MORE ABOUT THE WARATAH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1024, 13 January 1911, Page 7

MORE ABOUT THE WARATAH.

WHAT AN OFFICER SAID.

THOUGHT VESSEL WAS GOING OVER ; g^ s IN THE CHANNEL.

" A COMFORTABLE SHIP."

By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright.

(Rec. January 12, 10.10 p.m.)

London, January 12. Tho Board of Trade inquiry into tho loss of the Lund liner Waratah, 9000 tons, which disappeared between Durban and Capo Town in July, 1909, with 300 persons aboard, was continued to-day.

. Mr. J. Dickinson, Metropolitan Police Magistrate, presided, and had with him as assessors Admiral Davis, Commander Lyon (of-the Naval Reserve),-Professor Walch, and Mr. J. H. Halletfc;. •::

Captain Bidwell, Messrs.-Luhds'- marine superintendent, testified that after the first voyage [the Waratah was'lost on her second voyage] Captain .Ilbory and his officers eulogised the Waratah, and made no complaint ' The witness did not. remember telling the. L'unds that the Waratah was less stable,than the Geelo'ng. Captain-Ilbory treated'the rumours, which were tho subject of conversation among Messrs. Lunds' clerks, as idle .talk. ■■'■':'

' Admjral Davis quoted a-letter .from the': chief, engineer (Mr. Hodder); informing Mr. Shanks CLunds' superintendent engineer) about tho coaling at Sydney,' and his compelling tho captain twico. to stop coaling .because he was ■afraid.of. a possible list. ■■•' ~-. .-.-■-.' '

: . Tho witness replied:. "ilbory told me nothing b£..this'.'-' ■':.'.••

Continuing, Captain Ridwell said he was u'nablo to explain why ballast tanks which" were full on the first voyage: were left.empty on the second.homeward.trip to .Durban,...... . ;;■.-?... ,-. . : The.-depositions of.a nmnbon:of witnesses whoso evidence was : taken in Australia in April-last were : then read. They included thoso of, . ' ■

Jphn Latimer, shipping cleric, 5 Queen's, Avenue, Sydney, who stated that on January 8, 1909, Mr. Henry, tho second officer, said of the Wnratah: "I don't like her at nil.. Between ourselves, I think she has n deck too many. When the ship was coming round from the builders' yards to London to load for.Australia wo got caught in some heavy .weather, in tho Channol, .arid she gave mo a.scare, becauso I-thought she was going over on her .broadside.'' ■ In further conversation Mr. Henry said: "I am different to a;seaman, -and' an .officer cannot throw up his job when ho likes, but I intend to "get out of her as soon- as I got a chance," or words to that effect. At the wharf the Waratah never appeared to be on an even keel.

Depositions, were also read from the Sydney pilots, in which they stated that thoy informed Captain Ilbory that, the Waratah was tender; and from''Lusakin, a. steward, who stated that the boatswain told him tho .'lifeboats .were the most awful ho had ever seen. . ,'■ Several witnesses who wore' passeri_gors in the • steamer Tottenham roborated'tho previous evidencp"'about bodies being seen. ' ' -.'■•'■•■ ■

The third officer of the Tottenham said the captain enjoined silence on the matter, remarking that his owners would have a poor opinion of him if he bothered to pick up bodies and convey, them, to tho nearest port when other vessels .were specially searching for tho Waratah. • ■' ■••■

'Saunders, n;-.stowaway, gave evidence as to the behaviour of the Waratah, which he said scared him. 'Ho believed she was bound to toonlo ' over in a squall. .

Soveral other witnesses certified that the ''Waratah was a comfortable shin.