Clan; Macin-, tyre.: She -.was'then "about *13J miles off-; Cape Hermes, and was apparently; in good trim,.the weather being ..olear and .the. sea .moderate.'... Greetings-had' been;. ex- ■ changed by: the ships;as, • they ..passed,; Later the wind' ohanged, and at .5 p.m. there -was ' a ''strong' southwesterly gale ■ jalowing > with "a high.head sea,'-Next day there was a heavy ;storm„ the .gale coming in squalls of .hurricane force, and the sea rising 4n wallJike ..formation ojnng.to the current being against it.v; ."'.'.;;r. <■; .■:■ Subsequent, searohes. proved: fruitless;. The rWaratah's hull was: valued-at <£150,t 000, and' she carried a bigicargo,;:..The : final British Board of : Trade .inquiry.has yet to: be held. . \'-y-'--i'\' \ '.■'■■; :: : . '■,