WARATAH INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1004, 20 December 1910, Page 5

WARATAH INQUIRY.

AN EXPERT ALARMED. WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE LIST WAS RECTIFIED. BODIES IN THE WATER. By Telcsraph—Press Association—Copyright London, December 18. Further evidence was taken oii Saturday by the Board- of Trade inquiry into the loss of tho Lund liner Waratali, 9000 tons, which disappeared between Durban aud Cape Town in July of last year, with 300 persons aboard. Jlr.. J. Dickinson, Metropolitan Police Magistrate, presided, aud had with him as assessors Admiral Davis, Commander Lyon (of the Naval- Beserve), Professor Walcb, and Sir. J. H. Hallett. , Professor W. ,H. Bragg, Professor of Jlatheniatics and Physics, at tho University of Leeds, who was a passenger on the Wara tali's maiden voyage, said lie had an impression that-the metacentre was slightly below the centre of gravity within the -vessel when upright. The list was the Continual subject of conversation.The captain was'asked if ho could do anything-'" to rectify it. Something-was done, and- the ship came upright;'she then fell to the other-side. Witness became alarmed; but the 'chief engineer reassured'him. 'Ho asked''.'tile captaiii if he 1 had the stability curves, and found'they, were not''on board. A junior engineer informed".,him that tho Waratah was the tenderest ship he had ever known. Captain Bruce, master of the Harrison liner Harlow, recounted seeing flashes off the African coast. He concluded that the Waratah blew up. Mr. Crossley, of Melbourne, detailed a -conversation ho hod with the chief', officer of the Waratah, who was dissatisfied Owing to tho vessel's peculiar habit of getting to one" side without righting immediately. She fell rather than rolled. '. Captain Cox, of the steamer ham, said lie put back 'owing to an officer reporting that he had passed bodies, but he found that the supposed bodies .were surifish./ i..Mr"/'Stewart,.'second eiVghieer"■of;tho Tottenham, 'declared. that ,Ko;'. and "other engineers saw what 1 they believed ' were bodies, also a ship's bed; but-the captain said they were fish. A rumour was circulated on the, ship, tftat .it was better not to say what .they liad seen.