LOSS OF THE WARATAH

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1002, 17 December 1910, Page 5

LOSS OF THE WARATAH

QUESTION OF STABILITY. INQUIRY OPENS IN LONDON.

Dy Tcleirrapli—Press Association—Copyright London, December 15. 1 Tho inquiry into tho loss of tho Lund liner Waratah has been opened. Mr. J. Dickinson, tho Metropolitan Police Magistrate, is presiding over tho Court, with Admiral Davis, Commander Lyon (of tho Naval Reserve), Professor Walch, and Mr. J. E. Hallott as assessors. , ,

Many counsel were present, representing the Board of Trade, owners and builders of the vessel, and relations of tho passengers. Tho builders testified that no change had been made in the displacement of tho vessel during construction. The Waratah was tho ordinary type cf vessel, and nowise experimental.

| Mr. Barry, chief .of the scientific | department of Barclay, Curie, and Co., builders," Glasgow, testified that the owners wanted the vessel to bo capable i of going to sea with ooal and water ballast only, but this was found impossible ; she required also 1200 tons of ! heavy cargo. Inclining. experiments, ' mado when tho steamer was launched, were considered satisfactory. Bcgarding width and depth, the Waratah was superior to most vessels. The surface presented by the upper decks to the wind was of no consideration if the ship was properly watertight, and afforded extra buoyancy. Reduction of weight through coal consumption would not affect tho stability of.' tho ship, trimming down preserving her equilibrium* ,

EXPERT EVIDENCE.

WARATAH'S RICHTINC POWERS. A DANGEROUS OPERATION. (Rec. December 16, 9.50 p.m.) . London, December 16. At the Waratah inquiry, Mr; Laing, representing the Board of Trade, in opening his case, said the Board had received no adverse reports after the first voyage. The vessel was valued for insurance at £150,000, and-insured for £130,000,: with an additional policy on disbursement for £15,000 in tho event of her, total loss. It was untrue that Captain Ilbery, of tho Waratah, had told tho captain of tho Mongolia that the voyage was his. last unless the Waratah was materially altered. Tho captain of tho Mongolia had never met Captain Ilbery. Mr. Laing said he would call tho man Sawyer, who left tho Waratah at Durban because she. was top-heavy, and ho would relate his dreams. Mr. Barry gave evidence that if . tho vessel lay right over on her side so that the masts were parallel with the sea she would still have a tendency to right herself. The Waratah had fine righting powers, and .it would take 290 tons'placed at the side to give her a list of 15 degrees.He was decidedly of opinion that no list would account for the loss. If Captain Ilbery had rectified a list of 15 degrees by moving the coal, this may have been done to allay the passengers' fears. Commander Lyon .suggested that if the vessel's tanks ■■'"wore; filled' 'dilriii'g a very heavy swell, such as was ( mot with in that part of the world, it woSld bo very dangerous. DECK CHAIRS WASHED ASHORE. London, December 16. The .''African World" circulated . a statement from East Loudon that deck chairs marked "Waratah"-' have been washed ashore at Coffie Cove.

onm t War . at ?, ! ;. a twin-screw liner of 9000 tons, built m 1908, left Port Natal y m 6 - last F ear °h 800-mile run to wpe town and disappeared completev■ About uOO persons were aboard. > 2 J Waratih was. last seen hull down by the steamer Clan Maointyre. She was then about 13J miles off' 4 erme fi and was apparently in good trim, the weather being clear and the_ sea moderate. Greetings had been exchanged by the ships as they passed. Later tho wind changed, and at 5 p.m. there was _ a strong south-westerly gale plowing with a high head sea. Next day there was a heavy 6fconn, tho gal© coining in squalls of hurricane force, and tho sea rising in wall-like formation owing to the current being against it. _ Subsequent searches proved fruitless. a >™ratah's was valued at ,£150,000, and she earned a big cargo.