A STEAMER MISSING.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1069, 20 October 1882, Page 3

A STEAMER MISSING.

Genera! alarm is expressed at Auckland for the sifetv of the steamer Lalla Eonkhwhich left Onehunga for Waitara ou Wedr nesday last, and has not yet reached hes destination. There were on hoard, beside, three passengers whose names are unknownr Captain Robinson, Mr Dempsey (mate), M, Lamborne (engineer), Angus Bale (fireman), Howard (cook), and J. Neville (apprentice). Dempsey and Howard are married men, and their wires and families arc resident at Onehunga, At 10 o’clock on Wednesday night, when a few miles south of Manukau Heads, the mate of the s.s. Macgregor observed a signal from a vessel which was supposed to be the Lalla Eookh, about a mile distant, on th» port quarter. She dipped her masthead light a few times, hut it ultimately seemed to have gone out, and blue-lights were thou burned. The mate of the Macgregor, deeming the signal to be one of distress, cal’ed Captain M ‘Arthur, who, upon coming on deck, identified the vessel as being the Lalla Bookh, and said it, was merely a complimentary farewell signal. The sea was perfectly calm at the time, and the wind was blowing freshly from the south-west. The seamen ou board the Macgregor wore dissatisfied with the decision of the captain in not going to see whether assistance was required, and several of the passengers also took notice of the neglect. One of the seamen who was on hoard the Macgregor says there could have been no doubt as to the signals made being those of distress, seeing that the first light having gone out a blue light had to be adopted. The steamer, he said, ■ appeared to ho under sail, and was heeling over on the port side. She was heading down the coast. The general opinion is that she was at the time nearly full of water, and though the wind was strong, it was not sufficiently so to enable her to put about and return to port. It is not impossible, however, that she has gone into Kawhai harbour for safety. She was insured for £llOO in the South British, of which £OOO is re-insured. The captain of the s.s Macgregor denies having seen the Lalla Bookh on his last trin, and threatens to bring an action for alleged libel against the New Zealand Herald for its strictures on his conduct.