THE MISSING WAIRUNA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3189, 13 September 1917, Page 6

THE MISSING WAIRUNA

HOPE PRACTICALLY ABANDONED. In shipping circles very little hope is entertained that the Union rf.S. Co.'s missing cargo steamer Wairuna ia v stilt afloat. The vessel, which had a mixed general cargo shipped at Sydney, Wellington, and Auckland, cleared the latter port for San Francisco on May 30, and since then has not been heard of. In view of the fact-that she had lately been fitted with a wireless plant (having a utdius of 500 miles), and that Uait anything of a usual character checked s her progress (such as a broken shaft or 'other mishap to her machinery), sc-uifc- , thing'was almost bound to have Iwen heard of the steamer, it is generally-sur-mised that she has probably Jfif' *»'£ bv an internal explosion deliberately arranged or otherwise ' OrdinarilyU» Wairuna would make the passage from Auckland to San Francisco in -about J davs. She has now been out forlo4 dajs The Wairuna was in charge of Uptam Saunders, who is well known in Wellington and on the coast, *ra m the Service of the company for sumo rears Captain Saunders has been marritvl for less than a year. The Wairuna (ex Maloppa) «« a * « fiC rcw .steamer of 3917 tons gross and rrtTng 100 Al at Lloyd's. ™ bu s in I'JO-l bv Armstrong, Wutwiutli >iml Co. of Nowcastle-on-'lyne, Kngland. Her principal dimensions 1 - *° ft.: beam, 47ft. Sin., and depth, 26ft. < n. She was a good earner ot her class and has done good service for the Union SB Co. in the coal and general cargo trade lietween Australia wwl *ew Zealand, and latterly between the Dominion and America.