S.S. MATATUA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2848, 12 August 1916, Page 10

S.S. MATATUA

\ MORE FAVOURABLE REPORTS. Australian-Savr Zealand Cablo Association. (Rcc. August 11, 2.35 p.m.) London, August 10. More favourable reports are to Land regarding the Matatua, and. the rein- ■ suranco rate has dropped to 70 guineas. [It -was stated in a cablegram from London on Monday last that ninety , guineas per cent, had been paid to re- : insure tho 'Matatua. The Matatua, in ' charge of Captain Gillman, left .London on I'ebruavy 1 for St. John.. She was ' to load there for Australian and New ' Zealand ports. At St. John, on Febru- ■ ary 16, a firo and heavy explosion oc-■f-eurred, which sank the ship.' She was refloated on May. 1, but the voyage was i abandoned. At first the disaster was attributed to Germans, but since a theory has been advanced that water got mixed with a quantity, of carbide, which the vessel was said to be carry- • ing, and the resulwtant gas is said to . havo come in contact with a naked light. _ The captain was killed ""in the explosion, and the vessel is now under Captain Macfte. It was decided to havo the insulation of the holds renewed, . and as it was not expedient "to carry ' this work out either ia Canada or in • Australasia, the Mataima was .to be sent to London for the purpose.]