S.S. WAITOTARA ON FIRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3114, 19 June 1917, Page 6

S.S. WAITOTARA ON FIRE

~ ♦ ABANDONED BY THE CREW 'A VALUABLE CARGO By Tclectanh— Press Association. Auckland, Juno 15. ■ -The Union. Steam Ship Company's steamer Waitotara has been abandoned l>v her crew. She is on fire. The vessel is loaded with cargo from the Pacific; coast of America. Uelief steamers are beiiisr sent out. Dunedin, June 15. Regarding (he lost Waitotara, the captain decided to abandon the steamer when about IiOO miles from land owing to an outbreak of fire in her cargo of copra and oils. The cargo represents a. value of over a quarter of million. The crew numbers forty. It is! understood that the vessel's boats are well provisioned. Tt is anticipated that, if wind and weather are, reasonably favourable the crew will be fible to make land in two or three day! , ■ [The AYaitotara, formerly the Dalmore, was a steel vessel of -1717 tons gross, builtin 1907 by Scott's Shipbuilding and Engine Company. Ltd., Greenork. She was formerly owned bv the Alliance Shippin? Company, / Ltd. Her dimensions were: Length. 390 ft. sin.; breadth, 52ft. 2in.: depth 26ft. 4in. The Dalmore arrived in .Wellington from Calcutta about two years ago, in order to load wool hero for Messrs.'G. H. 'Scales, Lid. However, before this was done, the Military authorities commandeered lier for special service, and, after beiug fitted up in Wellington, she left as a horse transDurintr her absence from New 'Zealand, the Uniou Company approached the DalmoreV owners to see if they were willing'to sell. Finally the negotiations were concluded, and the Dnlmore became a unit of the Red Funnel fleet, beinn: renamed the Waitotara. She was one of the biegfcst rareo steamers in the IW\ and. was'a fine typ» of her class. The price paid bv the Union Company was almost fabulous.' even in these days of high prices.!