“MYSTERY SHIP”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 734, 6 August 1929, Page 10

“MYSTERY SHIP”

German Cruiser Anchored in Lagoon GOSSIP ON TOFUA The German cruiser Emden anchored in a lagoon near the lighthouse on Wailangilala Island, gave cause for some shipboard gossip on the Tofua, which arrived in Auckland yesterday afternoon. The Emden was sighted there by the Tofua at 6.23 a.m. on July 30. and when the Union Company’s vessel wirelessed to the cruiser to ask if anything were wrong a vague reply was received complaining that statics were bad. The wireless officer of the Emden. also asked if the Tofua had any message for the warship. The two vessels were only a mile apart. When the Emden sent a message to say that the Tofua’s communication was weak and faint the latter vessel communicated with the New Zealand station'and inquired about the strength of the message. A replv was received that it was “roaring in.” When the Emden left Suva it was stated that she would go on to .Pago Pago, calling at two islands of the Eastern Group of Fiji on the way. Nothing was said about a call at Wailangilala and the wireless officers of the Emden did not give any explanation of their visit there. Captain McDonald, master of the Tofua, thought that the Emden might be in trouble and he swung his ship oft her course until they were only a mile apart. It was noticed that the cruiser was comfortably anchored in the lagoon. The coral lagoon of Wailangilala is nine miles in circumference, and has an entrance of only 240yds wide. The Tofua was running 24 hours late, and stopped for only a short time to make inquiries before resuming her voyage. One explanation of the Emden's call at the lagoon, put forward in all seriousness by a passenger, was that the cruiser was collecting material dumped by the raider Wolf during the war.